Fortunately, crucial issues like mental health are slowly coming out of that dark corner they’ve been shoved into for centuries, where it’s all hush-hush. Hopefully, as the volume is amplified, healing, understanding, and compassion can flow. Gracie Jet’s heartwrenching latest release, “Sister,” narrates the pain of watching a loved one battle with their mental health. We had the pleasure of interviewing Gracie Jet, and here’s what she had to say:
Q: I love how expertly you told a story about mental illness with “Sister”! I see it’s a personal story, having been influenced by your sister’s mental illness. What influenced you to pen this song and decide to share it with the world?
JET: Artists often talk about songs coming from their journal entries in life. This song came to life because I couldn’t put the words I was feeling into a journal. I almost didn’t want to see the reality of them. There is a terrible pain in mental health. For the person trying to live with an illness that is kind of invisible and for those that really do see the illness up close, which is usually the family. As the illness progressed the reality of losing my sister became more real. That’s overwhelming. I am a nurse and during this time I worked in psychiatrics. I regularly saw families struggling to come to terms with the reality of these illnesses. Sometimes they were angry and so was I. But most often they were grieving -because isn’t that the cost of love? I felt like I was part of a secret club constantly looking and hoping for a solution and I didn’t want to have to share this corporate grief that so many were living with- but I was. So, this song began for me in secrecy. It is the way I dared to put my feelings into words and it would have stayed that way without my sister’s permission to share, my part, of her story with the world.
Q: What impact are you hoping “Sister” has on listeners?
JET: We live in a time where we still need to learn so much more about mental illness. My sister is a courageous woman, she is loyal, funny, and beautiful and if you met her, you wouldn’t have really known the extent of her journey. Like-wise we do not understand the journey’s that often the family is also going through. When I first played this song to my sister, we cried many tears. This song was first written for me. I want it to connect with people’s emotions. I want it to be an anthem for people struggling to put into words their journey with a loved one. But I also want people to know that ultimately this is a song of love.
Q: At what point did you realize you want to be a musician and decide to follow this path?
JET: The first time I sang in public I was around seven. Apparently, I was quite the child (I am laughing) and music was about the only thing that brought me back down to earth. I am originally from England. When we were children, my father built us girls a huge climbing frame with a platform in our backyard so during the summer holidays I would get on top of it and wave at the people next door in this small business until they would all come to the window and I would sing to them “we will, we will rock you.” I even created the name Gracie Jet in my teens, so I have always known I wanted to be a singing artist. I spent my teens and early 20s while I was training as a nurse singing at different events. It was during the pandemic though when I started to really write with the Toronto Song Writing School headed up by Murray Foster. Murray has become an amazing mentor and friend; he took me under his wing so to speak. So, that’s when I knew I’ve got to do this.
Q: What do you do when you AREN’T working on music?
JET: Well, I work full-time as an RPN nurse. That takes up a lot of time, it’s stressful, but it also gives me a perspective on life that I wouldn’t swap. I’m married, which is great and I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. I mean a huge fan. I’m quite quirky, so I’ve been told! I love games like charades and have been known to act out an entire film rather than the words – actually I do that all the time. I’m a people person, so anything that involves people – I’m probably going to like it.
Q: What projects are currently in the works?
JET: I have 5 other songs that are in the process of getting ready, so I’m hoping to release them over the year.
Q: Do you have any parting words for your supporters or anyone battling with their mental health?
JET: Yes, I do. If you are battling with your mental health then know that you are courageous. That you matter and there are people out there that can help your journey one step at a time. If that’s you then I hope you find in my song words that resonate with you; that understand a bit of your journey. I hope this song touches the hearts of anyone that is grieving or may have even had their heart broken through a mental health illness. This song started for me but I want my supporters to know it’s written for you as well.
Interviewed by Zoey King
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