Grace Cummings is an Australian singer-songwriter and stage actor from Melbourne. She has released three studio albums: Refuge Cove (2019), Storm Queen (2022), and Ramona (2024). She is known for her unique singing voice, which has been described as "commanding and magnetic",[1] powerful,[2] and as having a "devastating force".[3] Cummings' musical influences include Irish folk music,[4]Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, and Lucinda Williams.
Career
Music
Cummings began as a drummer, later becoming a self-taught guitar player.[5] She was signed by Melbourne record label Flightless after founder Eric Moore attended one of her live shows.[6] Flightless released her debut album, Refuge Cove, in 2019.[7] The nine-track album blended acoustic folk and blues and featured Cummings playing acoustic guitar.[8] It was launched at the Tote Hotel[9] and toured, with Cummings supporting international artists including Weyes Blood, Evan Dando, and J Mascis.[10] Cummings received a Music Victoria Awards nomination for Best Breakthrough Act in 2020.[11]
In 2021, Cummings signed a worldwide deal with ATO Records.[12] Her sophomore album, Storm Queen, was released in 2022. It was written and recorded during the COVID pandemic, and Cummings has stated this influenced the album's simplicity.[13][10] It was self-produced and featured more instrumentation than her previous record,[14] including accompaniment by the tambourine and fiddle.[15] The lyrics explored themes such as destruction in the natural world and if there is a higher power.[16]
Cummings released her third album, Ramona, in 2024. She worked with producer Jonathon Wilson and recorded the album in Wilson's Topanga Canyon studio[17] In interviews, Cummings has stated she reached out to Wilson after hearing his work with Angel Olsen.[18] The album is named after a character in Bob Dylan's song "To Ramona," and Cummings has described the work as "dramatic".[18]Ramona features strings, horns, and piano.[19] Harpist Mary Lattimore and multi-instrumentalist Drew Erikson contributed to the record.[20]
Acting
Cummings attended drama school and has performed in Australian theatre.[6] In 2018, she appeared in a production of Prehistoric at the Meat Market in North Melbourne.[21] The play centered on the Australian punk scene, and Cummings played live music as part of the show.[22] She starred as Charlotte in a Melbourne Theatre Company production of Berlin in 2021.[23] The role was as a German woman, and Cummings was the co-lead.[24]
The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $50,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. They commenced in 2005.
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