Grace Petrie – Biography

A Mojo top 10 album winner in 2017 and 2018

‘She writes the sort of songs you want to pin the lyrics of on your bedroom wall, or on the office door, to remind you and everyone else who might read them what is important and true’ Buzz Magazine

‘”Hello,” said Grace Petrie sweetly. “I’m a protest singer.” Murmurs of approval. “Actually I’m a socialist, feminist, lesbian, left wing protest singer…” The place erupted.’ The first lines of The Guardian review of Cambridge Folk Festival 2017

A folk singer, songwriter and activist from Leicester, UK, she has been writing, recording and touring relentlessly for ten years. She has racked up tour supports with Emmy the Great and Billy Bragg, and in 2019 supported Frank Turner on his UK arena tour.  She has also made her mark in the comedy scene regularly supporting comedians Robin Ince and Josie Long on tour.  She’s appeared at Glastonbury four times at the invitation of Billy Bragg, as well as an eclectic genre-crossing mix of festivals Latitude, Musicport, Blissfields, Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Greenbelt and more including of course Cambridge Folk Festival.  And she has collaborated with some of the most respected names in folk, including Leon Rosselson, Roy Bailey and Peggy Seeger.

Her unique takes on life, love and politics, and the warmth and wit with which they are delivered, have won over audiences everywhere, across the alternative, folk, political and comedy scenes, amassing her over 18,000 Twitter followers and 7,500 followers on Facebook and has individual Youtube videos with over 50,000 hits.  

She has quietly become one of the most respected songwriters working in the UK today. She has been a frequent guest on BBC Radio 4’s the Now Show, has appeared on Channel 4’s Random Acts and has been featured in The Guardian, Diva Magazine and The Independent On Sunday’s Pink List of influential LGBT figures.

Diva magazine nominated Grace for their 2018 Activist Award, presented to an LGBT activist whose work highlights inequality while advocating for positive, meaningful change.  She is currently nominated for Musician Of the Year in the 2019 Diva Awards.

In May 2018 a Kickstarter campaign for her first full studio album, after five previous available-at-gig-only albums.  She raised £10,000 in just 24 hours and went on to achieve £18.000 in the two week campaign.  The album, ‘Queer As Folk’, was released in September 2018 and has gone on to be named a top 10 Folk Album of 2018 by Mojo magazine..

 

What the media said about Queer As Folk:

‘Queer As Folk may well turn out to be one of my albums of the year’ Folking.com

‘She offers hope and solidarity, born out of absolute conviction and with no trace of empty sloganeering….this wake-up call is one to be both welcomed and wholeheartedly embraced.’ fRoots

‘Petrie has delivered a personal and political statement of the highest quality in a magnificent tradition.’ Morning Star

‘An album of personal and political power, passion and perception, it is hugely persuasive proof that Petrie most deservedly earns her place at the table.’ Folk Radio

‘She’s the urgent, pulsing, compassionate talent this world desperately needs.’ Deborah Frances-White writing in The Observer

‘Probably the most intelligently crafted album you’ll hear this year’ ****R2

‘Just when you thought that what folk music needs right now is a strident left-wing female causing a bit of carnage, here’s Grace Petrie.’ **** Mojo

gracepetrie.com | @gracepetrie | facebook.com/gracepetriemusic

Video links

You Build A Wall (at Cambridge Folk Festival) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUb8DDX0JDQ

Black Tie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzU7aIk1dGI

Ivy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDgp4Ovva9w

Farewell To Welfare - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUfkNANs1Qw

 

For live bookings contact:

Terry O’Brien, Playpen Agency

+44 (0)1795 533 551 | +44 (0)7932 720 058 | terry@playpenmusic.co.uk | playpenmusic.co.uk