Interview: Mermaid Weddings with Mallrat

Afterglow catches up with Australian singer/producer Mallrat ahead of her Austin show with Maggie Rogers to discuss her creative ambitions, recommended artists, and why she (still) wants to write for Kanye.

Written by Annie Lyons

Photos by Casey Tang

It’s hard to believe that 20 year old Grace Shaw, who performs under the name Mallrat, has only been making music for a handful of years. Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, she first found inspiration after attending a concert of fellow Australian rapper Allday. Shaw immediately took to songwriting, releasing her first EP, 2016’s beat-driven Uninvited, not long after.

Now, just three years and two EPs later, Mallrat is on her most extensive American tour yet as the support act for Maggie Rogers of viral Alaska fame.

Mallrat’s latest EP, 2018’s In the Sky, pulls from a mish-mash of genre sounds — dreamy pop, electronic, hip-hop — to go with deeply intimate lyrics that feel pulled from a diary. The result is introspective dance music that is both expansive and vulnerable, fit for a house party or a solo night drive home.

We chatted with Mallrat ahead of her October 23 Austin show at Stubbs BBQ on her recent EP, tour, and what’s next on her radar.

To start off, I want to ask a little bit more about your recent EP, In the Sky. It has a lot of different genre influences, but it still has a very cohesive sound that feels very lyric-driven. What story were you hoping to tell with this EP?

Thank you! Well, I don’t know… I only kind of think of it one song at a time. I don’t really think in terms of what the whole EP will sound like together. So, it’s just fortunate that it sounds cohesive! But even all the songs aren’t just about one thing, like, they’re all lots of little stories all together. So, it’s kind of hard to give an answer to that one. It’s kind of whatever you want it to be about.

Yeah, that makes sense. And then, “Make Time” is my personal favorite off of it and —

Yeah, yeah, yeah that’s my favorite too!

Ooh, is it really? Can you tell me why it’s your favorite?

It’s my favorite, I think, because it feels very relaxing to listen to, and it took so much effort to get it sounding right. It’s a very different structure to my songs, so it took a lot of experimenting to get it sounding the way that it sounds now.

Can you tell me a little more about your inspiration behind the song, too? Were there any feelings you were hoping to evoke from it?

I don’t know! When I started, I just had lyrics and chords for it, just like for a few verses. When I start out, it’s just building on an idea rather than trying to tell a story. But, it is also about trying to create a feeling — or lots of different feelings. And when I was in the studio, I felt like listening to it reminded me of being a mermaid at a mermaid’s wedding underwater [laughter]. That was one of the influences for the sounds.

I really like that! It reminded me personally a lot of the feelings I had when I was leaving my suburban hometown, everything that kind of goes with that.

Ohhhh that’s so nice! Yeah, I like that because it’s a happy thing and a sad thing at the same time.

Yeah, it’s bittersweet. And then, your 2016 EP, Uninvited, was more of a bedroom-style production, but then In the Sky has a much more polished production sound. How did your creative process change between these two EPs?

So, the first one, Uninvited EP, that’s just beats that I was sent on SoundCloud and that sort of thing. I did go to the studio to record them, but I didn’t have an understanding of what I wanted my vocals to sound like. They were the first songs that I ever made, as well, so it was just a big learning curve. And by the time In the Sky happened, I had kind of learned a lot and knew what I wanted to sound like a bit more. And I co-produced everything on In the Sky, as well!

What type of creative directions do you want to go moving forward?

Like musically? I don’t know! I want to go in every direction! [laughter] But, I want to be a really good producer. So, that’s what I’m practicing at the moment. And I want to start writing for other artists as well. Those are the two musical things that I’m working on.

Is there anybody on your shortlist that you want to write for one day?

Ohhh, so many people. I wrote the list the other day, and I was like ‘this is so long!’ But, my dream is to work with Kanye because I just think he’s so… I really love his music. And, I want to write for some cool pop artists. I really like Camila Cabello and Dua Lipa and this girl called Tove Styrke.

Awesome. I have to ask… if you’re a big Kanye fan, do you have any opinions on whatever he’s been doing lately?

Yeah… I don’t agree with everything he says but I do also think that people aren’t actually listening to what he’s trying to say, as well. I’m as far as you can get from a Trump supporter, but what he’s saying is like ‘this person is president, whether you like it or not, and saying f— Trump isn’t going to change the way he runs this government.’ So, trying to work with whoever’s in power does make a lot of sense to me. Kanye’s whole attitude of trying to approach things with love and understanding rather than just being like ‘I disagree with you so f— you!’

So, he’s at least trying to bridge the gap?

Yeah, exactly! And I think sometimes he’s misinformed, but I think his overall perspective is something we could all try and listen to a bit more. So, I have mixed feelings, but they’re mostly like I wish people would actually try and listen.

So, you still want to write for him?

Yeah, of course! You can’t throw away that he’s been doing this for decades, and he’s also been so ahead of so many political and social issues and so outspoken on stuff. It’s silly to disregard all of that. Like, he was one of the first people to speak out against homophobia in hip-hop and all these other things. I feel like everything should be taken with a grain of salt. Although, he has said some pretty silly things. I think it’s okay to disagree with everything he says, but you should at least keep an open mind to it.

You’ve played in the US before, but your current tour with Maggie Rogers is your most extensive American tour yet. What’s that experience been like so far?

It’s been so fun! Her crowds are really, really nice and all the venues have been really cool. People have come early to see us, so it’s been the perfect support slot. She’s so wonderful.

Is there a favorite place you’ve visited so far?

It’s all been really cool! I liked Phoenix the other day because that was Butterfly House that we went to, which was really fun. I met some people after the show who were fans who were really nice, so that made it a really positive experience [laughter].

What’s next on your to-do list after tour?

I’m going home to Australia for a few days, and then I’m coming back to LA to work on music again! It’s pretty busy. Just writing and finishing another EP.

I’ve read that when you first got your start making music, it was because you were inspired at an Allday show, and now the two of you are really close collaborators. What was that like going from a fan to a friend and musical partner?

It’s the coolest thing ever. I think it really goes to show that you have to trust your gut feelings. The power of the mind is pretty crazy. I don’t think that’s in any way a coincidence. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but it’s pretty amazing. I think everybody should learn to follow their gut instincts.

So, one thing I ask everyone we interview: we’re called Afterglow, and we got that from the feeling when the music just clicks for you. Do you have a favorite music-related memory as either an artist or audience member — your Afterglow Moment?

Awww. I mean, that Allday concert is probably the biggest one. But also, there’s a band called Crystal Fighters that I really love, and also a girl called Ngaiire who’s a singer from Australia, and I got to see them perform at Splendour a few years ago, and I thought that was pretty amazing. I was crying [laughter]. But that Allday concert was just a crazy experience. I just left feeling like I had to do something, which is a cool way to feel.

Who are some artists you currently can’t stop listening to?

Billie Eilish, KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Empress Of… who else? So many. A$AP Rocky, Skepta.

Do you have any Australian artist recommendations since our readers are mostly American?

Oh, I’ve got so many! You should listen to a band called Cub Sport from Brisbane — they’re amazing. Also a band called Jungle Giants from Australia. They’re so good. And a producer from Golden Vessel. They’re all my friends, and I think they’re amazing.

Interview has been minimally edited for clarity and length.