Episode 132 | Grace Graber | Friday Edition

On today's Friday edition, we chat with Grace Graber! In many ways, Grace Graber is the voice of a rising movement full of people who believe that maybe both faith and mental health matter — in fact, maybe they’re inextricably intertwined.   With a pop-punk sound in the playful yet heartfelt tradition of Avril Lavigne, Grace’s musical message runs in tandem with her viral social media presence. Her candid conversations about mental health, music, and her faith resonate with followers who immediately feel a kinship with her genuine heart. Part of that authenticity stems from the fact that Grace Graber has lived a journey very similar to her listeners.   “This ministry, the rest of my music, none of this is about me,” Grace is quick to say. “It’s about what God wants to do in His people, specifically through mental health. That’s an epidemic right now. We need to be talking about it more. I’m not doing music for me, to get on radio, to get signed. I’m doing music to save lives.”   Not too long ago, Grace Graber was a suicidal teenager struggling with PTSD from severe bullying. Music gave her the ability to survive— specifically, a Hawk Nelson song that met her where she was. In a glorious full-circle moment, Hawk Nelson’s founding vocalist Jason Dunn would later feature on Grace’s song “This One’s For You,” a track from the Conversations EP that was written for anyone in a place like the one she walked through.   “I feel like God opened more doors to healing,” Grace reflects. “It was like opening up a wound and forcing myself to feel some trauma that I didn't realize I could still feel. Now that I have a therapist and a team, now that I’ve done this collaboration and I'm in a healthy place, I'm able to find resolution to it all for my teenage self, who is content and happy and feels valued.”   Songs like “The Light” and “Do It For Me” speak to some of that possibility of healing, with Grace being fixed on the core message: “if God can do it for me, He can do it for anybody.”   Her latest single, 'Superficiality' is out now! gracegraber.com @gracegrabermusic christianmusicguys.com @christianmusicguys