Tell us bit about where you are from and how you got into music?
I’m Grace Cope, a singer-songwriter from Bedford. I started writing my own songs and performing at open-mic nights, and over time I began taking it more seriously. I’m drawn to writing honest, emotional songs, often with a darker, atmospheric sound. For me, the most important thing is that a song makes someone feel understood. I have been surrounded by music ever since I was born, probably before. Music was always on in the house or in the car. There have always been instruments in the house, whether they were toys, blow up photo props or real instruments. My dad had loads of sound equipment that he would set up for my sisters and I to use. Music has been a way for me to make sense of things in my head that I could never talk about or explain properly. I used to write poetry when I was younger. I loved a metaphor. To be able to write about something I felt as something else was so freeing to me. Then it all became about music for me.
What’s the live music scene like in Bedford right now?
Music is everywhere and a massive part of Bedford. The whole town is built around music. Bedford puts on The River Festival that is held every 2 years. We have Bedford Proms in the Park. There are open mic nights on every night of the week in different venues around Bedford that I love going to. Bedford is also home to Esquires, a well-known music venue. It has always been an important music venue and has hosted a lot of independent artists AND famous bands. Bedford is full of undiscovered talent. The whole town has music at the heart of it.
Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
I’d definitely tell you to look out for Echo Union! (@echounionofficial) They’re also part of Cyber Nomad Records and they’re making some brilliant music. They’ve got a really distinctive sound. I think they’re well worth checking out. I’m also always excited to discover new independent artists. There’s so much incredible talent out there that deserves to be heard.
What are your thoughts on all this talk about Indie poo going round the socials at the min?
In all honesty, until getting this question I had never heard about it. If it’s anything like this UK poo thing I have seen going around, it’s not for me thanks.
What’s the biggest thing you hate having to do to showcase your music?
FIGURING OUT THE ALGORITHM OF ANY ONLINE PLATFORM. I put so much effort into writing and creating my songs. I then have to find a way to get people to notice it on a very busy online world. I do love making videos and posting content, but I wish music artists didn’t have to turn into content creators to get people to hear their music.
What are your ambitions for the band?
My ambitions are to make a full time career out of this. I want to be able to wake up in the morning and walk into my home studio to record new vocals for a track. I want to tour and connect with the people who have found comfort in listening to my music. I want to stand on a stage with the audience singing my own lyrics back to me. One of my biggest ambitions is to be able to look back on my life one day and feel proud of everything I’ve achieved, knowing that I didn’t give up on myself before I even gave myself the chance to begin.
What’s your view on the Music industry today?
There is so much talent in the world and so many artists fall through the cracks. The world is so full of opportunities, but I feel like it is such a difficult thing to get into. As I was saying earlier, independent artists are having to become content creators to promote their music now a days. New Music Friday is kind of useless for new artists now because we’re competing with all the big stars. It can feel like you have to already have success to get the opportunities that are meant to help you become successful, which obviously doesn’t just happen overnight.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
Say yes to any opportunity you can. Whether the gig you are playing has 5 or 500 people watching, take the gig. You might get one super fan from those 5 people watching. If you turn up to a gig and no one is there, it’s just another opportunity to practice. And learning that excitement and being nervous can give you the same physical symptoms, so when I think I am nervous, I can tell myself I am just excited.
What’s currently in your ears and on rotation at the moment?
I am loving Sienna Spiro at the moment. She has an absolutely incredible voice. The Visitor album is on REPEAT. Raye is another one on repeat for me. Her lyrics are so clever and the arrangements of her songs give me this indescribable feeling of joy.
What was your worst experience on stage? Any funny stories to share?
I haven’t had an extensive amount of time on stage yet, so I can’t really claim a ‘worst experience’. My Tourette’s has messed up some of my performances before, so I would put that in my worst experience right now. Here’s to hoping my time my future experiences are amazing.
Got any fun, funny stories from life on the road?
I haven’t ‘been on the road’ yet, but I am so excited for that to happen in the future!! When it happens, I’ll come back and let you know.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
I have just released my new single ‘Kept It All Inside’. It’s a song for those going through dark times. It explores feelings of guilt and isolation following traumatic/tough experiences and having to live with the lasting effects. It talks about grieving the loss of the person you used to be.
What was the recording process like?
I actually wrote and recorded this song 2 years ago now. It actually started off with these dramatic sound effects at the beginning and that was all I had. I eventually got rid of those last year when I went back to the song. Then it was just the guitar and my voice. If I remember correctly, I wrote the song in a day and then recorded the vocals the next day.
I sent it to Chris Kimsey in the middle of 2025. He said he had a friend he wanted to send it to. That was Anthony Clark. Ant added the different keyboards to it and I remember being so excited when I first heard it all together. After this, Kept It All Inside just sat as a file on my laptop for ages, UNTIL I started working with James F Reynolds
this year. I sent him all of the files, and he worked his magic on it, which is what everyone can here now.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
I can’t sit and think about what I would change now. I am quite a perfectionist when it comes to this part. I have to give myself some sort of a cut off point, otherwise I would never release anything. I don’t even want to think about it haha.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I’d like people to know that you don’t have to have everything sorted out to start chasing something that matters to you. Progress doesn’t always look dramatic, and sometimes just continuing when you’ve doubted yourself is an achievement. If my music helps someone feel less alone or gives them a way to understand something they couldn’t quite put into words, then that means a lot to me.
Also – STREAM KEPT IT ALL INSIDE – THAAAANKS XOXO
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