As the daughter of singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis and poetry scholar Dr. Margaret Mills Harper, it is no surprise that Grace Pettis turned out to be a powerful songwriter herself. Raised in both the rural mountains of Mentone, Alabama and the suburbs of Atlanta, her music reflects both traditional roots and modern styles. Her powerful voice stands out no matter the style. However, she chose not go it alone on her newest release due out May 7th on MPress Records. The album is titled “Working Woman†and includes several top shelf guests including Indigo Girls, Ruthie Foster, Dar Williams and the Watson Twins. Though she grew up with many musical influences, it is primarily Country, Folk and R&B that inhabit “Working Woman”.
The first song on the album is “Landon” with Indigo Girls singing backup. The song is about her best friend in high school who she felt as though she let him down when he came out. The title cut is more hard rocking and as the title suggests addresses her feeling that women work hard and seemingly get less credit. It is as if they work hard because they have to. My personal favorite is Oklahoma which is a song about perseverance and determination. Another interesting song stylistically is “Ain’t Your Mama”. According to Pettis this is a Loretta Lynn clapback style song she wrote about her husband when he did something stupid.
Overall “Working Woman” is the product of a stunningly gifted singer and songwriter that is ready to take her career to the next level.
About the author: Chip and his family live in Birmingham, AL. Roll Tide!