Alyssa Grace's interview at Medium Sized Backyard is the kind of conversation that makes this series worth doing - unguarded, emotionally honest, and full of the quiet confidence of an artist who has been processing life through song long before anyone was listening. She walks through the story behind her debut EP, how "Dog with a Bone" and "Picking Petals" became two halves of the same heartbreak, and the TikTok moment with "Bloodstream" that reminded her she was never alone in what she was feeling.
On the Debut EP
Medicine Box: It's so fun to talk with artists that are putting out their first project. I would love for you to tell me more about it - collaborators, everything really.
Alyssa Grace: Yeah, I'm not honestly too sure how many songs I'm doing yet because I'm still in the process of it, but I definitely know the vibe. I'm trying to keep it raw and stripped back because that's what a majority of my fans like to see.
On "Dog with a Bone" and "Picking Petals"
Medicine Box: I would love to talk about the songs you've released that are going to be on the EP, specifically "Dog with a Bone."
Alyssa Grace: "Dog with a Bone" is the first song on the project - it's the first song I've really put out. It's kind of what got me into the EP and set the vibe for what it's going to be like. It also led into the second song I put out called "Picking Petals." I always like to call them sisters. "Dog with a Bone" was written when I was in a spot in a relationship where I kind of felt like his dog and I couldn't leave his side, and "Picking Petals" is its sister - about finding the urge to leave and getting through that. The songs piggyback off each other. It's kind of like a story.
Medicine Box: The making of "Picking Petals" - did that come to you just following "Dog with a Bone"? How was the songwriting process, and the emotional place you were in leaving this relationship and entering that next chapter?
Alyssa Grace: I feel like everybody has that one relationship, or maybe a few, where they just keep going back to that one person. It's something everyone goes through, but it's also something a lot of people don't know how to get out of. I was in that situation - just going back and forth, back and forth. After a couple of months of being out of it and going back to it, "Picking Petals" was the thing that made me realize it was time to walk away. Nobody was telling me that, so I had to tell it to myself. It really validated my feelings and kept me strong to move forward. It was a very emotional time, but it helped me get through a lot.
Medicine Box: That's kind of cool when you can be your own superhero.
Alyssa Grace: Yeah, for sure.
On the TikTok Viral Moment
Medicine Box: You mentioned TikTok - one of your songs resonated really well online. Can you tell me more about that?
Alyssa Grace: I've had a couple of songs that feel like they're in the same lane. Especially one I actually just wrote called "Bloodstream." I posted it like a week or two before "Picking Petals" was supposed to drop. It's a similar vibe, but that one resonated with a lot of people - not just in the relationship sense, like with a boyfriend or girlfriend, but with family too. It's just a cool thing about how songs can be about anything. Yeah.
Medicine Box: Is it wild to write a song about your personal life, put it online, and have people say, "Wow, I feel that exact same way"?
Alyssa Grace: It's really validating, knowing that you're not alone. I feel like it's such a healing process - not just for the people listening, but for yourself too, knowing you're not the only person that goes through it. It makes it a little less scary. It definitely helps.
On Dream Tour Plans
Medicine Box: Who would be an artist you'd love to go on the road with as a potential opener? What does that look like to you?
Alyssa Grace: Probably Joshua Slone, I would say. I don't know if you've heard of him, but he's one of my favorite artists right now and definitely a big inspiration for me. I love how raw and how much emotion he puts into his music, and I take a lot of inspiration from that. I feel like we're kind of similar in that aspect. I would say that, or GG Pros - love, love, love, love.
Medicine Box: Talk to me about touring and just the idea of being on the road.
Alyssa Grace: I'm definitely super excited and super nervous. I haven't performed much, especially these songs. Most of my practice is on TikTok Lives and in my bedroom, but I have so many people that join there, so I think the reps online have helped. I'm super excited and nervous in a good way. I think it's going to be great to travel, meet so many different people, and get so much experience. And I think performing these songs is also going to be really healing. I'm just super excited for everything.
