Growing up isn’t always about becoming someone brand new—sometimes, it’s about gently letting go of who you used to be. For emerging singer-songwriter Ellory Grace, that exact realization laid the groundwork for her introspective third official single, “Girl I Buried.” Following previous releases “In Between” and “Threads,” the Los Angeles-crafted track marks a turn toward minimalist, space-conscious production, opting for restraint and honesty over loud, towering choruses. Co-written alongside Lynnzee Fraye and produced by Justin Tinucci, the song unravels the delicate act of shedding old expectations, making peace with past iterations of oneself, and stepping into a braver chapter.
We sat down with Ellory Grace to discuss the three-word Notes app entry that sparked the track, the art of leaving room to breathe in the studio, and why the best songs start with questions rather than answers.
Hello Ellory Grace, welcome to WorldAuthors.Org! “Girl I Buried” is your third official single following “In Between” and “Threads.” How did the sonic landscape for this track come together in the studio compared to your earlier releases?
Every song has taught me something about what feels most like me. In Between was about finding my footing as an artist, and Threads leaned into a feeling that kept building and unraveling. With Girl I Buried, we intentionally held back. Instead of trying to make every chorus bigger, we let the quieter moments do the emotional work. I’ve learned that sometimes taking something away makes you feel a lyric even more.
You co-wrote “Girl I Buried” with Lynnzee Fraye and worked with producer Justin Tinucci in LA. What did that collaboration look like in the writer’s room when translating such a deeply personal concept into lyrics?
The sessions always start with conversation. Before we write anything, we’ll spend a long time talking about whatever’s been stuck in my head. Once I shared the idea behind Girl I Buried, we started asking questions instead of trying to answer them. Every time we tried to make the lyric sound bigger than the feeling, it stopped feeling like me. The best lines were usually the simplest ones because they were the truest. Justin was really intentional about making sure the production protected that honesty instead of competing with it.
Your songs often start with a “passing thought that won’t let go.” What was the exact moment or spark that kicked off the writing of “Girl I Buried”?
It actually started with three words sitting in my Notes app: Girl I Buried. I wrote the title down before I knew what it meant, and I couldn’t stop coming back to it. It was one of those titles that made me curious. I felt like it was trying to tell me something before I knew what the song was. Eventually I realized I wasn’t writing about burying a person. I was writing about saying goodbye to a version of myself, the girl who thought she always had to be perfect, stay quiet, or make everyone else comfortable. Once I understood the title, I finally knew what I was trying to say.
There’s a real art to leaving open spaces in music so listeners can project their own stories into the melody. How do you decide during production when a track needs more instrumentation versus when it needs room to breathe?
Sometimes we’ll mute half the track just to see if we still believe the lyric. If it only feels emotional because the production is making it emotional, then we probably haven’t finished writing yet. I love production, but I never want it to distract from the story. If the lyric is carrying the moment, giving it space usually makes it stronger.
You’ve described “Girl I Buried” as a song about shedding old expectations rather than becoming a completely new person. How did you reflect that emotional shift in your vocal delivery?
I didn’t want it to sound angry or triumphant. To me, this song feels more like gratitude than revenge. I also didn’t want it to sound like I was saying goodbye to a completely different person. The ending isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about becoming a little braver than the girl who came before you. She’s still part of me. She just doesn’t have to carry everything by herself anymore. I wanted the vocals to reflect that gentleness.
Many young writers feel pressured to offer clear resolutions in their lyrics, yet your bio mentions you prefer embracing uncertainty. How do you approach ending a song without tying it up in a neat bow?
Most of my songs begin with a question instead of an answer. If I already understood exactly how I felt about something, I probably wouldn’t feel the need to write about it. Songwriting is how I figure things out. I don’t think every song needs to end with everything neatly resolved because life usually doesn’t. I’d rather leave a little space for people to find their own meaning in it.
How has your relationship with your instrument or chord progressions evolved from your debut single back in May to this release?
I’ve stopped trying to impress myself with complicated chords. If a simple progression makes me believe the lyric more, that’s always the right choice. I’ve realized people remember how a song makes them feel, not how many chords are in it.
Were there specific musical or production reference points you brought into the studio when you started recording “Girl I Buried”?
I actually try not to walk into a session saying, “Let’s sound like this artist.” I’d rather chase a feeling than a reference. We definitely talked about music that makes quiet moments feel powerful, but those conversations were there to help us understand the emotion, not to become a blueprint. I always want the song to end up sounding like itself.
Songwriting can be an intense process of discovery. Was there a lyric in “Girl I Buried” that surprised you or revealed something you hadn’t fully articulated to yourself before?
The line, “So intertwined I couldn’t get to her,” surprised me the most. I started writing the song thinking it was about leaving an older version of myself behind, but somewhere along the way I realized it wasn’t that simple. You can’t completely separate yourself from the person who got you here. The ending reflects that. She still exists, but she’s changing. She bites her tongue a little less. She doesn’t make herself quite as small. That realization changed what the song meant to me.
With more original releases slated for later this year, where do you see the sound of this release steering your upcoming music?
This song helped me trust my instincts more. I’m really drawn to songs that begin with one small observation or one passing thought and slowly open into something bigger. That’s the direction I’m excited to keep exploring. I don’t want bigger production just for the sake of sounding bigger. I want every choice we make to serve the story.
You can connect with Ellory Grace through Instagram @ellorygracetell, Youtube @ellorygrace, Zigazoo and TikTok @ellorygrace