The music business has been buzzing with excitement, and the indie music community has just lately received a new and highly awaited album named “Our Love” by the brilliant pair Grace & Moji.
Listeners are looked into the strong connection that fuels this pair’s creative energy by way of this tune, which offers a deep exploration of love, life, and artistic growth.
From their home in Los Angeles, the duo Grace Hong and Martin Wave, better known by their stage name Grace & Moji, weave a sonorous tapestry that is laced with themes of romanticism, reflection, and healing.
The couple’s musical project, which they worked on together, tackles universal topics, and the fact that it also includes their unique narratives gives the overarching tale an extra layer of complexity.
The hustle and bustle of New York City is where the concept of grace, which represents tenacity and talent, was born. The person’s existence was distinguished by the simultaneous intricacies of family relationships and cultural fusion, which culminated in her first captivation of listeners with the publication of her debut song “Wake Up” in partnership with Sean Kingston in the year 2021.
This track was produced by the individual in conjunction with Sean Kingston. How Grace’s life has evolved from her first job in the area of international development to her present pursuit of art shows the significant impact that pursuing one’s true passion can have on the path that one takes in their professional life.
Martin is a highly competent man who has a rich background and originates from the quiet woods of Sweden. Within the area of music production, Martin has a key impact due to his rich ancestry and well-developed skill set.
Since migrating to Los Angeles in 2018, he has painstakingly developed audiovisual compositions that have a profound effect on a very large audience. Martin has a rare capacity to endow every endeavour, whether it be in the world of films, games, or ads, with a transformational nature comparable to that of the legendary King Midas.
This power allows Martin to create a lasting impression on the audience. Because of his deep introspections and evocative soundscapes, the listening experience is continually elevated, and as a result, each undertaking is a brilliant representation of creative brilliance.
Despite this, Grace exhibits a wide variety of abilities and competence in a variety of situations, including business environments and community centres, in addition to her musical talents.
Both the individual’s participation in the non-profit organisation known as Save the Music and her position in the co-founding of the artistic community known as PARASOL help to increase the individual’s commitment to the arts as well as her engagement in wider aspects of society.
The pair and Sam Friedman collaborated to film the music video for “Our Love,” which features Topanga scenery as the background for an insightful investigation into their inner universe.
The video was produced by the duo. The video deftly investigates the intricate dynamics that are inherently present in a romantic partnership, memorialising moments of elation, the process of reconciliation after conflicts, and the myriad of experiences that lie in the intermediate spaces. This is accomplished by integrating the wistful allure of VHS recordings with ethereal outdoor cinematography.
In the end, the song “Our Love” transcends its place as a basic single since it serves as a heartfelt dedication and a monument to the shared journey that Grace and Moji have experienced together.
This composition transcends the realm of simple music to become an expertly created picture of the human experience thanks to the deep intensity with which they communicate their feelings, which, when combined with their excellent creative ability, takes it above the realm of simple music.
As the stories of these people begin to intertwine, they serve as a painful reminder that in the worlds of love, art, and existence, it is the faults and defects that lead to the development of the most beautiful and compelling tales. This is because these narratives become interwoven as the stories of these individuals become intertwined.
Could you tell us about the creative process behind “Our Love”?
Martin (Moji): We always have an interesting creative process where the concept of the song exists, and it’s based on something we’ve experienced. Grace usually will just begin freewriting an entire page of random lyric ideas. She’s like a freestyle writer, it’s awesome. Then as we’re writing we let all that lyrical raw material guide us as the melodies come. And often I have a voice note with a guitar part or similar that will serve as the music base. For this one, I came up with the piano part that serves as the intro and part of the verse melody. The rest I can’t really remember, so I’ll credit it to the creative flow of the universe, haha. Let’s call it a creative blackout.
Grace: The process for the music video was also collaborative. We worked with Sam Friedman to co-direct the music video, and he DP’d the project as well. We wanted to portray the juxtaposition between the idealized versions of love represented by the nature scenes with the VHS moments of us in our day-to-day lives. We had initially wanted to depict moments of conflict and show some of the negative sides and struggles inherent in relationships, but I think the VHS just ended up showing that love is about being able to be goofy and silly together and enjoying the moment.
What inspired you to create “Our Love”?
Martin: We had finished most of the songs on our EP (that will come out this year), and we felt like all the concepts were pretty dark and brutally honest about our relationship, and we were missing something that highlighted all the beautiful things that we also experience together. So we decided to write a song about it and Grace had the title “Our Love” in mind already. We wanted it to have a bit of an ethereal feel as well. Our original vision and the finished product aren’t completely aligned but that is also a big part of the process. Just because you had an idea doesn’t mean that the song wants to fit that idea in the end.
Grace: The impetus behind writing “Our Love” was to create something that felt transcendent and captured the beauty and purity of our relationship. We have a sweet bond, and it feels almost innocent in a way, completed unjaded in spite of us having navigated some serious struggles together.
How do you envision “Our Love” resonating with your audience, and what impact do you hope it will have on listeners as this has the potential to become a fan-favourite?
Martin: I think it showcases a beautiful aspect of our relationship in a very honest way. Hopefully, people will quickly feel that they know us on some level. We’re definitely trying to express a lot in our music, both lyrically and instrumentally and hopefully that resonates!
Grace: I hope it will inspire people to be more open in love, embrace their romantic side, and let down their guard in relationships.
Are there any specific genres or musical influences that have played a significant role in shaping your sound and style as an artist?
Martin: Oh yes. I make a lot of different styles of music (and I’ve made a career out of that) but Grace & Moji is definitely inspired by indie pop from that 2000-2010 era. It just kind of comes naturally as part of the project and we’re not trying to push it too much in any direction just because. Personally, for me, I grew up listening to and making all kinds of music ranging from pop, dance music, and electronic beats to orchestral and even death metal. After many years of being me, it has kind of grown together as some kind of musical personality that knows what it loves. It’s a fun place to create from and it allows us to experiment and try different things!
Grace: I love that era too. I love that the music is inspired by indie pop but also incorporates elements of other genres as well and has an epic quality that gives it its own bent.
How do your distinctive sound and style reflect your musical journey and creative growth?
Martin: For me, it has a lot to do with unlearning things that I’ve learned as a professional songwriter and producer. How to write from the heart and not overthink things. I feel currently there’s a bit of an epidemic where songs are so over-engineered lyrically that, to me, they end up more of a product and less of an artistic expression. Where cleverness becomes more important than being real. I’ve written many songs like that, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, for me it feels much better to just allow room for all the weird and highly personal concepts and ideas to make up the music.
Grace: Well…I think this has been a deeply personal process and experience, and I think Martin and I are just going deeper within ourselves and finding our unique creative expression. We also have an album in the works, and I’m super excited about that too.
How do you approach developing your visual aesthetic and creating a cohesive brand that aligns with your musical identity?
Martin: I think it all comes down to us just having fun with the way we style ourselves and embracing the quirkiness of our personalities, and that serves as a foundation. We’re always inspired by other creative couples throughout history so to build something like that feels good!
Grace: For me, each song is its own unique world and has its own palette, story, and vibe. It’s really fun to be able to bring that to life while telling the overall Grace & Moji story. I create a Pinterest board for each song usually and have one overall for the band too.
Technology has transformed music consumption and sharing. How do you adapt and use digital channels to reach global audiences?
Martin: That’s a good question. We’re definitely trying to do our thing on social media but honestly, we are no marketing geniuses, haha. We love making music first and foremost. We’re a bit old school I guess. We’ll for sure find a way that makes sense for us. I also feel like building a real fan base goes so beyond getting likes or having one song get on a bunch of playlists or having it become trending audio. It’s a combination of so many things and especially it’s about showing your personality. It feels like very few people actually manage to do it in a way that creates a sustainable fan base. It’s all a slow build and ultimately it’ll be a lot about making good music and interacting with the people who enjoy listening to it.
Grace: It’s a bit of a puzzle, and I find it hard to be really active on social media. I think we’ll focus on doing the things that feel fun and natural for us. We’re excited about starting a podcast for example. My hope is also that people will discover the music through movies or shows and that we’ll have other unique opportunities to share our story and music.
Can you give us a glimpse into what the future holds for your music?
Martin: We have a new song out on August 3 called “Monster”! It’ll show a different side to this project and we’re super excited to keep putting out all the music we’ve been making, and keep making!
Grace: We have a series of releases through the end of the year and an EP release in November…and a Christmas song we may or may not drop in December. We’ll spend some time recording and working on our album too. Super excited about that!
