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Gracie Abrams has revealed she once worried that the stability she found in her relationship with actor Paul Mescal might threaten her creativity.
In a new Vogue interview published June 9, the 26-year-old singer admitted that falling in love with Mescal initially sparked anxiety about her music. "I was worried feeling secure and stable was threatening my drive to write music. It freaked me out," she said.
Two years into their romance, Abrams has found her footing. Her third studio album, Daughter From Hell, is set to drop next month, and she credits both her relationship and her longtime collaborator Aaron Dessner for helping her refine her craft.
"I have learned from Aaron that it's okay to mine deeper and refine what you are naturally inclined to do, even if that looks less shiny and new on the outside," she explained.
Abrams also described how inspiring it was to live with Mescal while he filmed Hamnet. "It feels like every day you come home and read the greatest book ever—that's what it's like to be in conversation with someone making something like that," she said, adding that working with director Chloé Zhao and Jessie Buckley created "magical" energy on set.
The couple's creative exchange goes both ways. Mescal, who is preparing to play Paul McCartney in upcoming Beatles biopics, bought Abrams a vintage reel-to-reel recorder and has started jamming with her at home. Abrams admitted he's "so much better" at guitar than she is.
Their London apartment has also been a family hub, with Abrams' younger brother August staying during his semester abroad. Meanwhile, Mescal is eager for Abrams' dachshund Weenie to join them once travel restrictions ease. "Paul is desperate to get him out to London," she joked.
Abrams' new album reflects on her teenage years and family dynamics, with the singer wishing she had spent less time fighting with her mom and more time listening to her wisdom. Daughter From Hell arrives July 17, following her 2024 breakout The Secret of Us, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and produced her first top-10 single, That's So True.
