Gracie Abrams has spent recent years cementing her place as one of indie-pop’s sharpest, most introspective voices, but when it comes to the inspiration behind her newest era, the creative spark came from an unexpectedly surreal place.
Rather than defaulting to a polished, high-concept concept, the singer-songwriter recently joined Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show to reveal how an offhand, deeply odd moniker courtesy of collaborator and Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon almost became the official title defining her entire project.
Why Justin Vernon Called Gracie Abrams “Basement Lady”
/Youtube)
Fallon asked Abrams about the album title and whether she had considered other options. Abrams explained that Vernon, who collaborated with her on the project, had given her the unusual nickname.
“There was a potential title, uh, kind of synonymous to ‘Daughter from Hell,’ but it was a nickname I was given by Justin Vernon, who was a collaborator on the project.” She then added, “He called me Basement Lady.”
Fallon immediately laughed at the nickname, calling it “the worst nickname ever,” while Abrams admitted that it had stuck with her.
“He meant kind of like, I think, like, emotionally,” Abrams explained.
She even considered putting the phrase on the album cover before Daughter From Hell became the final choice.
“There was no title until ‘Daughter from Hell.’ And I was like, ‘It should be Basement Lady maybe.’”
Vernon’s connection to Abrams comes through producer Aaron Dessner, whose Long Pond recording circle has brought the two musicians together on multiple projects. Vernon contributed to Daughter From Hell, including work on “Hit the Wall” and “Broke My Heart,” adding his atmospheric sound to Abrams’ pop songwriting.
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