Finding Catharsis through Music: Grace Asbury's Journey

In the episode, Grace Asbury, a 25-year old Atlanta native and current Nashville resident, talks about her musical journey and how she harnesses her personal experiences to inspire her songwriting. Grace opens up about her brother's suicide and how it has shaped her emotionally and creatively. As an artist, she aims to touch people with her songwriting and believes music holds a cathartic power in life. The upcoming year is an exciting one for Grace, with a musical reset and a series of singles set to be released, marking a new path in her career.

00:05 The Power of Music and Introduction

01:00 Introducing the Host and the Podcast

01:39 Grace Asbury: A Rising Star

03:32 The Journey to Nashville

06:06 Grace's Personal Life and Collaborations

06:40 The Struggles and Triumphs of Making it in Nashville

08:07 The Art of Co-Writing and Networking

14:35 Grace's Unique Sound and Musical Reset

18:27 Songwriting: Personal Experiences and Imaginative Storytelling

20:09 Dealing with Grief: A Personal Story

22:14 The Impact of Loss on Family Dynamics

23:23 Remembering a Loved One: Sam's Legacy

27:28 The Power of Music in Processing Grief

31:47 The Role of Gratitude in Healing

36:52 The Importance of Family Support

38:01 Looking Forward: Upcoming Music Releases

38:54 Closing Remarks and Performance

I mean, I think music is the most cathartic thing in this

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world And if you really think about

it, if you took music out of our just

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everyday life, if music didn't exist,

it'd be the weirdest experience ever.

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So it's just always in the background,

but then I think so many people I mean

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That's why the biggest artists can do

what they do I mean you look at Taylor

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Swift so many people think like feel that

they've lived her songs or they know her

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or They help that have helped them through

things I think that's like the biggest

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gift that we have as songwriters is

being able to Do that for people because

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I, I always tell people when they're

like, what do you want out of this?

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Like I want to impact people in a way that

they feel they can listen to my music and

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it did something to them, whether it made

them happy, whether it made them laugh or

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just like made them cry their eyes out.

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Jason English (Host): Welcome to

Curious Goldfish, a podcast community

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where music and curiosity come together

through interesting conversations

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with the music makers of our world.

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I'm your host, Jason English.

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You can find Curious Goldfish and all the

major podcasts and social media platforms.

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And of course we have all of our

content on our website, curiousgoldfish.

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com.

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It was really fun to see Grace Asbury

perform recently late on a Friday

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night at Eddie's attic in Atlanta.

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The 25 year old Atlanta native and

current Nashville resident showcased

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her entire arsenal of talent from

her sweeping emotional vocals to her

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clever creative songwriting with a lot

of personality and charm in between.

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But what struck me most about that

night and from the conversation I

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had with her for this episode Was

her sentiment and authenticity.

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one hand, she is putting herself

out there, trying to be seen

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and heard by whomever will give

her three and a half minutes.

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You can see the ambition

and commitment in her eyes.

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She wants it, whatever "it" is.

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But there's more to her than

just being an ambitious singer.

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The sentiment and authenticity was really

embodied by her storytelling and the

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stories I heard before the show, waiting

for the doors to open from friends and

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acquaintances who remember watching Grace

perform when she was in middle school.

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You can tell they want her dreams

to come true as much as she does.

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Maybe because of her talent, maybe because

of how tight knit her family is, or maybe

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because of the nightmare they collectively

experienced four years ago with the

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passing of one of her older brothers, Sam.

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She talks about that

experience and sings us a song.

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She penned shortly after the

tragedy, which is both inspirational

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and heartbreaking, but beyond her

voice, beyond her catchy lyrics,

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it's going to be the authenticity

grace has in her core that will help

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her achieve what she and her close

network so desperately want for her.

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Will she make it?

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You never know in Nashville, but with her

talent, with her support system and with

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that authenticity, my bet is she does.

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I hope you feel the same after

listening to our conversation.

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Here's Grace Asbury.

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Let's dive in.

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Hi, Grace.

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Nice to meet you.

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Nice

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Grace Asbury: to meet you as well.

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Thanks for having me.

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Jason English (Host):

Well, thanks for your time.

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Of course.

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So you're in Atlanta for the weekend.

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Anything going on this weekend in Atlanta?

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Grace Asbury: I have a show

tomorrow at Eddie's attic at

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9 15 PM and it's gonna be fun.

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It's kind of, I haven't

had a show in a minute.

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I have a lot of new stuff and I'm

excited to get to share that with people.

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It's gonna be fun.

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Jason English (Host): All right.

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Well, Eddie's Attic is legendary.

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What kind of set do you have planned?

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Grace Asbury: So it's very much, I

have a little bit of my old stuff

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sprinkled in there, but since being in

Nashville, I've had so many co writes.

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So it's just kind of, and we're in like

this rebranding phase of my career.

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So it's this whole kind of new vibe

that I'm bringing to the table.

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So it's just a lot of.

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Like, you know what, here's the new

stuff, here's me as a lot of these songs

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you might be hearing in the next few

years, so I'm really excited about it.

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It's going to be in very acoustic

listening room vibe and we're going to

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have a good time and I have a couple

covers thrown in there so people are going

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to know the words, but don't go there

thinking you're going to know my songs.

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Jason English (Host): Right.

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Well, that's kind of the point is to

get to know singer songwriters, right?

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Have you, you, have you

played at Eddie's before?

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Grace Asbury: I have.

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I've played two times before.

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One was with a full band.

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Really fun.

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Great, great energy.

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And the second was just kind of a

broken down drummer and guitar player.

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Not fully acoustic, but

like kind of acoustic.

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So, that was really fun and

then I just, that was the show

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I realized like, you know what?

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It's more fun to play in this room

with a very stripped down vibe.

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Yeah.

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Jason English (Host): Yeah.

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I get that.

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So you grew up in Atlanta.

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I think you've played, obviously you've

played Eddie's before, like you just said,

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and I think you played Buckhead theater.

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Grace Asbury: I had.

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Jason English (Host): So what, what are

the top two venues you want to play in

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the next five years here in Atlanta?

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Oh my gosh,

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Grace Asbury: That's a great question.

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Jason English (Host): Tabernacle,

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Grace Asbury: I know um

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Jason English (Host): there's the Roxy,

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Grace Asbury: Roxy is one.

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I would think that would be really cool.

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I would love to even play, I mean

this is ambitious, but like, it'd be

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amazing if I got to like State Farm

and stuff like that, just good, growing

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up, those are giant stadiums and

arenas, just being from Atlanta would

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be, I've gone to so many sports and

things and concerts, I'm like, that'd

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be amazing if I was in there, but yeah.

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Jason English (Host): yeah.

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No, that's good.

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That's good.

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Uh, how long have you lived in Nashville?

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Grace Asbury: I moved last June.

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So, pretty fresh.

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Not even a year in yet, but it's been

a whirlwind since I've been there,

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Jason English (Host): Yeah.

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And you went to UGA?

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Yes.

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Uh, you grew up here.

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You went to UGA Helder, you know?

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Grace Asbury: I'm 25.

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Jason English (Host): So you're 25.

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All right.

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All right.

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So 25, I'm assuming single in Nashville.

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Grace Asbury: I'm not single.

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Jason English (Host): You're not single?

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No,

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Grace Asbury: I'm not.

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I moved with my boyfriend actually.

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Yeah, he's also my drummer.

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So we're very tied in.

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Jason English (Host): but the

collaboration's very good.

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Grace Asbury: It is.

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It's, um, he wasn't my drummer when

we started, or he wasn't my boyfriend

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when we started playing together.

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And then we just kind of hit it off and we

both made that leap together to go there.

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And it's really nice because it's

a big move and it's kind of amazing

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to have a support system there.

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So it's been almost a

godsend to have him there.

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Jason English (Host): So describe

to the audience life in Nashville

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in your mid twenties trying to sort

of make it in the music industry.

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I mean, is it exhilarating?

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Is it is it everything in between?

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Grace Asbury: I would say at first

it's a little like nerve wrecking.

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Um, I'm a very outgoing person and so

it's fun to be there and meet people.

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It's extremely different.

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vibe, I guess, that

I've ever been used to.

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Because I felt like in Atlanta

I was kind of a no man's land.

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I was kind of doing

country music on my own.

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And I'm a really competitive person.

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So being in Nashville has kind of

like, upped my game a little bit.

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Like, I have to prove myself.

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I want to be here.

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And it's been really, really fun,

but there's times where, you know,

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my first couple of co writes,

I would walk out and be like,

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I'm

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Was that really all, am I good at this?

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Like, was that stupid?

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Cause you just, people write

so differently and I never

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really co written with anybody.

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And I didn't know how they were taking

me as an artist or as a writer.

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And I was like, maybe they, but then

they asked if they wanted to do it again.

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And I was like, okay, so they must want

me back and they must like me, but.

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It is a little like messes with your

head a little bit and you have to

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just kind of fight through it and

just be like, no, I, because I think

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that's how it like weeds people out.

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Like you either get the mentality

of I deserve to be here and I'm

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going to prove it or you just get

kind of scared and pushed out.

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So,

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Jason English (Host): When you're

co writing with somebody, how do

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you meet the other co writers?

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How does that all come, come together?

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So

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Grace Asbury: so some, I do have a

manager who's put me in some rooms with

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like a little bit bigger songwriters,

which is very nerve wracking.

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Um, and then others are just

organic going to rounds throughout.

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Cause there's like rounds all week

at different bars in Nashville and

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you just go and they'll have like

every hour is like four different

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writers and they play their songs.

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And I've done a couple of those

since I've been in Nashville.

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And you just kind of, if you hear

somebody that you're like, Oh, I

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feel like we'd write well together.

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I like what they do.

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You just go up and, Hey, my name's Grace.

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Like I'm in town.

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I'm a country singer.

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And then they're, they're like,

eh, don't want to, or they're

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like, Oh yeah, here's my number.

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Jason English (Host): Well, you

mentioned confidence earlier.

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You've got to have confidence

to, to put yourself in that.

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Situation.

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Right.

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So that, that, that says a lot.

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I mean, that's half the battle, I

think, not just with probably with

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songwriting and music, but also

with business or dating or whatever.

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It's like,

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Grace Asbury: hmm.

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Jason English (Host): you kind of have to

fake it a little bit and probably extend

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yourself and be like, I have to think

better or think more about myself than I

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probably am to put in a situation where

you can probably have that opportunity.

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Is that what you find?

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Grace Asbury: finding?

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Very, yeah.

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I definitely, it's like kind of

staring fear straight in the face.

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Cause my dad is like Mr.

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Salesman.

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So he is like no fear when it

comes to just walking up to people.

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And I wish I had a

little bit more of that.

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Because, and he's really

like trying to ignite me.

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I have part of it.

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But that's one of the biggest things in

Nashville that I've had to just like.

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Push that wall down like break it down

because it's like you have to be totally

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okay walking up to people and then being

I don't want to write with you or I don't

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and because a lot of times they'll be like

oh yeah let's do it but it's like if you

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just never ask people or try you're never

gonna make those like connections and make

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your name known throughout the town like

even just walking up to the people that

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run the rounds that can be a little nerve

wracking of being like hi I would love to

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be a part of this like a lot of people are

like No, I don't want to do that and I was

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kind of like I don't want it to be weird

And I finally was like, okay Like I'm just

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gonna go say hello and say I would love

to be a part of it and it worked I'm like,

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but it is it's just having the confidence

to be able to Go talk to people That's a

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huge thing and a lot of people have talked

about that to me is like that kind of

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separates people in Nashville too, like

if you're afraid to be like forward and

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go talk to people and I was like, that's

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the, some

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Jason English (Host):

Well funny is that some

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of the artists I've talked to talk to as

part of this podcast, I'm kind of shocked

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at how insecure they are and how there's

not a, there's not a lot of confidence

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Grace Asbury: you

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Jason English (Host): and you know, and

so it's, yeah, it's a great point because.

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You could be so talented in songwriting

and on an instrument, but there's sort

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of the intangibles that you probably

need to kind of navigate and make it.

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I think

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Grace Asbury: kind of navigate.

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being an artist

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Is like the creative side really overtakes

and if you think about writers and stuff

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we pull so much from whether they be

our insecurities or just personal life

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or what's happened to us and You do

you're just like stuck in that creative

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state and I feel like I've met I think

that's what really set like songwriters.

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It's pretty okay To be

like that sometimes.

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If you want to be an artist, that's when

you have to be able to kind of have that,

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like, type A alpha in you a little bit.

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You have to, like, I've talked to

a lot of people who have been like,

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you have to believe that you have

something that other people don't have.

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Which is very true, like, cause you

have to make people believe that too.

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Like, I deserve to be here.

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There's, there's a path for

me and I'm gonna prove it.

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And so, I had somebody always tell me,

like, you need to have a chip on your

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shoulder if you want to be an artist.

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You gotta be, like, mad, like,

you gotta, things have had to

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piss you off, and you have to be

like, no, I'm gonna go get this.

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And, I kinda definitely have it,

I like looking at it more of the

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way, cause somebody said, you have

to believe you're better than other

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people, and I was like, I don't

believe that, I believe that I have

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something that other people don't have.

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I think it's a better way of

putting it rather than, I was like,

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I think there's some extremely

talented people in Nashville.

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Jason English (Host): Well, it's

also, it must be kind of frustrating

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because the line, it's a thin line

between quote unquote making it and

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then whatever not making it means.

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I mean, sometimes someone, someone's happy

of just like being a local person that

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does gigs just at the local bar tavern.

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But you know, cause it must be

frustrating because there's a lot of

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people that have quote unquote made it.

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Grace Asbury: Yeah.

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Like,

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Jason English (Host): Like, let's be

honest, they're not that good, right?

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And then some people that, again,

whatever definition of like making

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it is, haven't done that yet.

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And they're so freaking talented and you

just kind of wonder like, what is it?

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You know?

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Grace Asbury: I think it's so it is

because I mean trust me the amount of

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times we've all like been around them

and just like People like this song like

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it's so interesting, but I think it all

comes down to just the people you get

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around you and your team and then what

do you have to offer and like I think a

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lot of times it's not the better vocalist

It's not the better song It's something

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about that person that people tap into

and they do a great job and they find

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something Really specific and like and

they have their own style They have their

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own branding kind of thing and they stand

out like I think Like for example, like

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Lainey Wilson did a great job with that.

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I love Lainey.

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She's one of my favorite artists and

then You know who Megan Maroney is She

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is She's gotten pretty big in Nashville.

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I always she's this thing

called like emo cowgirl.

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That's her vibe she I think sings

like kind of sadder country songs But I

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respect the hell out of her and her team

because they've done a great job like

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pushing her and marketing her in a way

like Nobody looks like her in country

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music and she's done a great job at that.

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And I think that's really It because it's

like there's so many talented people in

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Nashville, and there's so many talented

songwriters and singers, but it's like

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what's What's gonna be the thing in the

path that you take that nobody else?

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Will be able to like get there before

you and I think that's One of the most

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important things when you're trying to be

an artist Is like finding that and like

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getting people around you that can help

hone in on that and I've really gathered

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a team around me and we've With the new

songs that I have coming and I'm excited

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because I feel like we're heading down a

path and it's like, all right, no female

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in country is like hitting this right now.

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So I'm excited.

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Yeah.

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Jason English (Host): Well, you

mentioned the reset earlier.

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Tell us more about what

that actually entails.

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Grace Asbury: So I did

have like three singles.

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2019

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to 2021 ish, I would say,

like all through COVID times.

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And then we had an album

follow and that was awesome.

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It was a great experience.

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It was, the album was kind of all over

the place in my opinion, just because I

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was younger and I was just writing like

a bunch of songs and I didn't really

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have like an idea of what my path was.

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And when I started to get a

band around me, I did, but we.

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Unfortunately, we had added some

people on to that team who had added

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a lot of fake numbers to my stuff.

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So fake streams on Spotify,

fake stuff on Instagram.

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And it, it hurt me cause a

lot of the social media places

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started to really crack down.

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They wanted to be really authentic.

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So, I started to get like hidden,

blocked, and I had to delete

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everything, start from scratch.

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And so now We've made the ultimate

decision just to take everything

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down so I could have like the best

opportunity of actually growing

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and I was kind of in a place where

I didn't think it would hurt me.

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So we were like, let's just

start from ground zero.

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And I'm in this whole, and it's

really fun because it's kind of like.

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A whole new life and like new energy and I

get to just put my next single out and be

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like, this is my sound now and everything

that will follow will be similar and

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all line into like the Grace Asbury sound

and people will know when they hear a

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song like, oh, that's got to be her.

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So

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Jason English (Host): Well,

what is the Grace Asbury sound?

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Grace Asbury: it's a great way.

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That's a great question.

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I asked, I told one of my friends

about it and she was like, I feel

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like I just need to hear the song.

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And then when I told her when

she heard the song, she was like,

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Oh, I know what you're saying.

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It's like a more gritty sound to

female country, like very, has

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southern rock elements, the big

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tones, guitars, you know, rock

heavy, big, really percussion based.

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Um, and just has a little bit of

like the pop side in it, but not

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the way you would hear it today.

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I think the best way is like, just

like fierce grit coming at you.

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I'm a big vocalist, so we use that

to my advantage and it's just, yeah.

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And it's kind of the content for majority

of my stuff is not usually what you hear.

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So I'm excited about that too.

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You can hear it soon.

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So like

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Jason English (Host): Yeah, that's good.

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So kind of back to Nashville, what

you're doing now, sort of ahead of

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the singles coming out and this reset,

are you gigging like every night?

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Grace Asbury: I'm well

pretty much every night.

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I'm in such like a connection based time.

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So like every night I'm going out

meeting people Usually it's just

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every weekday, which is kind of funny.

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The weekends are my chill time because the

weekends is more just the touristy bars,

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crazy

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cover bands.

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And I go out.

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Monday through Friday, pretty much.

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I go to all different rounds,

whether it's the listening room, or

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Live Oak, or the local whiskey jam.

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I just want my face to be seen.

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Try to talk to people, meet people.

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And it's just getting your face and your

name out there, and the more they see me.

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I have a very specific look every

time I go out, so I've started to

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be like, like I've seen you before.

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I'm like, yep.

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I've been here.

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I've always had my cowboy hat on.

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That's my go to.

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And it's just That's the vibe, that's what

I do, and I've been playing, which is my

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biggest thing right now, is getting in

those songwriting rounds, and I've done

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about five or six of them now, so just

being out there and having my name out

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there, so, and I think the goal is to get

more gigs this year, more like paid gigs

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and stuff like that, but, um, right now

it's just kind of like being in the scene.

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My dad likes to say, go

where the target market is,

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Jason English (Host): is.

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He's got, yes, he's got,

yeah, he's a sales guy.

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That's

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Grace Asbury: very much

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Jason English (Host): so

where, what are your sources

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of inspiration for songwriting?

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I mean, some people may

say, well, she's 25.

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What

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There's no, you know, what has she

possibly experienced to, you know, to, to

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lead to heartbreak songs or, or whatever.

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But, you know, everybody

goes through shit.

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Grace Asbury: right?

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Jason English (Host): Yeah, what's,

what's your main source of inspiration for

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songwriting or does it, does it depend?

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Grace Asbury: for it?

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Really, it kind of depends.

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Some stuff is really personal.

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Some, cause I, I have, I'm, I know

I'm young, I'm 25, got a lot more

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life to live, hopefully, God willing.

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But I have had a lot happen to me in my

life so far, and I've had a very blessed

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life, but definitely have had challenges,

and then some of it is just ideas.

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I might hear somebody talking and be

like, oh, that's an interesting, like,

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concept, or, cause I think the most

fun songs are actually, the personal

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songs come easy, in my opinion.

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You feel it.

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You write it and it's just like within

you, but I really like a song where

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it's just you have to build a story.

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those songs are fun because they're

challenging because it's like I'm that's

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I didn't live that life but it's kind of

fun to step into that storyline and write

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a song that people Can like literally

see in their minds when they're listening

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to it, and I think as a songwriter you

know, you've been given a gift to be

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able to put certain things into words

and melody and people are like, oh my

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gosh, I've lived this and I feel this

and Whether or not I've lived it I'm

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kind of speaking for maybe somebody

that has or I wrote a song that speaks

416

for them So it's that stuff's always

fun to me, but it's a mixture for sure

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Jason English (Host): So you mentioned

you've, you've been through a lot.

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Uh, you've experienced

a lot of grief, I guess.

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Yeah.

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Tell us about that.

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Yes.

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Grace Asbury: um, unfortunately, when

I was, It was actually the, um, It was

423

2020, so it was the four year mark.

424

On February 11th, so a few days ago.

425

Um, my brother took his own life,

which was really surprising.

426

I remember getting the

call and I was at UGA.

427

It was like driving back from my workout.

428

I remember the street I was on Macon

Highway and my dad called me and I was

429

going home the next day because my brother

was living with my parents at that time.

430

He just graduated from UGA it

was just like for six months, just

431

living while he made some money.

432

He had a great job at Northwestern

Mutual, was a financial

433

advisor and everyone loved him.

434

Like he was funny.

435

He was like the athlete in high

school, you know, just a great guy.

436

Like he's the funniest guy

I've ever known in my entire

437

life, like wittiest, hilarious.

438

And I got a call from my dad and he

was like, what are you doing right now?

439

I'm like driving back from my workout

and he's like, okay, um, are you, I was

440

like, I'm about to pull into my apartment,

I was living with my friends and he was

441

like, Sam like took his own life today.

442

I thought it was a joke.

443

I literally was like, that's not funny.

444

I don't know why you're saying that to me.

445

So, um, cause I was like, I think

the first thing he said when

446

he said Sam, I said Sam Asbury.

447

And he was like, yeah, and

he was so numb on the phone.

448

That's what I knew.

449

And he's like, I wish I was joking.

450

And it was just like, I

was in shock for a minute.

451

And luckily my best friend who I lived

with at the time, I like called her

452

and I was like, Hey, where are you?

453

And she knew right away

from my tone of my voice.

454

She's like, what's going on?

455

What's wrong?

456

And I was like, I just told her

and she stopped everything, like

457

drove home and got there, but it

was a really, it was a whirlwind.

458

Cause it was just like, so shocking.

459

But after that,

460

it was

461

just a long road of, like, because then,

right after that COVID came, so that was

462

like, my whole family was locked in a

house together, and we're all grieving in

463

different ways, and it's just If you've

ever dealt with like grief, you know

464

that people deal with it so differently.

465

I kind of felt like the

backbone of the family.

466

My dad was super strong.

467

He compartmentalized very well,

and my brother, who was in the

468

military at the time, he's now home.

469

But he

470

really

471

strong too, but it just was,

472

Jason English (Host): it

473

Grace Asbury: it was weird, like it was

a very, I don't even, And, like, you go

474

through these, such these big waves of,

like, happiness, and then you feel, like,

475

guilt, almost, for being happy, and it's

weird now, because my life is so different

476

than when that happened, you know, I have

a boyfriend that he never met, I live in a

477

state that he was never in, and It's just

so interesting and it's like my parents

478

don't live in the same house anymore they

used to live in and we've sold everything

479

that Sam was a part of so it's like

There's times where I like it hits me

480

Jason English (Host): like,

481

Grace Asbury: yeah, like all of that

happened And it's weird cuz you feel

482

this guilt of like, how could I just

like forget about this and you're like,

483

well, I didn't forget I'm just I'm in

a new life basically and it's I miss

484

him every day and He truly was the

funniest person I've ever had in my life.

485

He was like my best friend the

last six months of his life.

486

We went to games together, like,

487

together.

488

I

489

I loved having him around

and we were at UGA together.

490

But, it is just, it's just, I

think it just comes and goes.

491

I started crying the other day, it

just, my friend just texted me randomly.

492

And I was like, hey, I just

wanted to check in, I haven't

493

asked about this in a while.

494

How do you, and I'm big on

like, feel every single emotion.

495

Like I went, this might sound

interesting to some people, but

496

I, I went and like yelled at my

brother, like at his gravesite.

497

Because I was so mad.

498

Because to me, it's like, there is a

selfish side to suicide, but you also get

499

to this place of like, it's so horrible

that they get to that place, you know?

500

So, but like, I'm like, be angry, get mad.

501

Like, I did that and it helped so much.

502

And then it allowed me to like, get that

anger out, and then of course I was there

503

and I was like, I miss you, I love you.

504

But it's just, when I want to cry, I cry.

505

When I want to be

506

be

507

upset about something, I am, you

know, it's like, you can't, the more

508

you try to like box it in, you're

just going to implode one day.

509

Jason English (Host): So the

age difference with you and your

510

brothers, you guys are all pretty,

511

Grace Asbury: All pretty close.

512

We're all a year and a

513

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

514

So it's, yeah.

515

So I have a daughter and two sons.

516

She's the oldest, but they were all

a year and a half to two years apart.

517

So really, really tight.

518

Are you in, in your brother today?

519

How has that impacted your, your

relationship with your, your brother?

520

We were

521

Grace Asbury: all like

always pretty close.

522

We kind of went through the waves

of like, you know, the siblings.

523

I was the one they targeted, and

then it turned into we targeted Sam,

524

and then Sam and I targeted Ben.

525

So, it was like, that, but we,

as we got older and older, we all

526

just like, grew up a little bit.

527

But, um, I would def Ben was probably

my strong point when it all hit.

528

Cause he came home from the military,

and I, I didn't want to cry in front of

529

my parents, cause I was like, especially

my mom, cause I was like, she got the

530

brunt of it, and like, I, I can't be that

person, and my mom's been through so much.

531

She's the only one

standing from her immediate

532

Jason English (Host): family.

533

And like,

534

Grace Asbury: And like, now her son.

535

I was like, are you kidding me?

536

So, I didn't want to cry,

I didn't want to be upset.

537

But when Ben came home, and we picked

him up at the airport, I just like,

538

fell into his arms and started crying.

539

And he was really strong.

540

And he's very much of that like,

military kind of mindset He cried.

541

Alright, we get up, we move on.

542

He's great in that way.

543

He feels things, but he's Very aware of

we have one life, like we can't just be

544

sad all the time, which is very true.

545

But um, so he was definitely the person

that I always leaned on, and I still do.

546

And we always, we called and talked to

each other a lot when I was in college.

547

But it's different.

548

We probably talk to each

other five times a week.

549

We're very like, Oh, what?

550

I have nothing to do.

551

Oh, I'll call Ben.

552

And it's like, we're both really

talkative and like to talk to each other.

553

On my ride home, I'd probably

talk to him for an hour.

554

Um, so he just, yeah, it definitely

555

you.

556

I think it can kind of

do both a little bit.

557

I think in the beginning, it's very,

depending on how people grieve,

558

like me and you get in fights just

because like you are upset or you're

559

mad or little things like get to

you and some people are just numb.

560

Jason English (Host): Well,

trauma, trauma has so many

561

Grace Asbury: Yeah.

562

Jason English (Host): you know, it's all,

it's all unexpected, no matter what the,

563

what the root issue is, if it's, you know,

addiction or death or, or, or whatever.

564

Right.

565

So yeah, that's, yeah.

566

Uh, that, yeah, I can't imagine

what you guys went through on that.

567

How has that affected you

in the last few years?

568

Leaving UGA, starting this career

in music, I'm sure you said you

569

think about him all the time.

570

But in terms of songwriting and in

terms of when you're on stage and

571

performing, you know, what's the feeling?

572

Um,

573

Grace Asbury: it's interesting

actually, right before.

574

Like two months before Sam had passed,

he'd, I remember we were standing, it was

575

like before the SEC championship and we

were standing to go into Mercedes Benz.

576

Um, and I was like, yeah, I

mean, if I make it or like, if I

577

get to that point and he looked

right at me and just goes, if

578

Jason English (Host): cool.

579

Grace Asbury: Grace, like you're

going to make it, you're ridiculous.

580

And like, I hold that with

581

Jason English (Host): Hmm.

582

Grace Asbury: Cause it's just, I always,

whenever I started to doubt myself,

583

I'm like, no, and Sam's up there now.

584

And he's like my angel.

585

And he's got my back and just

keep your head down and work hard.

586

And so whenever I know, whenever I

get on stages and like the bigger

587

they tend to get, or like the

moments I get, I'm always like, have

588

a little like, thank you up there.

589

Just like, I know he's looking out for me.

590

He's watching.

591

It's just.

592

I know one day when I get to a point that

I wanted to get to, I'm, there's going to

593

be like a moment that I'm like, I did it,

and like, we did it, and it's just, it's

594

really, it's, it's interesting, you know,

I definitely believe God has a plan, and I

595

don't understand it, and no one does, but

um, he's He's up there watching over me.

596

There's a reason for this.

597

I'll see him again someday, but I know

598

get

599

on a stage, he's watching over me, and

he's with me every step of the way.

600

So, it's just that feeling that I

know I have my greatest angel up

601

Jason English (Host): Right.

602

Grace Asbury: Who has my

back, and hopefully he's

603

putting a good word in for me.

604

But,

605

Jason English (Host): good word

in for me, but It's stuff that

606

like He was like, obviously funny

607

Grace Asbury: oh, I mean,

it's stuff that like,

608

Jason English (Host): so improper

609

Grace Asbury: he was like, obviously funny

to everybody, but I'm trying to, like,

610

he was someone who was like, so improper.

611

And would say stuff that,

like, I probably can't say.

612

But, um, like, he would just do

stuff that, like, if you knew him,

613

you would He was just ridiculous.

614

Like, he would Like, we were

in Italy for some reason, you

615

know how they say, Arrivederci?

616

Like, that's their, like,

is that hello or goodbye?

617

I don't remember.

618

Um, but for some reason, he would

always just keep going, Areva Derici?

619

Areva Derici me?

620

And then you're just looking at

him like, what does that even mean?

621

Like,

622

Jason English (Host): movie?

623

Grace Asbury: but you're just like

staring at him like, We all just, if you

624

like knew him, you'd be dying laughing.

625

And he would always take little

lines from songs and like add them

626

into Like, just a conversation and

you'd be like, what's happening?

627

Like, it's like little rap songs and

just, he was, he was really funny and he

628

just, and he was an asshole, like, like

he was, he was, he could be so mean,

629

but it just was like just a brother.

630

But, um, he was so amazing

in the way of like, if I was

631

upset, he was the only person.

632

They could like cheer me up, and in the

funniest way, he would just be like,

633

He

634

he used to always make fun of

my voice too for some reason.

635

He'd act like I was way

more country than I am.

636

I would say something and he would

be like, I would, I'd be like, he

637

would say something, and then he would

mimic me in a really country accent.

638

And I'd go, I don't talk like that.

639

And he'd go, I don't talk like that.

640

And I was just like, and then he'd

always make this face of just like, and

641

like look at me, and it was just like.

642

But it was like, he could get under

your skin, but he knew how to cheer you

643

up, and one day I was having like a bad

day, and he ran up behind me and picked

644

me up, and he's like, gotta take out

the trash, and tried to like throw me

645

in a trash can, but it made me laugh.

646

He was just he was such a light

and it's just sad to think

647

that he didn't see that But

648

Jason English (Host): Well thanks for

sharing, I really appreciate that, so

649

in terms of dealing grief and then the

underlying things around mental health

650

how important is music do you think.

651

Not just you as a, as an artist and

a songwriter, but music in general,

652

whether, you know, you play, you

listen, how can music sort of help

653

people through those, those times?

654

I

655

Grace Asbury: I mean, I think music

is the most cathartic thing in this

656

world And if you really think about it,

somebody has said this to me before,

657

but if you took music out of our just

everyday life, if music didn't exist,

658

it'd be the weirdest experience ever.

659

Like if you, every TV show, every

movie, you're on an elevator, you're

660

at a sports game, you're just in your

car, like, it's just, if you took

661

music out of stuff, it'd feel so weird.

662

So it's just always in the background,

but then I think so many people I mean

663

That's why the biggest artists can do

what they do I mean you look at Taylor

664

Swift so many people think like feel that

they've lived her songs or they know her

665

or They help that have helped them through

things and I think that's like the biggest

666

gift that we have as songwriters is

being able to Do that for people because

667

I, I always tell people when they're

like, what do you want out of this?

668

Like I want to impact people in a way that

they feel they can listen to my music and

669

it did something to them, whether it made

them happy, whether it made them laugh or

670

just like made them cry their eyes out.

671

I think it's just such a powerful thing

and some people don't realize it But I'm

672

really lucky that I can write and put

like within Sam after he passed within

673

two weeks I wrote a song for him and

it was super super cathartic and I was

674

able to Get my feelings out and put them

down on paper, but it's nice, there's

675

people that have listened to that song

before, and like, it helps them, and it

676

got them to a place where they were like,

that like, did so much for me, and like,

677

I just lost my cousin, and she, like,

this song helped me through that, and

678

it's just, I think that's what it is.

679

Like we have the power to do and

that's what music does and that's

680

one thing I always like to remember

is like I don't i'm not in this to

681

just like be in the spotlight Like

i'm in this to impact people and I

682

believe god put me here for a reason

And this is my way that I get to make

683

way An impact on people's

lives and that way so

684

Jason English (Host): Good for you.

685

Well, I think, you know, obviously

Sam, uh, his passing is awful by

686

itself, but when you, like you said,

when you couple that with COVID

687

Grace Asbury: Yeah

688

Jason English (Host): and then

everything around that, and

689

you, you look back at that time.

690

And you just don't know what people are

going through, you know, and we all have,

691

we all have our ghosts, you know, whether

they're personal ghosts, family ghosts.

692

And can you imagine going through COVID,

uh, without music or, you know, the

693

situation that your family had to endure?

694

Whatever else people doing, you know,

it's just the, it's crazy that, you know,

695

just the, like you said, it's cathartic

and it's therapeutic and all the things.

696

And, uh, and I think like back to

songwriting, you said you have your,

697

your songs that you can sort of put on

paper to help you kind of process things.

698

Do you think anybody can be a songwriter?

699

You know,

700

Grace Asbury: I think journaling is, I

think it's a special gift to be able to

701

put things in the melody and build a song.

702

But I think anybody can put their

words on paper and it can be cathartic.

703

Because I have friends, I mean, I have one

best friend, she can never write a song,

704

but she can journal like nobody else.

705

Like, she, because I definitely

wouldn't say, I mean, that's not fair.

706

Anyone could write a song,

it just might not be.

707

just might

708

You're calling, but, um, but I think,

I think journaling is like one of

709

the most powerful things you can do.

710

And just like, even just like

writing down, I'm really big

711

every morning and just writing

three things I'm grateful for.

712

Jason English (Host): of like a song.

713

Yeah.

714

Can you share what

715

Grace Asbury: for today?

716

What did I say this morning?

717

I'm grateful, I had like cute ones.

718

I was grateful for my dog because

I love being able to wake up to

719

such a happy face every morning.

720

It's like I'm so blessed to wake

up and I have this dog who's like

721

so excited to see me every morning.

722

And that was my first thing.

723

The second thing was my dad.

724

He is my number one

supporter, my number one fan.

725

We can butt heads.

726

We're very similar, but I know

at the end of the day he wants.

727

Nothing but the best for me.

728

And he truly is my number one fan.

729

Um, and the third thing, was my mom.

730

She will pick up the

phone anytime I call her.

731

I call her when I'm bored.

732

And she is always my

first call in the morning.

733

No matter what.

734

Hey mom, what you doing?

735

It can be a two minute call,

but she's always my first call.

736

So those are my three things this morning.

737

I just I always have a different one

every morning, but it's just, I was just,

738

my dog was really excited to see me this

morning, and I was like, you know what?

739

That was fun.

740

Like, he was running around the house

and sprinting, and I was like, just

741

in a happy, good mood because of that.

742

So, which I think we take for

granted sometimes, how amazing

743

animals are in our life.

744

Because I grew up riding horses

too, and that was also a very like,

745

cathartic thing, just to be able to

like, get on an animal and have a

746

bond, and it's just very amazing.

747

But, I think it's good to reset

your mind each morning and just

748

be like, what am I grateful for

749

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

750

Well, how, I mean, how fortunate are you?

751

Cause I know, I mean, I've heard, and

I know a lot of people that female

752

growing up, the whole daughter father

relationship was, Either not there or

753

it was just completely dysfunctional.

754

You know how fortunate you are to have

a dad that's your number one champion.

755

Grace Asbury: I can't imagine, you know,

I'm, I'm extremely blessed to have not

756

only a dad, but like a family that's

so supportive, but my dad is truly.

757

Like, invested to the point where

sometimes you want to just, like,

758

grab him and shake him and tell him to

leave him alone, but it's just, it is

759

amazing and he would do anything for me.

760

Jason English (Host): I

761

Grace Asbury: I always come back to it

whenever we get in fights or arguments.

762

Or I'm frustrated about his thoughts

about my music or something.

763

I always come back to like,

you know, all he wants for me.

764

He almost wants me to

succeed more than I do.

765

He doesn't, but he's right there with me.

766

So it's just, I always come back to that.

767

Like he, looking out for

me, wants the best for me.

768

Jason English (Host): do a lot worse.

769

Grace Asbury: Yeah, yeah, trust me.

770

Jason English (Host):

yeah, that's awesome.

771

So just real quick, in the rest of

the year, you mentioned the reset.

772

I think you said before we

started talking, a single will

773

be coming out every couple months.

774

Is that what people can expect

775

Grace Asbury: Yes.

776

So my, not my first single, but my

first single for this year comes

777

out next Wednesday, February 21st.

778

Honest Man is the title.

779

Very excited about that song.

780

And then following, we don't have a set

date yet, but I know in April, my next

781

single called Slowdown Child will follow.

782

And then every five to six

weeks, we'll have a single.

783

So you can look out for

four singles this year.

784

With a, possibly a Christmas song, and

then if things keep rolling in a great

785

way, then an album should be following

at some point, but that is our plan

786

for now, so I'm excited about it.

787

Got a lot of good stuff in the works, so,

788

Jason English (Host): Well,

thank you for your time.

789

Grace Asbury: thank you so

much for having me, it's fun.

790

Jason English (Host): Uh, we're grateful

for your music and, uh, best of luck.

791

Could you play some music for us?

792

Grace Asbury: I would love to, yeah,

793

Jason English (Host): Thanks so

much for joining us for another

794

episode of Curious Goldfish.

795

Please follow and subscribe to

the podcast and on social media.

796

Also, tell your music

loving friends about us too.

797

Until next time, stay curious.