1000. - Grace Ives

Summary of 1000. - Grace Ives

by Chris Black & Jason Stewart / Talkhouse

1h 10m•September 25, 2026
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Overview of 1000. - Grace Ives

This milestone episode of How Long Gone celebrates the show’s 1,000th installment before pivoting into a wide-ranging interview with musician Grace Ives. The conversation moves from podcast culture and music-industry absurdities to personal life updates, creative process, mental health, and the realities of making and promoting art in New York and Los Angeles.

Main Topics Discussed

  • The 1,000th episode celebration

    • Chris and Jason joke about the show’s longevity, their work ethic, and how little has changed despite the milestone.
    • They riff on recurring podcast tropes like sound effects, ad reads, and the “machine” of modern content.

  • Music news and cultural chatter

    • Discussion of a Vulture excerpt about Beck and Scientology, with the hosts debating whether Sea Change was “worth it” if the tradeoff was the album.
    • They pay respects to Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory / Shai Hulud, reflecting on his influence in punk and hardcore.
    • A brief but blunt conversation about controversial fan behavior and online reactions follows.

  • A personal story about heartbreak

    • Chris shares that his gardener’s wife of 17 years left him and took the kids and dog.
    • The story turns into a broader riff on divorce, resilience, and the practical struggle of rebuilding after a breakup.

Grace Ives Interview Highlights

Creative process and gear

  • Grace talks about recording from Brooklyn and getting her home setup in order.
  • She recently bought Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X headphones and is teaching herself more about audio gear through YouTube.
  • She says she generally avoids ChatGPT for philosophical/environmental reasons, though she admits it can be useful.
  • The hosts joke with her about being a “YouTube warrior” and whether she should outsource more of the technical work.

Age, success, and perception

  • Grace and the hosts compare ages and discuss how people are perceived differently depending on age and career stage.
  • The conversation turns to the cultural obsession with “young genius” narratives, especially in music.
  • Grace reflects on how public-facing artists can’t really hide their age or image forever.

Lyrics, rhyme, and songwriting taste

  • They talk about what makes lyrics feel lazy versus effective.
  • Grace says it depends on the song, production, and delivery, not just the words on paper.
  • They discuss:
    • RhymeZone and lyric-writing tools
    • Artists who avoid obvious rhyme schemes
    • Fiona Apple as a model for musicality without conventional end-rhyme
  • Grace notes that sometimes “dumb” lyrics are exactly the right choice if the energy is right.

Fiona Apple, Ween, and resisting overproduction

  • The hosts debate what makes some experimental or highly idiosyncratic records feel rewarding.
  • Grace says she’s interested in going back to more restricted ways of working rather than overloading tracks with extra textures.
  • She mentions deleting unnecessary parts like chimes because they didn’t serve the song.
  • She cites Ween as an example of a band making great music by keeping the process loose and fun.

New York vs. Los Angeles

  • Grace, a born-and-raised New Yorker, talks about the differences between working in LA and living in NYC.
  • She describes LA as a place where:
    • networking and hanging out blur together
    • people overcommit because everything feels like a future opportunity
    • driving is essential
  • She says NYC feels more direct and practical, while LA can make people flaky or overly scheduled.

Living situation, relationships, and identity

  • Grace reveals she lives in Carroll Gardens in a house connected to her boyfriend’s family.
  • She’s been with her boyfriend for 11 years, and they discuss the awkwardness of terms like:
    • boyfriend/girlfriend
    • partner
    • fiancé
  • The hosts note that “partner” can sound overly corporate or coded, depending on the context.

Hair, aesthetics, and identity

  • Grace talks about her pink hair and whether it’s becoming part of her permanent look.
  • She compares her current style to a softer, natural version of the bleached/pink indie aesthetic.
  • The hosts connect her look to bands like Warpaint and the broader 2010s indie era.

High school music and influences

  • Grace says her teenage listening leaned indie and moody:
    • Lykke Li
    • Ratatat
    • Animal Collective
    • New Order / Joy Division
    • Beirut
  • The hosts joke about her being a “depressed high schooler” with impeccable taste.

Mental health and Prozac

  • Grace says she recently started Prozac, and it’s helping.
  • She describes feeling better socially and emotionally, including being less anxious about going out with new people.
  • The hosts praise this as a meaningful form of growth and self-acceptance.

Notable Takeaways

  • Grace Ives is thoughtful about songwriting craft, especially how much “wrong” or “too simple” can actually work if the feeling is right.
  • She’s trying to make music with more intentional restraint, instead of adding sounds just because they’re available.
  • She’s navigating a lot of adult life at once: touring, relationships, health, work, and identity.
  • The interview presents her as someone who is smart, funny, self-aware, and still very much in an active creative phase.

Tour and Project Updates

  • Grace says her album Girlfriend came out in March of the prior year.
  • Upcoming live dates mentioned:
    • U.S. dates opening for Gracie Abrams
    • European dates opening for Olivia Rodrigo in spring of next year

Bottom Line

This episode mixes milestone celebration with a loose, funny, and surprisingly intimate conversation with Grace Ives. The strongest themes are creative discipline, the tension between ambition and authenticity, and the everyday awkwardness of being a working artist in your early 30s.