West Australian singer/songwriter Grace Woodroofe has emerged as one of the best talents to come out of Perth. Those talents have been recognised by the late Heath Ledger who turned her onto his friend Ben Harper who took Grace under his wing and helped her improve her musical abilities. While she still may be relatively unknown on the East Coast that is about to change as she sets out for a tour of intimate performances with WIM and Emma Davis. In the midst of packing and finalising the details, Grace took five minutes to share with us her excitement for this tour and what it is like to share the stage with her mentor Ben Harper.
MF: What’s new Grace?
G: I’m sitting at home going through the usual pre-tour ritual of emotions: anxiety/stress/nerves/excitement. It’s part of my life, and accepted with open arms.
MF: Tell us about this tour with WIM and Emma Davis?
G: We’re doing something I’ve always wanted to do heading out on the road – performing intimate and personal shows for a listening audience. Personally, as an artist, there is no greater reward to performing than to have an audience watch and listen and absorb every facet of the show. To be able to hear every breath, and as a result, depict what that breath means as a punctuation in the story. It has importance. Every nuance in my delivery does. And with this tour, we’re gonna make those nuances heard.
MF: Do you have a favourite WIM & Emma song?
G: I think my favourites will develop as we go on the road together and play show after show. We’ll be watching each other every night, so those favourites will develop for sure. When I finish a great tour with another band and one day hear their songs on the radio I usually turn it off because it makes me sad that I’m not with them on tour anymore!
MF: What can fans expect from these shows?
G: Hopefully a favourite new discovery or a love affair with one of our albums. As musicians we can promise honest delivery, confessional songs and intimate performances.
MF: Whats the plan after this tour?
G: At the end of April (the 21st to be exact) I’m performing at the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival. It was one of my main goals for this year, so I’m completely ecstatic. I can also reveal now that I will be backed up by Relentless 7, the musicians who I recorded the album with. It’s going to be out of this world.
MF: Explain to readers what it was like to perform on stage with the man who has mentored you, Ben Harper?
G: When Ben and I get to do things like that, there’s an immense feeling of accomplishment, a ‘full circle’ like feeling because he has been there from the beginning. He’s been an incredible source of support and encouragement, so when major events and milestones occur I feel like I can give him something back for believing in me. Indeed, it was one of the greatest honours of my life.
MF: Have you made any progress towards your dream of performing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra?
G Well I’ve been working with Jae Laffer of the Panics lately, and they have actually done the Kings Park show with the orchestra and the other week, Tim Minchin came to one of my shows in Perth just days before he performed with WASO as well. So perhaps I’m getting warmer and warmer…?
MF: First song you’d put onto a mix tape is….
G: Modest Mouse – The World At Large
