Grace Potter | |
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![]() Potter in 2019 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Grace Evelyn Potter |
Born | Waitsfield, Vermont | June 20, 1983
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2002–present |
Labels | Fantasy |
Formerly of | Grace Potter and the Nocturnals |
Website | gracepotter |
Grace Evelyn Potter (born June 20, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. [1] She has released five solo albums: Red Shoe Rebel (2002), Original Soul (2004), Midnight (2015), Daylight (2019), and Mother Road (2023). She has also released four studio albums with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, a band she formed in 2002, which disbanded in 2015 upon her divorce from her bandmate: Nothing but the Water (2005), This Is Somewhere (2007), Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (2010), and The Lion the Beast the Beat (2012). [2]
Potter was born on June 20, 1983, in Waitsfield, Vermont. Both of her parents, Peggy and Sparky Potter, were involved in professional woodworking; her mother was also a piano teacher. Her older sister, Charlotte Potter, is an artist who works with glass. [3] She was exposed to the arts at a very young age [3] and was encouraged by her parents to work with her hands. [4] Potter grew up legally blind in one eye and got bad grades. She was expelled from bands because she could not read music. [5]
In 1999, while attending Harwood Union High School, Potter was chosen to attend the three-week Governor's Institute on the Arts session at Castleton University. There, she learned from artists such as poet Verandah Porche. [3]
She attended to St. Lawrence University, but dropped out after her sophomore year to pursue a career in music. [1]
While in college, Potter met Matt Burr, a drummer and her future husband, who convinced her to form a band. They started playing at the Java Barn. The band could only find space to rehearse at 2AM, inspiring the band name, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. They would stay up all night rehearsing and then go to class. [6] The band included Scott Tournet on guitars (including slide guitar) and harmonica), drummer Matthew Burr, Michael Libramento on bass guitar and keyboards, and Benny Yurco on electric guitar and vocals. Bryan Dondero played bass guitar, upright bass, and mandolin with the group until his departure in early 2009.
In 2002, she released her first album, Red Shoe Rebel. Her second album, Original Soul followed in 2004. [7]
The group independently recorded and released one album, Nothing but the Water in 2005 with sound engineer Lane Gibson, who recorded and mastered Original Soul (2004). The band signed a deal with Hollywood Records in December 2005 and re-released Nothing but the Water in May 2006.
In 2005, the band was nominated in two categories at the Boston Music Awards, for "Best Local Female Artist" and also for "Best New Local Act".
In 2006, the band won the Jammy Award for "Best New Groove". At the Boston Music Awards, the band was nominated for Album of the Year (major) for the re-release of Nothing but the Water and Potter was nominated for Vocalist of the Year. [8]
The group released its second album, This Is Somewhere , on August 7, 2007, on Hollywood Records and was the opening act for Gov't Mule on its October and November North American tour. [9] [3]
In August 2007, the band made appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , Good Morning America , and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson .
In June 2008, the band was the opening act for the Dave Matthews Band as well as for The Black Crowes.
In 2010, the band's cover version of Jefferson Airplane's song "White Rabbit" was included on Almost Alice , the companion soundtrack for Tim Burton's feature film Alice in Wonderland .
The group released their third studio recording, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals , in June 2010. It included the song "Paris (Ooh La La)". On the album, Catherine Popper replaced Libramento on bass.
In 2011, Potter earned her first Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "You and Tequila" with Kenny Chesney. [10] [11] [12]
In July 2011, Potter was a guest on Chelsea Handler's show Chelsea Lately .
In July 2012, she joined The Flaming Lips during their show at The Lyric in Oxford, Mississippi, which was part of their attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Most Concerts Played in different cities in a 24-hour period. [13] [14] That same year, Potter and The Flaming Lips collaborated on a recording of "My Mechanical Friend", which she also wrote, for the companion soundtrack to Disney and Tim Burton's film Frankenweenie. [15] In 2014, she contributed to their cover of The Beatles' "Good Morning Good Morning" for their With a Little Help from My Fwends album.
Potter made guest appearances on The Chew in November 2012 and December 2015. [16] [17]
After Potter's divorce from Burr, the band disbanded. [18]
In June 2015, Potter was the opening act for the Rolling Stones during the Zip Code Tour, and joined them onstage to perform "Gimme Shelter".
Potter's next solo album, Midnight , was released in August 2015 on Hollywood Records, produced by Eric Valentine. Several notable artists contributed to the album: Rayland Baxter, Audra Mae, Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, and Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age. [19]
In September 2015, Potter performed The Star-Spangled Banner during the New England Patriots' season opener. [20]
In 2016, her collaboration on the song "Wild Child" on Kenny Chesney's album The Big Revival garnered award nominations from the Academy of Country Music, CMT Music, and the Country Music Association. [21] [22] [23] [24]
Potter was the musical guest on the episode of Conan that aired on January 25, 2016. [25]
Daylight , produced by Eric Valentine, was released in October 2019 on Fantasy Records. [26] It features guest musicians Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, and Benmont Tench. [26]
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Potter launched weekly streaming media performances from her home in California and her childhood home in Vermont and performed a special episode on the set of the original Star Trek . [27]
Potter's fourth solo album, Mother Road , was released in August 2023 on Fantasy Records. [5]
On guitars, Potter primarily plays the Gibson Flying V; however, she also plays classical guitars with nylon strings. [5] On keys, she plays the Hammond organ. [28] Her voice has been described as soulful and bluesy and she has been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin. [29] She has also been described as a "grittier Patty Griffin". [28]
Potter's song "Apologies", was used in an episode of One Tree Hill ; Potter also made a cameo appearance as a street performer in the episode. "Apologies" was also featured on All My Children , Kyle XY , and Brothers & Sisters .
The song "Falling or Flying" was featured on ER and Grey's Anatomy and appeared on Volume 3 of the latter's soundtrack.
In 2010, Potter re-recorded "Something That I Want" with altered lyrics for the end credits to Disney's animated feature Tangled .
In December 2011, Potter was the voice of Carol in Disney's Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice , for which she also wrote and recorded "Naughty, Naughty Children (Better Start Actin' Nice)."
In 2011, the song "Paris (Ooh la la)" was featured in the Season 2 promo for the TNT television series Rizzoli & Isles .
In 2012, the song "Nothing but the Water" was used in trailers for the short-lived 2012 ABC drama Last Resort .
Potter's version of the Stealer's Wheel song "Stuck in the Middle with You" was used as the theme song for the Netflix series Grace and Frankie (2015–2020). [30]
In June 2017, her song "Instigators" was featured in the video game Dirt 4 . [31]
In 2019, the song "The Lion the Beast the Beat" was featured in the season 2 episode of Cloak & Dagger titled "Vikingtown Sound".
Potter married bandmate Matt Burr on May 11, 2013. [32] They divorced in 2015, at which time the Nocturnals disbanded. [18]
Potter married her current husband, [33] record producer Eric Valentine, in 2017. They have one son, Sagan Potter Valentine (born January 12, 2018). [34]
Potter identifies as bisexual. [35]
Potter lives in Topanga, California. She previously lived in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, where she owned a 1920s Spanish bungalow that she refurbished; she sold the house in 2017. [4]
Potter has supported and fundraised for the Alzheimer's Association in honor of her paternal grandfather's battle with Alzheimer's disease. [36] [37]
In June 2015, Potter was presented the "ASCAP Harry Chapin Vanguard Award" by WhyHunger for her work towards defeating world hunger. [4]
Potter is legally blind in one eye. [38]
Potter said that she does not belong to any religious group but values a spiritual life. [39]
In 2011, Potter founded the Grand Point North music festival in Burlington, Vermont. [40]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [41] | US Rock [42] | US Taste. [43] | ||||||
Red Shoe Rebel | Track list
| — | — | — | ||||
Original Soul | Track list
| — | — | — | ||||
Midnight | 26 | 4 | 3 | |||||
Daylight | 74 | 9 | 20 | |||||
Mother Road |
| — | — | — | ||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [54] | US AAA [54] | US Country [55] | US Country Airplay [56] | CAN [57] | CAN Country [58] | ||||||
"I Want Something That I Want" | 2008 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Music from One Tree Hill | |||
"Wild Child" (with Kenny Chesney) | 2015 | 56 | — | 9 | 1 | 69 | 3 | The Big Revival | |||
"Alive Tonight" | — | 29 | — | — | — | — | Midnight | ||||
"Empty Heart" | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Love Is Love" | 2019 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | Daylight | |||
"Back to Me" (featuring Lucius) | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Mother Road" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Mother Road | |||
"Good Time" | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | |||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [54] | US Country [55] | US Country Airplay [56] | CAN [57] | CAN Country [58] | ||||
"You and Tequila" (Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter) | 2011 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 62 | 5 | Hemingway's Whiskey |
Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Wellwisher" | 2009 | Phonograph | OKNO | |
"Ordinary Man" | Gregory Douglass | Battler | ||
"Something That I Want" | 2010 | none | Tangled | also credited as co-writer |
"Naughty Naughty Children (Better Start Actin' Nice)" | 2011 | Prep & Landing: Naughty vs Nice: The Complete Soundtrack | ||
"My Mechanical Friend" | 2012 | The Flaming Lips | Frankenweenie Unleashed! | |
"You and Tequila (Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre)" | Kenny Chesney | Welcome to the Fishbowl | ||
"I Shall Be Released" | 2013 | Don Was, Matt Burr | Love for Levon: Benefit to Save the Barn | |
"Whisper in Your Soul" | Gov't Mule | Shout! | ||
"Good Morning Good Morning" | 2014 | The Flaming Lips, Zorch, Treasure Mammal | With a Little Help from My Fwends | |
"Gold Dust Woman" | 2015 | Warren Haynes, Railroad Earth | Ashes & Dust |
Studio albums
The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Derek Brown, Matt Duckworth Kirksey and Tommy McKenzie (bass). Coyne and Drozd have remained the band's only consistent members since 1991, with Coyne being the only remaining founding member following the departure of bassist and keyboardist Michael Ivins in 2021.
Kenneth Arnold Chesney is an American country singer. He has recorded more than 20 albums that include more than 40 Top 10 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, 33 of which have reached number one. Many of these also have charted within the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making him one of the most successful crossover country artists. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
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Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are an American rock band from Vermont, formed in 2002 in Waitsfield by drummer Matt Burr, guitarist Scott Tournet, and singer Grace Potter. They began their career as an indie band, self-producing their albums and touring extensively in the jam bands and music festivals circuit, playing as many as 200 gigs in a year. In 2005 they signed for Hollywood Records; they have published four studio albums, encompassing rock subgenres such as blues rock, folk rock, hard rock, and alternative rock. Their third, self-titled album (2010) was a major commercial success, topping iTunes charts and receiving international attention.
Me and You is the third studio album by American country music singer Kenny Chesney. It was released in 1996 via BNA Records. Although its lead-off single "Back in My Arms Again" failed to make Top 40, the album's title track and "When I Close My Eyes" both reached number two on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in 1996. The title track was reprised from Chesney's previous album, All I Need to Know. "Back Where I Come From" is a cover of Mac McAnally's 1990 single from his album Simple Life, while "When I Close My Eyes" had been recorded by Restless Heart lead singer Larry Stewart on his 1993 debut album Down the Road, and by Keith Palmer before that. "It's Never Easy to Say Goodbye" had been recorded by singer Wynonna Judd on her eponymous debut album. "Back in My Arms Again" was previously recorded by its co-writer, Lee Roy Parnell, on his 1992 album Love Without Mercy.
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This Is Somewhere is the second studio album, and the first on a major record label, by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, released in August 2007 by Hollywood Records. The album debuted at #119 on the Billboard Top 200 the week of August 25, 2007 and at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is the third studio album by American rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, released on June 8, 2010. The album is the band's first release since the inclusion of two new members, rhythm guitarist Benny Yurco and bassist Catherine Popper. The album was originally titled "Medicine" after the third track on the album, and was promoted as such in numerous interviews and early reviews, but was changed shortly after the replacement of producer T Bone Burnett in favor of Mark Batson.
"Medicine" is a song by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, released on their eponymous album (2010). It is the lead single, was originally intended as the name of the album, and was promoted as such in numerous interviews and early reviews, but the album title was changed shortly after the replacement of producer T Bone Burnett in favor of Dave Matthews Band producer, Mark Batson.
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Catherine Popper is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her work with Jesse Malin, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Jack White. Popper is also a member of a trio called Puss n Boots with Norah Jones and Sasha Dobson. She released her first single, “Maybe It’s All Right” on Velvet Elk Records in 2020.
"You and Tequila" is a song written by Matraca Berg and Deana Carter, and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released in May 2011 as the fourth single from his album Hemingway's Whiskey (2010). Chesney's version of the song features a guest vocal from Grace Potter, lead singer of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. On November 30, the song received two nominations in 54th Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. A live version of the song appears on Chesney's 2012 album Welcome to the Fishbowl.
The Lion The Beast The Beat is the fourth studio album by American rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, released on June 12, 2012. The album debuted at 17 on Billboard's Top 200 Album chart, selling 24,000 units in its opening week. The album has sold 159,000 copies in the US as of June 2015.
"Stars" is the second single from Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' fourth studio album The Lion the Beast the Beat and a follow-up to "Never Go Back", their debut single from the album. "Stars" is track four on the album.
This is the discography for American rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
Kenneth S. Greenberg is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer, and session musician. He is known for bringing a rock-and-roll sensibility to Nashville recording sessions.
Grand Point North is an annual two-day music festival founded by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, produced by Grace Potter and Higher Ground Presents, and held at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont. The last festival took place in 2019.
Daylight is the third solo studio album by American musician Grace Potter, released through Fantasy Records on October 25, 2019. The album was produced by her husband, Eric Valentine, and was called both Potter's "comeback album" and a "thematic sequel" to her preceding album, Midnight (2015). It received generally positive reviews from critics and peaked at number 74 on the US Billboard 200.
Midnight is the second solo studio album by American musician Grace Potter, released through Hollywood Records on August 14, 2015. It features contributions from her former Nocturnals bandmates and was produced by Eric Valentine, whom Potter would marry in 2017. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, although its sound was described as having divided fans of her previous work with the Nocturnals due to its "slick" pop production. It peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard 200.
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