Gracie Abrams Gets Ready for Her Show at The Fillmore

We literally have like a meditation

that we call getting protected,

that you pull up from the ground, from Mother Earth,

and it meets this white light in your heart,

and they combine

and kind of create this like iridescent, beautiful light

that shoots out into the world.

And that's how we protect ourselves here on this tour.

[gentle instrumental music]

Hi, Vanity Fair.

I'm Gracie.

Welcome to getting ready with me,

for my San Francisco show at The Fillmore tonight.

The people that have come to the shows every night,

I can tell in their faces

that they're coming from a very personal place themselves,

and I think that kind of exchange of vulnerability,

for me, as someone who has always leaned introverted

is a really crazy feeling.

So pre-show rituals typically consist of warmups.

We've been touring for two months

and I feel like I am starting to feel it.

So this is our vocal kit.

Well, I've been learning a little bit

about makeup because since putting the album out,

I've been like lucky enough to have opportunities here

and there where I've been working with my glam team.

Lots of artists that I have admired forever,

like just coincidentally

also keep a really kind of bare face.

And I think that there's something nice about that.

I mean, Joni Mitchell forever,

she's like a north star artist for me.

I have her handwriting tattooed on my body.

It says a river.

It's one of my favorite songs ever,

but also just important to my mom

and I like, that was kind of, it makes me think of her.

This is kind of like the primary bag that I use

and my favorite concealer, no matter what I do,

every time you close it, product gets out,

and maybe I'm...

It's probably me.

It's probably not Dior, it's probably me, I'm the problem.

But I do...

Everything in my bag is covered in this concealer

because I can't seem to avoid the spillage.

This is my favorite lipstick.

I feel like Fiona Apple would maybe also have this lipstick

and that makes me feel better about the world.

Much better about myself.

It's an imaginary thought,

like she probably doesn't have it.

Yeah, she probably has something different.

Another pre-show ritual, I guess though also is,

I have been trying to write,

to journal at least a little bit before every show.

Normally they're all like beat up moleskins,

which I also love,

but when I saw this one I was like,

This is gonna be my journal to document this year,

or at least the first few months.

I do FaceTime my mom a lot while on tour though,

that I don't think will ever change, if I'm lucky.

Any day I don't call her,

she'll text me the next day being like,

That was weird, how you didn't call.

Not even in like a...

Just in that it's so regular for me

to be the one that's like, What are you doing?

I miss you.

Tell me about your day and what'd you have for lunch?

She's like, Are you okay?

You didn't call me.

I think because when I started writing music

when I was a really little kid,

it was to avoid other people.

I feel like that's kind of remained somewhat true

in terms of how much outside communication I require

or desire even.

Obviously, you're a touring family

when you actually really love each other,

you wanna be around each other all the time.

And I feel like that is the case with us,

gathering, being together in that way,

it feels like an accidental ritual,

but it's just a product of us actually loving each other.

So yeah, that's lucky.

[gentle instrumental music]

I've been learning how to properly breathe

in order to sing with like more force

and that requires lower belly breath,

which I didn't...

I was never....

Only in the past month

have I started really taking vocal lessons.

I've been wearing flowier pieces,

bigger T-shirts with pleated skirts,

or a dress that I think I'm gonna wear tonight

which definitely allows for more breathing support,

which I didn't know that that was important.

Which sounds ridiculous,

because I should have known, but I'm new here, I'm learning.

All right, I'm gonna actually get ready now in a real way.

So thank you.

See you in like two seconds. [Gracie kissing]

Bye.

Surprise, I'm dressed in my nightgown.

Yeah, this is kind of the whole story,

except these shoes I won't wear.

I have these in a baby pink satin situation,

so that's what I'm gonna do.

I was barefoot earlier during soundcheck

and that felt really good.

So I also was like, Do I just do that?

But I stepped in a piece of glass later on,

so I'm gonna wear my shoes tonight,

and that's that on that.

Thank you. I love you. [Gracie kissing]

[gentle instrumental music]