“My mom told me that when I was born, I was the loudest crying baby in the hospital. The nurses said I had such vocal power that it was inevitable to them my mom had given birth to a singer! Of course at that point I myself was too young to be aware of my singing ability, but I do believe that my singing journey began at that very moment—right when I was born.”
Polina Grace is a singer/songwriter from Montreal, who co-wrote all the songs on her recent EP “Down”. She says the songwriting process and production process varies from song to song and depends on who she is working with. “My inspiration behind every single song on this first EP I put out are my struggles—my identity struggles, the struggle to get to do what I want and to prove to others around me that I am “good enough”. It has been very challenging for me to get to even just this place, where I could pursue what I love without shame—without feeling guilty over not taking a more standard road, which was always expected of me. But I persevere through every trial and tribulation and I feel like battle after battle, I will eventually win my own war against myself and my fears and doubts.”
Polina’s path is to here is bold and entrepreneurial (love it). She speaks four languages, has a Bachelor’s degree in commerce with a minor in psychology, and a total boss, self-funding her album’s production and release through modelling and influencer relationships (her Instagram account has 22k+ followers.) Now, check out her latest music video for “Down”.
For the spy-esque, Jane Bond-ish premiere video for “Down”, she trained, mastered, and performed all her own stunts! She says:
“The “Down” video was a concept my manager and I came up with, because we wanted to introduce me as a strong and exciting character—a badass, empowered woman. And we wanted to avoid doing a predictable video or to even have me lip synch in my first video. So the idea was to surprise viewers and fans by doing a short action film in which I literally “kick ass”—a metaphor for being a fighter taken very literally. The idea evolved organically amongst us and before we knew it, I was learning to do stunts!” Preparation for the video included choreography practice, MMA/Kickboxing lessons (for just a couple weeks), two stunt practices, and a long filming session.
For such a bold, strong character Polina played in the music video, she has some deeper thoughts behind that character. “Being a woman is still tricky in any business, because your opinions are often challenged by those of the men, who are more powerful and supposedly more “knowledgable” than you,” she said.
“It is easy to feel inferior to those who have had more experience than yourself in the industry, but it is important to always express your opinion and to challenge those around you, while remaining tactful and friendly—it is a delicate balancing act… Majority of the people I have worked with in this industry to date have been men, so I think I have learned to navigate my landscape and with a businessman father, I am not in over my head with my interactions with strong minded men.”
When we asked her for a tip for readers, she said, “Well I feel like I’m only just beginning to find my success, but the key is definitely universal: it is to be yourself, but to put out the highest quality content you can, and to engage with all of your followers, especially in the early phases of the building of your brand. Engagement and social media presence are crucial in our modern day and age.”
2018 is going to be a big year for Polina. She’ll be releasing a new single in early 2018, working hard to nab Canadian radio time, and performing a lot to prepare for summer festivals.
Polina Grace’s Girl Gang Picks
“I love strong-willed, cool women who have their own style and honest, raw voices: such as Alanis Morissette, Linda Perry and Tina Turner. Women who parents afraid to break the mould and be different are ones who inspire me the most in the world!”
Alanis Morissette
Linda Perry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvx89Aj2pcM