Award-winning singer-songwriter Grace Pettis is set to release Down To The Letter, due June 14th. Following her critically acclaimed Working Woman record, Grace Pettis’ much-anticipated sophomore MPress Records release, Down To The Letter, pulls no punches and captures the Nashville-based, Alabama-Austin-raised singer-songwriter at the peak of her songwriting powers. Chronicling the end of a long-term relationship with heartbreaking detail, the lyrics deftly toe the line between personal autobiography and universal catharsis. The record is about one woman’s journey through tough times, coming out on the other side all the more herself – vulnerable but triumphant, bruised but in possession of her own, solitary strength. The record was produced by lauded singer-songwriter-producer Mary Bragg (Natalie Price) and showcases Pettis’ rich voice, perhaps one of the most dynamic and agile of her generation. Her first single/video, “I Take Care of Me Now” premiered in Glide Magazine.
Stream the Single HERE
Pre-order Down To The Letter HERE
Grounded by Pettis’ vocals and acoustic guitar, along with notable contributions from Bragg on acoustic guitar, the album also features Josh Kaler (Francis Cone, Heather Nova) on pedal steel, acoustic, and electric guitars with Owen Biddle and Jordan Perlson on electric bass and drums (respectively). Musician/producer Jon Estes (Robin Hitchcock, Rodney Crowell) contributed upright bass, cello, piano, and B-3, and Will Hawley added horns to “Joy.” With final overdubs at Bragg’s own project studio, they were able to achieve both the aching intimacy of ballads such as “Horses” and “Sobering Up,” and other candid tracks like “Rain” and “I Didn’t Break This.”
Mary Bragg (who also produced Pettis’ debut album on MPress, 2021’s acclaimed Working Woman) was Pettis’ first choice for Down To The Letter, despite their second album calling for a markedly different approach. “I knew this album would be challenging,” says Pettis. “I was too close to these songs and the subject matter to be all that objective with things like song and production choices. But I was in good hands with Mary.” On the last day of tracking, the studio was full to the brim with Grace’s Nashville musician friends, supporting the tender “Joy,” and exuberant “I Take Care of Me Now” as a makeshift choir and then with gang vocals. Guest vocals from Mary Bragg, Robby Hecht, and Emily Scott Robinson round out this collection of songs.
