Press release –
Charlotte, NC-based indie-pop singer-songwriter Hallie Grace is set to release her first full-length album, MOTIVATION, on March 20, 2026. Its 11 tracks address the importance of challenging oneself to never give up, even in the face of life’s darkest moments. Armed with a new authenticity, energy, and sound, Grace created the album with several co-writers, and it was produced and mixed by Nathan Pauley and mastered by The Foxboro Mastering. Each song, based on real-life events, represents honest highs and lows in Grace’s life and tells the story of how she kept going no matter what, inspiring and inviting others to do the same.
“What I could never have predicted was that my lowest lows would take place during the process of creating this album,” Grace recalls. Shortly after her initial writing/demo session with her producer, she discovered she was pregnant with her first child. Believing there was purpose to the plan, she pressed forward with making the album, knowing she would have to adjust her timeline and prepare for life to look differently within a few months. She had finalized the track list and was about to record final vocals when she got into a major car accident and subsequently lost her son, Ashton, with whom she was eight and a half months pregnant. “I felt completely lost and broken,” Grace recalls. “The combination of postpartum, grief, and trauma made me seriously question if I could go on living. Eventually, one singular thing brought joy back into my life: when I got back into the studio.”
That she was already creating an album about never giving up even in the face of the extreme difficulty was not lost on Grace, who decided to finish the record in the midst of deepest sorrow. The words and music she’d written served as both balm and the “motivation” she herself needed. “When I came back to record final vocals, I was singing my own words of encouragement to myself,” she recalls.
The result was passion and conviction like she’d never had before, which she now carries into everything she does as she continues to pursue a full-time career as an artist. “On its surface, it’s a pop album with catchy songs and great production,” she explains. “To me, MOTIVATION is about finding light in the darkness, grabbing hold, and shining that light for anyone who needs it.”
Grace has planned a series of single releases leading up to the album release date.
“Imma Just Do Me,” “you’re still here,” and “We’re Both to Blame” all saw release in 2025, while “WASTE IT” was released on January 9, 2026; it premiered prior to that at Chorus.fm, who called Grace an “ultra-talented singer songwriter.” “If I had to summarize the theme of the album into one song, it’s probably this one,” Grace explains. “It’s inspirational but grounded, idealistic but genuine, wild and warm. Every time I listen to it, I am reminded that every day is worth living to the fullest, that new things are worth trying, and that I shouldn’t take a single breath for granted.”
“You’re My Person,” the final single in the lead-up to the album, will be released on February 13, 2026, with a premiere earlier that week at V13. Most people think of “you’re my person” as a phrase to describe someone who is “perfect for you,” but Grace adds a bit of a plot twist. “This song represents the action of choosing to love that person through every season regardless of compatibility,” she says. “It’s a love song about choosing someone over and over again through thick and thin.”
Grace felt music calling her to a lifelong attachment at the tender age of 5. Following her passion through piano, singing, and guitar, by sixth grade she was writing her own songs. Her high school days were filled with recording her original music at home, where she set up shop at a “studio” in her parents’ basement and collaborated with friends to produce covers. As she pursued a college degree and contemplated a career, Grace thought music education would be the more practical route to take, but she continued writing, recording, and performing throughout her six years of post-secondary education.
In 2021, upon completing her master’s degree in music at Belmont University in Nashville, Grace released an EP of original songs (Can We All Start Again?) and realized that being an artist was what made her feel most connected to herself and to others. She entered the gigging world of Nashville and found that every performance filled her with deep joy and contentment. When a family from Savannah, GA invited her to headline at their fundraiser event for epidermolysis bullosa awareness, she decided to further her calling as an artist by getting back in the studio, recording more music, and putting together a professional team who could help her succeed.
“My mission as an artist is to create music that makes people feel good, whether it be through the beat, the hooks, or the lyrics themselves,” Grace says. “With this project specifically, my goal is to uplift and inspire listeners. I would love for people to hear this album and, at some point, think to themselves,’ “I really relate to that.’ The more that someone feels seen, the less alone they feel, and the more likely they are to keep going.” Fans of Maggie Rogers, Sara Bareilles, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, and Rachel Platten are sure to be drawn to Grace’s storytelling, lyricism, and catchy melodies.
