Wonder Woman of the Week: Grace Potter

I had a hard time pinning down just who should be this week’s spotlight. I sifted through a hundred warrior women from the ancient world, dug deep into the names of contemporary Olympic athletes, and looked into scores of Civil Rights activists, but at the end of the day (and in the most literal sense of that term) only one name appeared in front of me. This week’s Wonder Woman is a successful singer, musician, and performer who has never let man’s world of music producers keep her from being who she is. She’s been the leader of her band since her time in college, collaborated with country music legend Kenny Chesney, and has recorded three full-length studio albums. She may not be a warrior woman- but her songs and her successes tell the tale of a victory long in the making. The Wonder Woman of the Week is Grace Potter.

Born in 1983, Grace Potter learned how to play music from a young age. She was an active member of her school choirs and learned piano from her mother. Potter blended the styles of Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Kurt Cobain during her early years into a style of music that would define her later career. Before heading off to college at St. Lawrence in 2002, she participated in a college residence program called Governor’s Institute for the Arts. [1]

While in college, Grace Potter’s musical talent expanded. Potter and a high school friend got together with a music producer slash drummer and a guitarist to form a band named after their late-night band practices. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals released their debut album in 2004 with songs compared to the works of Bonnie Raitt and Norah Jones. [A former Wonder Woman of the Week] The band received offers from studios offering to produce records, but Potter and her band preferred building their fan base with frequent festival and tour appearances. The band’s second album was also self-released before the group decided to finally sign with Hollywood Records for their third record released in 2010. [2]

What really makes Grace Potter a unique musician comes back to where she grew up. Potter hails from Vermont- a small state in a small region of the United States that’s easy to forget about- especially for a performer who tours all over the world. But Potter never fails to forget her roots. In 2013, Potter interviewed with Rolling Stone Magazine about an upcoming music festival specifically designed (by Potter and her band) for Vermont music-lovers and one that she would be headlining along with a dozen other bands. During the interview, Potter told her interviewer, “Just because you become successful doesn’t mean you have to forget about where you came from.” [3]

Grace Potter is one of the few musicians that even the most hard-core hipsters can’t say sold out. She never forgot her Vermont roots even when former her band in college and touring in Australia. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals worked together and set a common goal for their future as a band and continue to wow audiences around the world. Potter especially is commendable for her knack at not only singing and shredding a guitar- but leading a band on tours, organizing concerts, and planning multi-band music festivals in her home state. Grace Potter is a humble musician with achievements that only continue to add up, and she’s well deserving of this week’s title.

“Grace Potter Biography.” 2016. Biography.com. Accessed 20 April 2016. http://www.biography.com/people/grace-potter-21065447

Brown, Marisa. “About Grace Potter.” 2016. MTV. Accessed 20 April 2016. http://www.mtv.com/artists/grace-potter/biography/

Baltin, Steve. 6 July 2013. Rolling Stone Magazine. Accessed 20 April 2016. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/grace-potter-promises-expansion-surprises-for-grand-point-north-festival-20130706