Monkenshine

01 Riding Shotgun

Just Gracey... a mother, her son, and his best friend Joe.

"We started out playing music together when I signed up for a singer/songwriter gig in Nashville. On the fly Ty had to learn three of my written songs. At that time, Ty had only been playing a few songs on his own but when he hit the stage and played for the crowded venues, he was hooked. We worked as a Mother/Son duo creating music together till we had a book full of originals we could share. I was eager to teach my son to have no fear sharing his passion for music, to tap into his creative side by composing a little 'dee-dee-dee' as I called it, then add some lyrics from your heart. Don't be afraid to be real, I'd tell him, it doesn't have to be your story just a story someone can relate to. When he would walk around the house playing something, I'd ask..."what is that? Does that belong to someone?" If he said no, I'd say, "wait...I have lyrics for that!" And that was how it was done.

The venues that wanted to book us for original works were few, so Ty and I decided we needed to go the 'cover' route and start learning songs people wanted to hear to get booked more. So we did. I was blessed he was "old school", especially when he started pulling out songs from Journey, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Louis Armstrong... Yes, my excitement grew! When he rolled in a few Christian songs, it touched my heart. When he combined some of the top radio hits along with his old soul goodies, I knew we were headed in the right direction. We were evolving...learning new material...still creating our own...but now enjoying the works of others and sharing. Ty was genius adding his own style and creative energy. I however worked hard to pull the country soul out of every song I sung. No easy task for me! But we added to our set list until we had more than we could ever play in one show.

During this time, Ty joined choir at school. He quickly took the lead on many of the songs we learned and we took favorites from Mumford and Son's and Adele turning them into duets. He picked up the skills of other instruments as well. Of course I was over here trying to wrap my nails around the neck of a ukulele...or tap my fingers on a piano...I tried to pick back up my saxophone skills too but as luck would have it I managed to nail the shaker! So there ya go... What do I play? The shaker! lol

I am Olivia Gracey, the singer/songwriter/shaker player, the mother half of Just Gracey. I am a fiction romance author who is driven to be a New York Times bestseller. I was given the skill of writing a book or penning a song. I am grateful for that precious gift. But I must say singing is the hardest thing I've ever had to learn.

Ty is the son half of Just Gracey. He's the smooth and classic voice you hear warming your heart in our songs. He is an AP student and senior at Sparkman High School. He is driven, confident, and plays non-stop. You will never visit our house without hearing an acoustic guitar, ukulele, piano, electric guitar, banjo, melodica, or cajon being played in the background. He's passionate and fearless about sharing his music with you. The connection we have between mother and son is amazing! The bond is beautiful, and I feel very blessed to stand on stage with him.

This year we added a third pinnacle to Just Gracey: Ty's best friend Joe. He's a smile that spreads wide with a soft and gentle soul. He's also an AP student and senior at Sparkman High School. These two guys feed off one another, as friends and even more as musicians. Joe's personality, his humor, and never ending skills have been a sweet addition to our band. Having been a major part of his school band for four years, and recently joining his praise band at his church, Joe is versed in oboe, hand percussion, marimba, piano, bass guitar, melodica, and vocal harmony. He brings the icing on the Just Gracey cake."

That's our story. We are Just Gracey... Just a band you need to know.