The musician also discussed opening for Taylor Swift last summer
Gracie Abrams stopped by The Tonight Show to showcase her recent single, “Risk.” The musician was joined by her band to perform the song, which sees her singing about taking chances on love.
“Risk” is the first single from Abrams’ upcoming album The Secret of Us, out June 21. The song was co-written by the singer’s best friend/collaborator Audrey Hobert, who also directed the single’s music video, and produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner. “Working together on set and at home on our couch is the most fun I have ever had in my life,” Abrams wrote on Instagram of Hobert. “She is brilliant in all the ways. Love you Aud. We hope you all love our song.”
Following the release of Good Riddance, Abrams spent much of last summer opening for Taylor Swift during the North American leg of the Eras Tour and earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. She sat down with host Jimmy Fallon to discuss touring with Swift, noting that she once “blacked out” while performing with Swift.
“It was the craziest privilege,” Abrams said of being part of the Eras Tour. “It’s a real master class to watch her do what she does. I felt like I was at college for this job. I watched every single one of her shows that I was lucky enough to open. I think we did 31 and I watched from every place possible in each stadium, just trying to pick up on how she does what she does.”
Abrams also recalled the Eras stop in Cincinnati when she wasn’t able to perform due to weather and Swift invited her onstage to play “I Miss You, I’m Sorry.” She noted that she and Swift “ran” the song once backstage and then came out to perform it. “It was just in the middle of her set and I blacked out the whole time,” Abrams told Fallon.
Speaking with Rolling Stone last year, ahead of the release of Good Riddance and all the success that followed, Abrams spoke about the incredible impact songwriting has had on her life. “I feel really more grateful than I ever have for what songwriting has provided me just as a person outside of music,” she said. “I grew up using it as a tool to process shit but like…to have done it and to finish something…I very much felt like I had kind of done the grieving and really let go of what I needed to.”