Gracie Abrams on How Taylor Swift Has Inspired Her Songwriting

Gracie Abrams was one of the lucky artists tapped as support for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. It’s a coveted position to be in. Not only are the eyes of the world firmly planted on Swift and everyone in her circle, but the opening acts also get in front of her die-hard loyal fans. Though Swift might always be the No. 1 in their eyes, there is still a lot of love to go around. Abrams has certainly received some of it.

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The singer-songwriter has the kind of voice that cuts straight to your soul. Her poignant lyrics don’t hurt in that department either. Her debut album, Good Riddance, earned her both the attention of Swift and a Grammy nod for Best New Artist. Needless to say, Abrams has had quite the year.

[RELATED: A Look at the Best New Artist Grammy Nominees]

The opportunity to open for Swift comes as an especially thrilling moment for Abrams, who cites the “Style” singer as a songwriting inspiration.

“I was always a huge fan of Taylor my entire childhood,” Abrams tells American Songwriter. “She used to talk about how frequently she would journal and it felt obvious to me that was a massive tool.”

“I think I was lucky enough to fall in love with journaling,” she continues. “As soon as I started songwriting, I understood the significance of having just books and books of your feelings with details you would ultimately otherwise forget. I would say that journaling feels like the best songwriting advice. It’s been true for me, lyrically speaking.”

While Abrams had been watching Swift from afar long before she kicked off her own music career, she says getting up close and personal with Swift has been a “masterclass.”

“It’s the best,” Abrams says of her Eras Tour slot. “Any opportunity to watch that show and be in her orbit is [like a] masterclass in how to do this. I look up to her so much as a human being and as an artist. To be in close proximity to the way that she does her job, loves the people in her life, is there for her friends, and is an epic business person, it’s just a really wild opportunity.”

“I’m so grateful to her forever,” she adds. “It’s my favorite show I’ve ever seen by miles, you know. I take every single opportunity I have to watch it. I watched it every single night that I got to play on that tour. I’m very excited to get back to that routine.”

Abrams has more dates with Swift on the horizon. Check out her full tour stops, HERE. Tickets are available via StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

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