Inspiration can strike us from anywhere and at any time. For YouTube sensation and singer-songwriter Kayte Grace, inspiration came from staring into the sharp blue eyes of a homeless man, both helpless yet hopeful all at once.
This same sensation of hope powered “All’s Not Spoken,” Grace’s most current song that delves into the opposition of dark and light. With soothing phrases that build into a powerful chorus, “All’s Not Spoken” highlights our highs and lows, reflecting our daily lives through song.
“I wanted something that felt like an anthem, that would be an encouragement,” Grace explained in an interview with Her Campus. “[The song] reflects the feeling of frustration, of being stuck and boxed in, which was something I was experiencing at the time so I was hoping the song would resonate with others.”
Composing “All’s Not Spoken” was a struggle in itself. Sitting by the edge of a bathtub in her New York apartment, Grace spent months laying down the song’s verses but found herself at a loss, in search of the perfect chorus that would evoke the joy of finally overcoming obstacles. Desperate for a solution, it wasn’t until Grace plunged deep into her memories that a chorus, which became the final chorus for “All’s Not Spoken,” appeared to her.
“As long as I’ve been in the city, one of my favorite things to do was to take walks and I would talk to people who I met,” remembers Grace. “There was this one time where I met a homeless man, and he had the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen. I decided that the song should be in his voice, or the words should be something that he would say.”
But even as Grace wrote the song with poverty and struggle in mind, she also wanted to build the sense of support that comes with hope. To give her listeners this feeling of community, Grace enlisted video producer and friend Michael Cioni, and together the pair created a warm, comfortable video that quickly went viral among Grace’s fans.
The singer originally wanted a more literal portrayal of her song, but Cioni’s artistic vision allowed her to capture the double meaning behind “All’s Not Spoken.” For Grace, the song also depicted much of the sadness and frustration individuals hide from others to keep their inner struggle secret.
“Every person has their own problems that you can’t see, which is why the scenes of me with my band, with people reading the library and finally in that small concert venue are so appropriate,” explains Grace. “There are a lot of ways you can paint each story, and in this case the video itself also represents the secret problems people have but may be covering up on the surface.”
What began as a single song soon gave way to the creation of Grace’s “Set Fire to Separate Lives” project, a project that consists of five chapters that together form a love story. “All’s Not Spoken” serves as the fifth and final chapter, leaving listeners guessing as to whether love has been won or lost. The theme of love as a battle dominates “Set Fire to Separate Lives,” a concept based on a book Grace once read that took the history of Spanish conquistador Hernand Cortés and transformed the account into a story that represented love and marriage.
“Set Fire to Separate Lives,” therefore, tells the story arc of a romance as it goes through its various stages. But “All’s Not Spoken” ultimately plays two roles, one as the ending of a love story and the other as a reminder that hope is always present.
But aside from creating a musical anthem, Grace was also inspired to compose “All’s Not Spoken” as a means to give back to her community, especially to her D.C.-area hometown and New York. And so Grace decided to raise money for two local charities: the New York City Urban Project, which fights human trafficking and mentors youth, and the Sasha Bruce Network, a charity that provides shelter and opportunities for neglected D.C. youth to turn their lives around. For any price they would like, Grace’s fans can download “All’s Not Spoken” from the singer’s website, with half of all proceeds going directly to the two charities.
“I’ve been volunteering since high school when I became a Girl Scout, and both of these organizations mean a lot to me,” says Grace. “Back in D.C., I worked with teens in homeless shelters and when I got to New York, I volunteered for the New York City Urban Project that allowed me to get to know so many people in the city.”
“I want to give back to my hometown and New York since they have offered me so much over the years, and I see my own music as one way that can help me do so.”
And she’s hoping that all her fans will help her give back, too.
Hey collegiettes! Check out Kayte Grace’s official site and stay tuned for her EP “Chapter 1: Say Yes,” the first chapter of “Set Fire to Separate Lives” that comes out on October 14. Make sure to also download “All’s Not Spoken” and check out the music video as well!