You guys have been with me since the beginning! It’s so crazy. So, about me. I moved to LA to become an editor for a print magazine but decided to try out music on a semi-whim early 2015. I grew up in Southern California and have been in this general vicinity my whole life but I would say LA has become what I consider home. It’s changed my life living here that’s for sure. I also am a bad sleeper and can eat sushi every single day. I enjoy mornings and have a fascination with the sound of trains. I hate underground parking garages.

2) After 22 months of preparation, your EP “Low” is finally out! What was the creative process for this project? What are your feelings right now? Are you anxious, happy, stressed, excited…?

The process was a mixture foolish expectation and of determined and sleepless nights. I felt (and still do) so new to it all, so it was a lot of learning of what a process even looked like in general and what then the creative process looked like for me personally. But when the EP came out, I felt like it was the most unreal real thing. My feelings then were dismay meets relief meets excited. Now I feel a little bit the same but let’s add anxious to it. Over all though, really overwhelmed with joy.

3) In “Low”, you sing that you prefer “better” and “you.” Are your songs dealing with your personal life? What is the best thing for you? And the person you cherish the most?

My songs deal with what has happened, what could have happened and what I want to happen. Everything is personal though–because it means something. The best thing for me huh? In general, I think wanting better is different than wanting the best. In the case of this song, I think I was talking about the thought we all have in the back of our heads that tells us something is off or not right. But we go with it anyways because why not? The person I cherish the most? Haha. I cherish a solid seven people off the top of my head…

4) What is your favorite track on this EP and why?

My initial response, all of them of course. But I will have to say, “Honey” has a place in my heart. Mainly because it’s the song I kind of fell a part to when I was writing it. I feel the most with it I think.

5) If you could change one thing in your young career, what would it be?

Nothing whatsoever. And if I did it would probably be something terribly unimportant like the shoes I wore once at a show or something.

Great question. Maybe another video? Definitely more shows. Right now you can expect me, for the most par, to be in the studio writing away. Fingers majorly crossed.

Buy TRACE‘s “Low EP” on iTunes or stream it below via Spotify.

Connect with TRACE on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud.

The EP defines what synthpop should always be. It fits the category exactly, while still managing all the elements needed for originality. Beautiful and strong piano portions support the vocals and provide a nice contrast to the synthesizers. There’s a definite theme to the synths chosen, a calming change from the seemingly random choices that have taken over modern music. The rhythm set TRACE has chosen for this release is quite unique, setting it apart from the crowd in a positive way.

The farther into the EP you delve, the more emotions you’ll start to explore. “Honey”, the artist’s favorite as she told us in a recent interview, is reminiscent of Coldplay’s 2000 release “Yellow” off of their star album “Parachutes”. The simple lyrics “give me something I can keep” become powerful words with the support of the fulfilling piano melody. It invokes a feeling of longing, as if she’s speaking to a ghost in a memory. “The Best” is the final track of the album, and plays off a twist. The opening line sings, “Oh no, we aren’t the best”. This directly contradicts what was expected from the title of the song. I was anticipating a happy ending, but TRACE quickly stomps any illusions of joy into the ground. To add to the mastery, the words “aren’t” are sung with a purposely muddled pronunciation, forcing the listener to stop and think.

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In “Heavy Shoulders”, which was featured in our TOP 100 tracks of 2015, TRACE speaks of the devil, saying it “spoke, so I leaned a little closer”. It’s arguably the best track of the release, and was initially released as a single to put her on the map. It worked, catching our attention with its devious darkness. There’s quite a few topics the song could reference, one being a failed relationship she always wonders about. Her partner “begs for chances” but she says, “darling I can’t relate”. The lyrics reference faith, and how it “marks a very foolish heart that loses its own way”. Could this be the reason the relationship failed, due to a fool’s blind faith? There’s much that’s left to interpretation, but the ability to relate across multiple themes marks TRACE’s lyrical genius.

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This release is ripe with moody pop. It’s a beautiful piece of work, dedicated to the emotion-prone and those lost within themselves. The EP’s single travesty – it’s only four songs.

A month ago, Los Angeles singer-songwriter TRACE self-released her sultry electro pop debut single “Heavy Shoulders”. You can now watch the accompanying video which was directed by Nathanael T. Presley.

TRACE‘s “Heavy Shoulders” is about growing up without noticing how fast life goes. When you get caught and eventually realize this, it’s already too late. You’ll have to sort out the true from the false and try to bear all the weight you have on your shoulders. Watch the video below.

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