Grace McKagan, daughter of Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, recently spoke with Cliché Mag about her music and debut album. During the chat, she revealed a teenage secret: the bands she felt embarrassed to listen to. When asked about her musical influences, the singer confessed that she was captivated to the sounds of The Stooges and The Sex Pistols but was too insecure to show it. McKagan went on to describe the impact these bands and others had on her first solo album, ‘Heart of Hearts.’ Her comments on the subject were as follows: “When I was in high school, I really came into my own and fell in love with rock.” I became acquainted with The Stooges and The Sex Pistols. I recall listening to them in the corner of a school field trip and hiding my phone because I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is embarrassing.’ Even though they’re obviously the coolest, I was 14 and 15 and insecure, and everyone was into EDM.
I believe that what musicians and writers listen to the most and what they grew up listening to has the most influence on them. There are numerous rock subgenres as well. I’ve been really into Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions throughout the last year. Many people associate my name with rock when they hear it or have preconceived notions about my music. If you listen to my new EP, ‘Heart of Hearts,’ you’ll notice some alternative rock components, but it’s not rock in the traditional sense.” Grace’s first album since leaving The Pink Slips was released in December 2022. So, give her songs a listen and see if you can detect the alt-rock characteristics she indicated in her claims.