Home or abroad, music would’ve found me – Demi Grace

Weekend Magazine: You were born in the United Kingdom before you relocated to the United States. How much has being away from Nigeria influenced your style of music?

Demi Grace: The UK has influenced my idea on musical success. As a child in London, I was constantly listening to artists from the US. As an adult, I noticed I started to associate success with reach. If you were known in the US and the UK, then you have reach. I also listened to R&B and rock in London, so I developed an appreciation for multiple genres. 

WM: If you grew up in Nigeria, do you think you would have still been a singer?

Grace: If you had asked me this question when I was fourteen years old, I probably would have said no. However, with what I know now about destiny, I’m sure I would have found myself in music somehow, even if it was just a hobby.

WM: How encouraging were your parents to your dream of becoming an artist?

Grace: My parents became more supportive of my music as soon as I got my Bachelor‘s Degree.

WM: Your songs have undertones of Afro-pop. How would you describe your kind of music?

Grace: I would describe my music as Pop.

WM: How did your career as a singer begin?

Grace: My career began in Los Angeles while pursuing a modeling career. I met Marc Littlejohn at a casting where he was managing a rock band at the time called ‘A Warrior Nation.’ He asked if I wanted to sing back-up. Eager for experience, I agreed and sang back-up for the band during college.

WM: You have a racially diverse band presently. Is that intentional?

Grace: It’s intentional for me to reflect racial diversity in my live shows because that is actually how I see the world. I grew up in cities that were racially diverse.

WM: What were your early influences in music?

Grace: TLC and Michael Jackson were my earliest musical influences that I can remember. Of course, I was influenced by many more artists, but those are the earliest images and sounds I can remember.

WM: You are passionate about empowering women. To what extent have you been able to achieve that?

Grace: I would like to think I have been able to empower women in my career thus far. Empowering women in the music industry is a journey, not a destination. It’s something that I keep in mind when creating music, videos, fashion, and so on. I believe it is something that will motivate me through the rest of my career. 

WM: In 2014 you released a track, ‘We Are Not Alone’ dedicated to the missing Chibok school girls. Do you intend to do another song, especially now that some of the girls have been released?

Grace: I haven’t considered making another song in honor of their release, however, I am constantly following the progress of the girls any way I can and sharing it on my platform. I hope and pray that they are able to return to a progressive and positive life after what they have been through.

WM: You have worked with artists such as Davido and Banky W. How would you describe the experience?

Grace:  Banky W. was lovely to work with. He’s a nice guy, a gentleman. I hosted a party with him in NYC. It was short lived but a pleasant and positive experience nonetheless. I opened for Davido at a concert in NYC, that was a very interesting experience too as it was my first time performing for a predominantly Nigerian crowd.

WM: What Nigerian artists do you look forward to collaborating with?

Grace: I really can’t wait to work with Don Jazzy. He’s a genius and more than anything I can literally hear the fun he’s having creating. I would also want to know what collaboration with Yemi Alade would sound like. I really like that she isn’t afraid to be aggressive in her music. 

WM: Aside featuring in advertisements for brands such as Chevrolet and Sephora, you recently modeled for Pantene Pro-V, a brand of hair care product owned by Procter and Gamble. Do you see yourself giving more time to modeling more than you do music? 

Grace: I see myself eventually giving more time to music because that was my original purpose for modeling in the first place. Earlier in our interview when I told you I started my music career from a connection I made at a casting call for modeling, I saw that as an idea that I can continue to network and promote my brand as an artist through modeling. Both fields are connected, but the higher priority for me is music. 

WM: How do you relax?

Grace: Ironically enough, I relax by listening to music created ten or more years prior to whichever day I’m listening. I like to take trips down memory lane. There’s something very relaxing and euphoric in musical memories for me. 

WM: What are you working on at the moment?

Grace: I am working on a few new single releases. What makes this project special to me is that my co-producer, Jay Karnell, and I are creating each song from scratch which I’m not used to doing at all. I am also creating all of the graphics for each single. Challenging but exciting! The project should be fully released by the end of the summer.