Today I’m so excited to bring everyone an exclusive early listen to the new single from the ultra-talented singer songwriter, Hallie Grace, called “WASTE IT.” The song comes from Grace’s forthcoming album, MOTIVATION, that will be self-released on March 20th. I was able to connect with Hallie Grace for a brief interview below. If you’re enjoying the premiere, please consider pre-ordering MOTIVATION here.
What is the story behind the song, “WASTE IT”? What does it mean to you and what inspired it? What is it about?
”WASTE IT” is really about the tension between feeling like you have your whole life ahead of you, and feeling like you need to make every second count. My producer, Nathan Pauley,and I co-wrote this song in our mid-twenties at the height of everyone telling us to just “slow down,” go to more parties or relax, essentially saying we have time to figure out what we wanna do and who we wanna be. And they weren’t wrong, but something in me rubbed against that because I was like, “Well, I don’t actually know how much time I have. And,ultimately, I don’t wanna look back on my twenties and regret not making the most of it.”
It’s the fourth single from your forthcoming album, which is being released in March. What made you choose this song as a single? Is this a stand-out song on the album for you? In what way does it stand apart from other songs on the album and/or in what way is it similar to other songs on the album?
Absolutely! If I had to summarize my whole upcoming album in one song, it would be this one. The album is called MOTIVATION, and this song is about not wasting your life, refusing to take a single breath for granted, choosing to fail a thousand times but never give up. It’s pure motivation in a song, and Nathan’s production puts it even further in that direction – every time I get to the second chorus when the beat fully comes in, I’m like, “OKAY, LET’S GO!!!”
What do you hope that listeners take away from hearing this song? What kind of feedback have you gotten from folks who have heard it? Have you ever played it live?
I have played it live a few times and gotten very positive feedback! My hope is that listeners hear the genuine spirit behind the song and feel uplifted by it. It’s meant to be an encouragement even though it’s sort of a reality check at the same time. Ultimately, I just want others to know, you can fail a thousand times and still keep going. If you’re meant to do something, trust your convictions and don’t quit.
Do you have any particular memories about recording this song specifically? What was it like to work on this song in the studio?
This is one of the first songs Nathan and I worked on together for the album, before I knew what the album was going to be. In all seriousness, it helped me determine the direction of my music going forward. One of my favorite funny memories was sitting in the studio while Nathan mixed the “oohs,” the background vocals that start the song and are sort of interspersed throughout. It took such a long time, and I was just sitting there hearing those oohs over and over. I recorded a video of the process to share on social media because it’s such a small detail that most people would miss, and yet it represents one of a million tiny details that Nathan was so intentional and masterful about in production.
What kind of a vibe were you going for with this song? Did it end up sounding like you thought it would before you went into the studio, or did it go in a different direction?
For this song, I was heavily inspired by the general vibe of Maggie Rogers’ first album, Heard it in a Past Life. I told Nathan I wanted piano-driven synth-pop, and, man, did he deliver. I remember getting his first draft of the demo and just being in awe. It was EXACTLY the direction I envisioned for it, and it was brilliantly executed. Fortunately, this was one song that for me just kept getting better every time we worked on it!
Tell us what else is coming up for Hallie Grace in 2026?
A lot, honestly! I’ve recently relocated to Charlotte, NC, with my husband and dog, so I’m starting to get into the local music scene there. I’m also planning to do some traveling and to play shows in VA, TN, DC, Chicago, and NY. Meanwhile, I’m still building up my online following through streaming and social media, so I’m dedicated to that and to discovering audiences all over the place! Then, I’m releasing one more single – a love song – in February just in time for Valentine’s Day, and the full album will be released in March. I’m basically just gonna be putting myself out there and working as hard as I can behind the scenes to hopefully get to share my music with many new audiences in 2026!