“I live my life in sounds;” Bailey Grey, indie-pop, singer-songwriter shares. New Jersey-based, globally trained musical theater and performance artist unpacks the creative channeling of her life’s chapters into her newly released LP, Love it All.
Bailey rewinds us back to a young age, where she grew up immersed in music. Her dad was a music teacher and band instructor, and having been regularly exposed to a diverse range of eras and genres, Bailey knew she was immediately drawn to the language of music. Much of her early artistic foundation came from theater, growing up as a Broadway child actor in NYC and then eventually earning her master’s at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
While she admits that she has enjoyed the imagination and discipline of it all, she also found herself living in other characters’ storylines, or within the realm of auditioning spending a lot of her time trying to fit into certain boxes, which understandably kept her from knowing parts of herself. She strove for an art form that would help her discover and process her truth, her authenticity, and the world around her. And voilà! An album was born.
Bailey Grey’s debut LP, Love it All, explores her journey of self-discovery in the midst of a chaotic yet beautiful world. Writing in a range of genres, from indie-pop and jazz to alternative rock and blues, Bailey reflects on what it means in her life to “love it all”: the adversity, the triumphs, the process, and the lessons. Both playful and introspective, the album reveals how embracing her music has helped her validate the lows, ride the highs, uncover her strength, and celebrate her resilience and humanity.
The EP’s Title track “Love It All,” helps us understand the intertwined nature of her creative process and her life story.
I want to think that I could love it all,
I wanna reach into the sky and let the stars fall
Create a spark, a wave,
Embark on something beautiful
Bigger than you
Bigger than I could ever be
I fall in love with every song that I hear,
Polyrhythmic harmonies reflect my atmosphere,
The intervals, my neighbors
The chords my fresh air
When I misplace my key the rhythm still lingers here
Another integration of her identity and creative process is how she embraces imperfection, and what makes us human. While there’s so much beauty in what humans can be, there are also reminders of the darkness we create when we’re at war with and within ourselves. In those moments, it can be hard to find love. Bailey shares the power of music as both an outlet to cope with the senseless imbalance, and a way to unite and connect with others despite the growing divides.
The world can be overwhelming at times, and finding a platform to make a positive impact and share love can be challenging, but it’s part of her spirit. It’s a loaded and overarching theme behind the album and the title track, “Love It All,” sets the stage for unraveling what that means.
Bailey points out the intentionality behind the order of the LP’s songs and takes listeners on a roller coaster of these interconnected experiences. The music genres and corresponding energies both reflect the emotional turmoil and the appreciation of it all.
She explains that each song comes to her differently…sometimes it starts with lyrics, other times with a full-blown orchestra in her head, or even a simple guitar riff and chord progression. The process is different every time. She especially loves the collaborative aspect of bringing each vision to life with her counterpart and producer, Sam Cook-Stuntz.
From the jazzy pop-twist in “Out in Under” to the vulnerability of “Battle Cry”, complemented with an emotive harmonica, Bailey Grey sings:
It's what I need to make the truth seem loud
Sometimes farthest away from the crowd.
She elaborates on growing up with the pressure to conform to certain standards, and how, in the noise and chaos of trying to fit in, you can end up feeling totally isolated or buried. In those moments, she’s learned the importance of creating space to find clarity and reconnect with herself. For her, that solace “away from the crowd,” often comes through journaling and poetry, which serve in pulling pieces from within or seeding new songs.
Then there’s “Use Me,” with its playful piano groove and delightful imagery that explores a healthy take on death.
Since its release as a single a few months ago, “Use Me” has struck a chord with listeners and fans resonating with the many ways of recycling your body after death. One particularly moving moment came when a mother reached out to Bailey on TikTok, and asked to use the song for her son's end-of-life ceremony. He had passed away at a young age, and the message gave her a sense of connection through a really difficult grieving period.
From the power of those messages, to the blue-eyed soul of “Get Lost,” with its expressive and cinematic vocals...
To the alt-rock vibes of “Nothing”...
To the springy, sweet ukulele in “When I Fall”, a song Bailey shares was one of the first she ever wrote and then reimagined recently during a new chapter of falling in love...
And finally, to the intimate, acoustic, and perfectly imperfect live rendition of “Easy,” which closes out the LP.
The twists and turns of Bailey’s creativity in this album are endless, so take the listening ride and enjoy the spontaneity of Love it All.
Love It All is available now on all streaming platforms.
Bailey closes with a few reminders to listeners and readers alike,
“Make more stuff. Make more art. You can find yourself through your creativity and really uncover who you are. Too many people stray away or give up because it's a hard industry to break into, but even if you do a little bit each day, it’s worth it because it’s what you love.”
To stay connected with Bailey Grey follow her on social media:
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