Future Focus: Grace Ives and Sarah Kinsley
RIYL Oklou, Dora Jar, yearning, pretending you live in NYC, actually living in NYC
Future Focus is where we talk about artists we feel like are about to hit a new level or are set to shape tomorrow’s sounds. Each feature is paired with some industry insights to go with why we love these artists as fans.
Grace Ives doesn’t hesitate. Neither should you.
by Evan Tom
From her website URL alone, graceives4u.com, Grace Ives is letting you know exactly who she’s here for.
You. Yes, you. The tapped-in listener who refreshes their feed looking for something that truly hits. The one who craves sharp production, catchy hooks, and synths that sound like beacons from a chrome-plated dream world.
Before she started constructing these shimmering pop environments, the NYC-born, LA-based artist studied graphic design and poetry, which makes complete sense given her distinct visual identity and poetic lyricism. Oh, and she’s an Aries (April 3), the sun sign known for being fearless trailblazers, which tracks when you hear how she moves through a track. No hesitation, just pure energy that dares you to keep up.
Her third album, Girlfriend, dropped March 19th via True Panther/Capitol Records, and it’s some of her sharpest work yet, including notable singles like “Avalanche,” which has Ives’ signature blend of blunt songwriting and undulating synthpop production. It’s a pop album made for people who think they’re over pop music.
Industry Takes:
Signed by True Panther, home to similar acts like Oklou and Frost Children
Featured in essential publications like Pitchfork, i-D, Vogue, and Stereogum
Cleared 500K Spotify monthly listeners right before this album release
Embarking on a headline tour across North America and Europe, which includes a stop at Primavera Sound in Barcelona
Sarah Kinsley: where artistry meets main-character energy
by Safira Khan
As an avid music lover, you’re probably familiar with this canon event: you’re talking up your favorite artists to someone, sharing all the recent concerts you’ve been to—Billie Eilish or Phoebe Bridgers or Del Water Gap—and they (not-so-discreetly) drop that they were an early listener to that artist, back before they were discovered or signed anywhere.
Well…I have an admission to make: that’s me with Sarah Kinsley.
I first came across Sarah Kinsley while scrolling on TikTok and was immediately hooked by her airy, almost timeless-sounding vocals. Listening to her debut single “The King” for the first time was so reminiscent of my experience listening to BØRNS or Lana Del Rey—that same expansive and lush production that swells and wraps around you. Every time I’ve played her song in the car with family or friends, I’m met with: “Wait, who is this?”
Sarah graduated from Columbia in music theory and was classically trained in piano and violin, and you can feel it in every orchestra-filled chorus or synth-heavy progression. Every song off her discography feels like something you could hear in a coming-of-age movie. Think Perks of Being a Wallflower, Lady Bird, or any A24 film ever made. Tracks off her most recent EP Fleeting like “Truth of Pursuit” and “Lonely Touch” definitely fit the bill, and are some of my favorites off her new project.
To make things that much better, Sarah will be going on tour at the end of this month, and you can bet I’ll be there, ready to rave about it to all my music friends.
And yes, I might casually drop that I was an early fan.
Industry Takes
Built a loyal fan-base on TikTok before releasing her first EP, now with over 640k followers
Signed to Verve Label Group in 2023
Sitting at just over 235K Shazaams, so my friends aren’t the only ones going “Wait, who is this?”
Featured in Variety, Dazed, Rolling Stones UK, among other notable publications
Who’s on your radar? Channel your inner A&R and let us know! In the meantime, listen to our Future Focus playlist that we update every single week.