Today sees electro-pop singer-songwriter Grace Lightman release her conceptual debut album ‘Silver Eater’. Inspired by the early-00s tale of Paul Karason, the American man whose skin turned permanently blue after using a silver compound to treat a skin condition, it’s an imaginative and ambitious release (about an alien, no less) that’s well worth checking out. Grace tells us more.
Hey Grace, how’s it going? Having a good summer?
Hi! Yea, it’s all going great thank you! My summer has been very busy preparing for the release of my first album, so I have a lot to be excited about.
When did you first realise you wanted to make music? Did you grow up in a musical household?
My dad is a musician, and I very much grew up with his influence around me. It was great; I have always had access to his expertise and his record collection. The first band I sang with live was his when I was 15, I would guest on a couple of songs at the pub.
What’s been the highlight of your time as a musician so far?
Probably now! Because I have been able to make the album I wanted to make, and subsequently put it out. This has been such a goal for a while, and it’s pretty surreal that it’s finally happening.
Are you creative in non-musical ways too?
Yes, sometimes to a fault. My brain doesn’t like to work within parameters, and sometimes I forget that not just anything is possible and I can spend hours just exploring possibilities. I make all my music videos with my brother Alex, so we have an outlet there. I also have a lot of creative hobbies!
Tell us about your debut album, what’s it about?
‘Silver Eater’ is about an alien (called Silver Eater) who comes to earth and falls in love with humankind. She is on the run from NASA and exploring what it means to be human while trying to fit in by disguising herself as one. It’s an album about being an outsider, but from a lighthearted perspective that I think everyone can relate to from at least one point in their lives.
Has it been a long time in the works? What’s your songwriting process like?
I wrote this album with my writing partner Patrick Pearson over a couple of years. It took a while as we were really exploring our sound and lyrical themes until we hit on the concept. Once we found it, it did all just fall into place, but with Patrick based in Devon and I in London, it was small pockets of concentrated work over a long period of time. The process is constantly changing, one of us might bring some words or melodies or even just conceptual ideas to the session, or we might just have a jam. The last lines of Aztec Level were words picked out of a hat (a song about vacuous art), and the closing lyrics of the whole record were written on a stroll to a LIDL.
Do you have any favourite tracks on the release?
I love all my children the same.
What do you most enjoy writing about, generally?
I like writing about human, relatable topics, but with some kind of double meaning that makes it playful and conceptual.
What would you most like to achieve during your music career?
I would love to be a legacy act in my old age that has a hologram tour made out of them. Or support ABBA on their hologram tour now. If you have a good idea like that, chances are ABBA has already done it.
What else have you got coming up?
I play Bluedot Festival as the record comes out, which is aptly timed for celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the moon landing! Other than that, the Silver Eater will be making some more appearances – one of which at my headline show in October at the Islington! See you there!
Grace Lightman’s debut album ‘Silver Eater’ is out now.
