Grace Solero is a true one-of-a-kind artist who’s hard to pigeonhole. She possesses a visceral voice of astounding range and a powerful stage presence that points to dance, theatre acting and gymnastics training. She conveys deep emotions, darkness and light combined, revealing a songcraft that shies away from the ordinary, spanning with ease from hard rock to folk.
BAND
In the group she lends her name to, her star quality is matched by that of California-born, London-based lead guitarist, singer/songwriter Dan Beaulaurier, whose style displays a rare mix of technical mastery and real soul. The versatile Bjorn Zetterlund on bass and multi instrumentalist Dave Guy on drums/percussion complete the band.
Together they play raw, grungy, dreamy, atmospheric rock in a highly dynamic and energetic show, both sonically and visually. They have been performing everywhere from intimate clubs to large stages in both Europe and the USA.
ALBUMS
Their latest album ‘Metamorphosis‘, is a rock album with colors from some unconventional instruments like glockenspiel, singing bowl, cello, Hammond B3 organ and psaltery. ‘Awake’ is the first single off the album, followed by ‘Lucid Dream’ played on BBC Radio 6 by Tom Robinson, then ‘Love and Addiction’ and the title track ‘Metamorphosis’. All singles are supported by cinematic videos.
Their debut album ‘New Moon’ is a glorious sonic collision of musical influences. It includes the singles ‘If You Feel’ played by Bob Harris on BBC Radio 6, ‘Apartheid’ playlisted by Bruce Dickinson on BBC Radio 6 and ‘Troops’ performed at live sessions on BBC London. Emerging like a dark pop-rock cloud with its gritty lyricism, soaring riffs and pain ridden vocals, New Moon has been critically acclaimed by magazines including Classic Rock, Guitar Techniques and The Fly.
Their second album ‘Hundred Years Apart’, was recorded and engineered by bassist Bjorn at the band’s self-built North London studio. By turns both grand and understated, the album knows when to apply full-force, bracing blasts of gritty noise, and equally how to hold listeners rapt with the subtleties of a single, sustained note or well-placed break. It has been championed by Powerplay Magazine UK (8/10) and Sonic Cathedral Webzine USA (9/10) to name but a few. The single Electro has been chosen by Ian Camfield on the Radio X Rock Show and the album songs have received airplay all around the world.
Their third album ‘Awake’ is a semi-acoustic release and was recorded in response to positive fan reaction to a series of semi acoustic shows. It’s a collection of newly arranged songs from their previous albums. It shows a more atmospheric, stripped down, enchanted sound. Cajon instead of drums, reverb-drenched guitars, sparse bass and intimate, raw vocals make this album bathe in a delicate dreamy soundscape. The single ‘The Woman By The River’ has been broadcast on several folk radio programs and syndicated radio stations all around the world.
SOUND
At their most sonically abrasive Grace Solero channel the emotional intensity of grunge icons such as Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins, at their most audacious and extravagant they bring to mind Muse’s stadium bombast, and, on a sublime, stripped-down cover of ‘Yard of Blonde Girls’, Grace delivers a performance which makes plain why frequent Jeff Buckley comparisons have been fully deserved. Critics have also likened Grace’s vocals to Dolores O’Riordan (Cranberries), Alanis Morissette, PJ Harvey and Skunk Anansie frontwoman Skin.
PERFORMANCES & COLLABORATIONS
Grace and Dan have just started a new project, The Twilight Zone, with legendary pedal steel player BJ Cole (who has played with the likes of Elton John, Cat Stevens, Bjork, R.E.M and more).
In April 2018 at the same time of the release of the semi-acoustic album ‘Awake’, the video of rock song ‘Electro’ was picked by New York TV My Jam Music Network. The song was chosen personally by Alan Merrill (who wrote the Joan Jett hit song ‘I Love Rock ’n’ Roll’) to open Episode 4 of his TV program Across the Pond. With the video Electro on heavy rotation it became obvious that a USA tour was needed.
After a string of successful acoustic shows in Canada and on the East Coast in Sept 2018, Grace Solero was invited again to play in New York City in Sept 2019, alongside Alan Merrill. They were also interviewed on the TV Show ‘Ginger New York’ with a 30 minute live performance.
Grace has performed alongside The Vibrators’ Knox (who in turn said Grace possesses “a world class voice”), Slade’s Noddy Holder (with whom she co-starred in a musical production of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol Unplugged’ at London’s Union Chapel), Tristania’s Mariangela Demurtas – who appears on the single ‘Electro’ and describes Grace as “one of the most talented people I know” and Eric 13 from Combichrist.
The band has supported the likes of Phil Campbell (Motorhead), Bernie Torme and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Grace moved to London for music, wanting to form her own band. She responded to a guitarist ad that Dan had put up in a London club and the pair hit it off immediately. After working together on a production of Oscar Wilde’s ‘Salome’ at London’s Theatro Technis, they played a series of songwriter shows as a duo throughout London. Then they gradually expanded to a four-piece band with the addition of a rhythm section.
QUOTES
‘Immense, hard-hitting London band’ (Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6)
‘Bitter-sweet Jeff Buckley-esque’ (Time Out, London, UK)
‘Raw, intense, evocative’ (Noddy Holder, Slade)
‘Simplistic allure, rhythmically succulent and vocally brazen’ (Powerplay magazine)
‘Bewitching’ (Ginger Broderick, New York TV presenter)
‘Grace Solero – elements of Led Zep, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam in the very musically sophisticated setting weaved expertly by the band here as Grace Solero her good self wraps some remarkable vocal prowess around heartfelt lyrics full of lovelorn emotion.’ (Bugbear Promotions, London)
‘The darker side of their moon rocks hard and heavy with a power and surge that lifts the roof; as in the first two full length albums ‘New Moon’ and ‘Hundred Years Apart’ which fall under the Hard Rock genre. But their quieter acoustic face beams on a different stage in another town on another day as in the semi-acoustic album ‘Awake’ (Steve Blacknell, TV presenter)