Meet Joey Grace and Teresa Suydam | Independent Musicians & Producers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joey Grace and Teresa Suydam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joey and Teresa, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
JOEY GRACE: People who aren’t in the music industry probably don’t realize how few female music producers there are. They also might not realize how difficult it is, in general, to be a female in the music world, especially as an independent artist. Many female musicians I’ve chatted with feel like it’s more difficult for us to be taken seriously, especially as music producers. The industry is dominated by men, and at times it has made me feel two feet tall… like I have to jump up and down and wave my arms in the air to be seen and heard and treated fairly. But I’ve never had any of my guy musician friends say that they feel that way. However, I don’t let it get me down. It doesn’t stop me, it only makes me work harder. I think things are heading in a more positive direction, especially as more and more people are recording music in their own studios, instead of putting their dreams and goals into the hands of other people. BOOOOM!!!

TERESA SUYDAM: I think the average person isn’t aware of the under-representation of women and non-binary people in music. About 3% of producers were women in 2022, and 30% of artists on the Billboard Hot 100 were women. That’s an increase, but it’s slow and steady. It is widely felt by women and non-binary people in the music industry that we have to work harder to be heard and taken seriously. Joey and I like to think that we are pushing those boundaries and numbers up because we do take our artistry and our music business seriously. Both of us are one stop shops. We both write our own music, produce it, create content and artwork, release it, and market it. MIC DROP!!!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
JOEY GRACE: Living in Long Beach, California near the Long Beach Port, I’ve been inspired by the bright colors and vibrant greens of nature versus the more drab grey hues of the industrial world. For my Guns On Sunday music video, I decided to film the entire thing by myself using only an iPhone. Over the course of two months I drove around Los Angeles, filming at interesting and quirky places: the abandoned LA Zoo, a backyard tree house, recycling facilities, the side of the 710 freeway, in a chicken restaurant/bar… and a kind worker even snuck me into a facility at the Port of Long Beach so I could get my 360 shot and my final shot with the smoke stack on a cloudy grey day! The video turned out exactly as I wanted it to. From the girly dresses and pink angel wings, to the gorgeous shots I captured, I love this video and am thrilled to share it with the world on YouTube! That’s one of the greatest things about being an independent artist: having control over literally everything.

TERESA SUYDAM: I think the coolest thing about being a musician is that we are all on a personal journey of self-discovery. For me, that has all built up to creating my first full-length album, which I am very proud to be working on right now. Learning how to bring my authentic self to the table has been the hardest lesson to learn, but a lot of the confidence that I have as an artist now is because of all the mistakes I have made. Through so much trial and error I have found sounds that I like, styles that I love writing, singing, and producing in, and people that I enjoy working with. I would say that I have gotten to where I am now because I enjoy putting in extra effort that allows me to control my career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
TERESA SUYDAM: Denver has so many pockets of areas to go and see. I would start in Golden by Clear Creek. I love the small shops and dinner places, you can walk along the creek, and if you like music and dancing go to the Buffalo Rose. Then the next day go to the Highlands for brunch, and maybe a show in the evening at Red Rocks. If you’ve never been to a Red Rocks show, it’s a must at least once in your life. Denver always has music shows happening at all the venues that it has to offer. Some of the well known venues are the Bluebird, Mission Ballroom, Larimer Lounge, and Lost Lake, to name a few. There’s several microbreweries to get your favorite beers, ciders, and kombucha, and if you’re a coffee drinker and caffeine lover I’d definitely recommend any of the Bardo coffee locations.

JOEY GRACE: I’m super excited to visit Denver soon, so I can check out all of Teresa’s favorite spots! I’m a total matcha fanatic, so we’ll definitely need to find a cool coffee shop that has matcha!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
JOEY GRACE: I’m super grateful to @diveliner (Ellis Grant, under the pen name Benny July) who produced my first EP entitled Beautiful Storm. He’s crazy talented, and working with him really inspired me to learn how to produce my own music. I also want to give a shout out to my friends and fans, as well as my handsome boyfriend Aaron, for being supportive of my music career. It truly means a lot to me when people come to my live shows, download my songs, watch my YouTube music videos, and purchase merch at joeygrace.com!

TERESA SUYDAM: I would love to give a shoutout to my partner, Brett Suydam, who is ever supportive in all my music endeavors. I keep a list of people that have helped and encouraged me along the way. Those people range from vocal coaches I’ve had, to fellow producers, friends, family, and peers.

Website: https://www.joeygrace.com/

https://teresasuydam.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joeygracemusic/

https://www.instagram.com/teresasuydam/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joeygracemusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoeyGrace/playlists

https://www.youtube.com/@teresasuydam/featured

Other: https://linktr.ee/teresasuydam

Image Credits
TERESA SUYDAM’S PHOTO CREDITS: Michelle Kim with YuJo Photography JOEY GRACE’S PHOTO CREDITS: Don Marcelo Photography @marcdphotos