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Conversations with the Inspiring Lucy Graves

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucy Graves.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Lucy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in the Waitakere rainforest in New Zealand.
Ever since I was little I was surrounded by great music (my parents couldn’t get me to sleep like a baby unless they played “Ain’t Nothin Goin On But The Rent” by Gwen Guthrie LOL) so it wasn’t a surprise when I started playing the piano and singing at the age of 2.

At 16, I traveled from NZ and played at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California with my high school Jazz Band.
At 18, I moved from NZ to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music for writing and production.
After college, I moved back to NZ where one random day I was playing and singing in a bar and these guys from the USA approached me. They were part of the production/songwriting team with the Black Eyed Peas… fast forward a couple of months and I had been writing and recording in the studio with them and finally decided to move back to the states, to Los Angeles.

After moving to Los Angeles I began writing for various artists, TV and Film and then was lucky enough to be asked to go on tour playing keyboards with CeeLo Green and then the Black Eyed Peas.

Had some of the most incredible times on the road with those artists, from playing Red Rocks amphitheater to the Royal Albert Hall to the opening ceremony for the UEFA finals in Cardiff to just seeing the world!!!

Through all of this, I was still writing and producing, and last year (2018) decided to move to Atlanta and take a step back from touring and focus on my own projects. 🙂

I’m really excited to say that I am now officially releasing music as a solo artist (you can check out my music on all platforms, Lucy Graves) as well as with my duo project, On The DL, with Andre “Modre” Brown (first single released October 5th!).

I’ve been fortunate enough to score short films, write music for animated films, and continue to write for other artists and projects. I also started a non-profit organization called Hey Let’s Talk About It, which is A Safe space for creatives by creatives, bringing to light the mental and emotional struggles within our industries through a supportive community.

I have so much I still want to accomplish, but I’m learning how to enjoy where I’m at in my journey and appreciate all the little things! Like having time to rest, lololol.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I don’t think anyone’s dreams ever happen the way they pictured them to go, but you learn to go with the flow and realize that life happens the way it’s meant to happen and all you can do is do your best and be prepared for the opportunities when they arise. 🙂

As a woman in this industry, in life actually, there are definitely obstacles you have to navigate. Learning to not apologize for your opinion, learning to be strong in yourself because there is sooooooo much trying to tell us how to look, be and do. Learning to walk away from situations that aren’t good for you, even if you’re being told it’s the best opportunity… literally, the list could go on forever, lol. (I’m also STILL putting all these into practice every day.)

As for young women starting their journey, I’d highly recommend aligning yourself with other smart, strong, powerful and kind women. For so long, I was ‘one of the boys’ because of always being part of the band, but there’s something so empowering about having a good group of women around you who you can talk to and navigate this thing called life with!

Also, be kind, and be genuine. People can tell someone who’s fake, don’t be that person, haha.

Relationships are everything in this industry – It’s not who you know, but who knows you, AND how you made them feel.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
As for what I do… what I’m called for mostly is songwriting, engineering, singing or playing keys.

I’m currently focusing on my solo project and the duo project I have called, On The DL!! Very excited about the new releases….think dirty, soulful funk. 🙂 🙂 Really looking forward to doing live shows and touring with that too, it’s gonna be a lot of fun and we have some great stuff in the works!

A big dream of mine is to write all the songs for an animated film like Pharrell did for Despicable Me or Pasek and Paul did for The Greatest Showman – so I’m working on doing a lot more projects within TV and film! (if anyone’s looking… reach out to ya girl! 😉

I also have a non-profit organization, Hey Let’s Talk About It, with Andre Brown that I’m working on behind the scenes. It focuses on bringing to light the emotional, mental, physical and financial struggles we encounter as creatives and providing resources and community for that.

As for what sets me apart? I’d like to think I’m pretty fun to hang out with AND I’m great at what I do, so we can have fun while also creating magic! 🙂

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Stop apologizing for being great.
Don’t diminish your talents to make a situation less awkward for a man.
Make sure to keep good people around you.
Eat the dessert.
And last but not least, read…

“The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***” by Mark Manson
and
“The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz

both are fantastic books that remind you of the important things in life. We can get overwhelmed with trying to do too much or please others, and I think they easily and simply help us navigate that.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:

Ser Baffo

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2 Comments

  1. Chris Graves

    October 10, 2019 at 9:56 pm

    That’s my girl – strong, talented, gorgeous & inspiring! So proud to be your Papa 😉

  2. Frau Kowalski

    October 12, 2019 at 3:57 am

    Amazing story, thank you for sharing!

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