In the scheduling of musician interviews, performers usually prefer daytime chats. That’s when they tend to be the freest with their time. But there’s a very good reason that Emily Grace VanNostrand is not available to chat until 6 p.m. on a weekday: She’s been in high school all day long.
At just-turned-17 years old, VanNostrand is currently a senior at Summer Creek High School in Humble. But she’s been singing in public for more than half of her lifespan, and in recent years been polishing her guitar playing and songwriting skills.
She’s already released a debut record, All I Wanted, which came out on most streaming services early last year when she was just a sophomore. It features nine tracks all written and sung by Emily Grace (her shortened professional name) that straddle the line between country and pop.
So, given that she’s lived in Humble for quite a while and gone to school with a lot of the same peers, is she generally known around the hallways as “the girl who sings” or “the girl with the guitar?”
“Oh yeah!” she says over Zoom. “I’m in Fine Arts and been in the choir and show choir, so it’s known in that world. And in my classes, I’m known to be a musical character. And I wear it with pride.”
According to her mother Tracy, Emily Grace showed a keen interest in music very early on, asking for (and receiving) a play guitar and microphone for Christmas at the age of four. By eight, she was handling solos in her church choir, including Carrie Underwood’s version of “How Great Thou Art.”
The next year came enrollment in the School of Rock Kingwood, where she stood out and began to learn how to work an audience while aiming for consistency in her performances. And how to improve.
“I have always listened to a lot of music growing up, whether it was in the car with my mom or Disney movies. But I also really like dance music and [classic rock]. I wanted to be in front of an audience with a microphone and sing for people,” she says. “And then came the guitar when I was 13 or 14. That’s when I started wanting to write my own music and explore my own creative abilities.”
In terms of songwriting, she admits being frustrated with her initial efforts until she had a “breakthrough” with a song called “Disappear,” which appears on All I Wanted. Typically, it’s the melody that comes first for her, then lyrics, then finally the music. And the writing comes in bursts.
All I Wanted was recorded at Houston’s Lucky Run Studios in The Hive. It was produced by Kaelan Lucas-Marinelli, who also played acoustic and electric guitar, drums, and piano. Emily Grace says he was “fantastic” in those roles, and they worked together to get the sound that she had in her head.
All nine tunes with titles like “Just A Friend,” “Call You Mine,” “I Get My Hopes Up,” “Hoax” and the title track certainly have similar subject matter: lost love, unrequited love, and loneliness. Which in hindsight, Emily Grace is well aware of.
“I don’t have the most positive album, I can say that!” she laughs. “It’s just coming from moments where I was very frustrated, angry, or sad. It was like I was telling myself certain things or talking to friends and having rants. These ideas kept recurring, and I could use that in the music.”
As is the case with many singer-songwriters—and especially females—audiences tend to think that almost every song is autobiographical in some respect. From Joni Mitchell and Carole King to Dolly Parton and Gwen Stefani up to Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. So, is that the case here?
“I feel this is going to be a typical teenage girl answer, but it’s crushes. Or meeting new people and you’re like ‘You’re kind of cute!’ They are all definitely personal boy-related songs. It’s part of my life at this point and time. But it’s fun to look back on them and thinking ‘Yeah, dodged a bullet there, actually!’”
As a live performer, Emily Grace has appeared on stage at both open mic nights and paid gigs locally at Megaton, Redemption Square, Brass Tap Kingwood, Tin Roof Kingwood, Autry Park Houston, Balmoral Blue Lagoon & Grille, The Stomping Grounds, and Puffabelly’s. KDA Markets has hired her several times to perform at their outdoor markets. And she has donated her time for St. Jude and American Heart Association events.
Those audiences of course, want to hear familiar songs. So, in addition to 45 minutes of original music, Emily Grace has amassed four hours of covers that she can either sing or sing and play guitar to.
This runs the gamut from classic rock (“Living on a Prayer,” “Magic Man,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Too Much Time on My Hands”), to country (“Before He Cheats,” “Heart Like a Truck,” “What Hurts You the Most,” “Something More”), to alternative (“Everlong,” “What’s Up?”, “Just a Girl,” “Million Reasons”). She tailors each set list with her mother, who keeps all her songs laminated, in a binder to flip through.
“I have to look at what the audience demand will be, but also what I enjoy. The Eagles are my favorite group,” she notes. And indeed, during a recent show by former Eagle Don Felder at the Smart Financial Centre, Emily Grace met the man himself for a quick chat and some career advice that came down to one concept: persistence.
It’s something she’s already aware of, having auditioned for all three of the biggest talent shows going today: American Idol, The Voice, and America’s Got Talent. And while she did not make it past the second round of auditions, she will try for another go round if it comes up.
“They were all Zoom calls with producers. And they all looked exactly the same! You start in a big room with all the [auditioners], then they’d take five of you in another room, then you’d get a one-on-one and do one or two songs. And it’s like ‘Thank you, we’ll get back to you!’” she says.
“It’s fun. Like I was auditioning on a laptop in a room in my house. One of the times, I had come straight from school so I got home, run upstairs to touch up my makeup, and ran back down ready to go. But it’s very random selection who gets to [advance]. And it doesn’t hurt to try. But right time, right place, and visibility are important.”
As for her future, Emily Grace is currently working on a second record but also wants to incorporate “balance and realism” into her life. And she’s got her plan. Thus, after high school graduation, she hopes to attend Texas A&M University, get a Biomedical degree (in three years instead of four), and eventually work as an orthodontist. If the music career doesn’t take off, of course.
“I want the two worlds to run parallel,” she offers. “And I would love to start a band in college with people with like-minded interests. And continue to write on my own songs. I have to incorporate passion and musical interest in my life.”
And there’s at least one other aspect of her future that could provide many musical opportunities. Even if she has to wait awhile.
“I’ll be older, so I’ll be able to actually go in the bars to play!” she laughs. “We’ve visited, and they’re like ‘Mmmm…you can’t come in here!’”
Stream All I Wanted on Spotify and other services. Follow Emily Grace on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
