Rolling Stone to Feature GRACIE ABRAMS on September Cover

Rolling Stone has released its September cover story centered on Gracie Abrams, timed to her preparations to release her third album, DAUGHTER FROM HELL, which would go on to top the Billboard 200 Album Chart. Senior writer Alex Morris spent time with Abrams in both New York and London, where the two discussed the anxieties and growth behind the new record, her relationship with actor Paul Mescal, and her upbringing as the daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams and producer Katie McGrath.

In New York, Abrams and Morris painted portraits of each other, approximating the art-infused gatherings Abrams has been hosting recently in London, in the house she shares with Irish actor Paul Mescal. Later, Morris and Abrams caught up in London, and over their sessions in both cities, they dove into the anxieties and growth behind her new album, why her fans relate so hard to her music, and why she may or may not have been a daughter from hell growing up. Abrams opens up about what her relationship with Mescal has taught her, how Daughter From Hell's bigger sound came together, what she admires about her friend Taylor Swift, and much more. It all adds up to the deepest portrait yet of the still-rising superstar.

Key Quotes

On how Daughter From Hell captures an 'in-between' moment in life: 'The theme to me is trying to paint an accurate picture of all of these different versions of who you are in this decade when you are sort of one foot in a past life and one foot in the future.'

On exploring, then abandoning, the idea of a concept album: 'I'm like, 'That's just a dishonest approach.' I'd look silly as f trying to switch it up really hard in order to get people to care.'

On growing up as the daughter of acclaimed filmmaker J.J. Abrams and Hollywood producer Katie McGrath: 'It was fun the handful of times that we visited my dad on set. But regardless of what your parents do, growing up, nothing is less cool than your parents — so it's pure rejection of the thing.'

Olivia Rodrigo on being inspired by Abrams' music: 'I think it was inspiring for me when I was young to watch videos with people who were just writing songs in their bedroom. It kind of made me feel like, 'Oh, I can do that too.' You know what I mean? You don't need some big fancy setup or some fancy studio to do something that inspires you. She had a really distinctive sound and a distinctive style of writing.'

On working with producer Aaron Dessner: 'As soon as I got back into the studio with Aaron, his effect on me has always been one of tapping into s that I, for whatever reason, in a room without him, am not easily able to access. It's like a therapy session every time.'

On her bond with her mother: 'If there's anybody I want to go get a martini with, it's my mom. I want to be as much like her as I can be. I FaceTime her six times a day.'

On how her relationship with Mescal has affected her songwriting: 'It's had the most amazing effect on my writing. It has given me the most amount of space to reflect on everything in my life. It has held a mirror to me in ways that I didn't know a relationship with another person of any kind could. It has given me all the perspective that I could have ever hoped for, on previous relationships, on my relationship with my family, on my friendships. It is the greatest gift, period.'

On watching Mescal learn to play guitar left-handed to prepare for his role in a Beatles biopic: 'It's amazing to witness. He's like an alien. I mean, he's better at guitar backwards than I have been at guitar my whole life.'

On how she feels inside despite being 'very, very, very, very, very lucky in all of the ways that exist': 'I'm comfortable with the reality that people will interpret my music from their own personal point of view, and I understand the position from which I'm writing. But sometimes the way that things present are not how they feel inside. In some core ways, there are aspects to this whole thing that feel at odds with my nervous system, personally — and there's total confusion and guilt and shame associated with that feeling, for sure. You can become untethered from yourself quite quickly if you're not careful.'

Friend Noah Kahan on navigating the gulf between the raw, attuned sensitivity required of songwriters and the thick skin it takes to be public-facing and to perform: 'Gracie and I've had several lengthy conversations about different iterations of that tension. It's a hard balance to find. I think she navigates this very well, and she's been very helpful in my own journey of finding that line and walking that line.'

On what she admires about Taylor Swift: 'Something I've admired so much about Taylor [Swift]'s career, as a forever fan, is her output, not just from a place of a quantity, but seemingly from a place of freedom within herself, to just be like, 'Yep, here's the nutshell from this time.' I think her years of experience tuning out feedback — quote, unquote — that's [the result of] an earned relationship one has with themselves. And that's helped me feel less precious, with my ego, about being like, 'Ooh, six months from now, am I not going to relate to this so much?' Who cares? I love it.'

On filming the upcoming film Please with director Halina Reijn: 'It's such a humbling experience, and it scares the f out of me, which is how I know I'm in the right place, I think.'

The feature also includes commentary from Olivia Rodrigo on Abrams' influence and details from Abrams about working with producer Aaron Dessner on DAUGHTER FROM HELL.

Photo Credit: Laura Jane Coulson

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