Back in her Chicago hometown for the summer, singer and songwriter Fiona Grey laughingly said, “Thank God! I’m here to get my sanity back — plus it’s the best time of the year to be here.”
While Grey understands the importance of being in Los Angeles and all the professional aspects of that entertainment capital, “spending time out there makes me appreciate being home all the more — once I get back here and see the normalcy of Chicago.”
On Thursday, Grey will bring her music and voice to Schubas in Lake View, where the “dirty pop” singer will be opening for Lola Marsh. Not yet 22, Grey explained in a recent call how she has evolved musically, even at this early stage in her career.
“I was in a band called Kitten, and we opened for Charli XCX and toured around the world. At that point, the music I was creating was almost like I was talking from a third-person perspective. … Now, while clearly I’m not a full-blown adult, I think my songs are written more from a first-person perspective; they are much more personal and not so much seeming like it’s me looking from the outside in.”
Grey credits her returning to her Chicago roots as being very helpful in creating her latest album, recorded at the South Loop studio of her father, veteran Chicago musician Ralph Covert of the rock group the Bad Examples and the children’s music group Ralph’s World.
A touch of humor, Grey says, is key to her songwriting,. “Yes, I do like to make fun of myself. It’s important to be playful. I can’t take it all too seriously. I like to make fun of myself now and then.”
Grey also shared an important lesson she learned from her father more than a decade ago.
“My dad loves me, but he can be very hard on me — in a good way. I remember being a kid and writing a song. I was so excited about it. I pulled my guitar out, and played it for my dad.
“I was ready for him to say, ‘You’re going to be a star! This song is amazing! It’s the best song I’ve ever heard!’
“Instead, he turned to me and said, ‘That’s a nice song. Now I want you to write a hundred more. The 100th song will be a great song.’
In other words, she needed lots of practice. “It’s all about pushing yourself. There’s a huge importance in creating quantity. Out of that, you’ll discover true quality.
“Too many people today are looking for instant gratification. But look at my dad’s career. He’s a lesson in consistency — constancy — and is proof that durability is more important.”
Speaking of durability, Grey said she draws inspiration from the music of such long-running artists as David Bowie, Madonna and Debbie Harry. “Those are artists who had a message to deliver and have been able to speak to several generations of fans.”
