In a world of pre-packaged answers, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Grace Pettis is choosing the "cheap therapy" of a well-crafted song to find the truth. Originally from Alabama and raised in a conservative evangelical community, Pettis has transitioned from a "straightest straight girl" teenager to a vocal advocate for the queer community and women in music. Her 2021 album, Working Woman, established her as a formidable voice in Americana, blending an edgy Southern rock-infused sound with literate, thoughtful songwriting.

The centerpiece of the conversation is her song "Landon," an autobiographical track dedicated to her high school best friend. Pettis recalls her initial "canned evangelical script" when he first came out—a response lacking vulnerability and love. After a "180 on her theology" during college, she wrote the song as a catalyst for reconnection. For Pettis, art does what a text cannot: "You could read a dictionary definition of an eagle or you could read a poem about one and which one would give you a better experience?".

Pettis doesn't just write songs; she advocates for a shift in the industry's landscape. She highlights the "criminal" disparity where women make up 50% of music school graduates but less than 2% of credited producers. By excluding these voices, she argues, "we are just not hearing this huge part of our own humanity". Her work, including the anthemic Working Woman, aims to ensure the female experience—from aging to personal loss—is no longer erased.

Looking toward her 2024 release, produced by Mary Bragg, Pettis is pivoting from the loud rock of her previous record to a quieter, more personal "divorce record". This new project focuses on the "second meeting"—those on the sidelines of a loved one's recovery journey. It’s a space for the complex emotions of the people who are often "hurt and damaged and thrown away along the way," offering a redemptive look at personal catastrophic loss.