“It was a particularly dysphoric time in my life,” she says, while packing for tour in her Chicago home. “It’s certainly not the first time that dysphoria was alluded to on an Against Me! record, but for sure it was a time that it was weighing in heavily on the music. It’s really interesting to reflect back on that record now when we’re playing songs from it live. I feel like they’re finally being received in the proper context – it actually makes it a lot of fun to perform them now, maybe even more than ever before.”
A lot has changed for Against Me! since the Former Clarity days. Grace and lead guitarist James Bowman are the only remaining members from that period; in the last few years they’ve welcomed in a new rhythm section, consisting of bassist Inge Johansson (formerly of The (International) Noise Conspiracy and The Most) and drummer Atom Willard (ex-Angels & Airwaves/ Rocket from the Crypt). This lineup is responsible for Against Me!’s sixth and latest release, Transgender Dysphoria Blues. A defiant and proud half-hour of power, Grace and co. have been touring non-stop since the album’s release in January 2014, and they’re not even close to tiring of it.
“It’s pretty amazing to have a new album out that people are excited to hear anything off,” she says. “Every song is always welcomed, and I think you know you’re onto something special when that happens. We still enjoy playing these songs – we look forward to them every single night. We went full steam ahead when the record came out – we toured pretty much all of last year, we toured a bit already this year and we’ve got a lot of touring yet to come. There’s still special things happening every night when we play these songs. It’s a feeling that’s almost impossible to put into words.”
Since coming out publicly as a transgender woman via a Rolling Stone interview in 2012, Grace has received more media attention than ever before. It’s led to her own AOL webseries, True Trans, in which she explores dysphoria by speaking with transgender people from all walks of life. “I got so much out of it – I got huge, tremendous feelings,” she says. “I remain friends and in touch with all of those people. It meant the world to me to have all those conversations. It put things in a great perspective for me. It was reassuring, to put it all in one word.”
Last November, Grace joined Glee star Alex Newell and the Director of Programs for America’s Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Nick Adams, for an interview with veteran broadcaster Larry King. While you might expect the 81-year-old King to have less understanding of LGBTI people, Grace found him to be incredibly open and engaged. Still, explaining trans issues to those either unfamiliar or entirely ignorant poses some big challenges. “It can be tricky to do it in the context of TV,” Grace says. “A lot of it can get distilled. If you’ve got someone one on one, it’s more of a matter of whether they accept it. It’s their personal deal – you can’t place it on their generation or their background. You can take it or leave it.”
Grace has also been answering questions in the Mandatory Happiness column that she writes for Vice’s music-oriented subsidiary, Noisey. In February, she addressed the subject of parenting as a trans person – her daughter Evelyn will turn six this year – and the importance of not letting personal struggles interfere with one’s duties as a parent. “I like to think that particular aspect of my life has not changed,” Grace says. “The idea of a father doing and teaching certain things, a mother doing and teaching certain things, that’s just the patriarchy. It shouldn’t affect parents now, no matter who they are. How I identify will never change how much I love my daughter, it will never change how I provide for her and take care of her. There’s no set way to teach your child and there are no set things that a woman must do or a man must do. A parent is a parent.”
Most recently, Grace received media attention for an unlikely pair-up with pop sensation Miley Cyrus. As part of the launch of her social justice-oriented Happy Hippie Foundation, Cyrus asked Grace and Joan Jett to join her on a cover of The Replacements’ 1984 single Androgynous. Grace also performed Against Me!’s True Trans Soul Rebel to raise awareness about the philanthropic foundation. “All the proceeds are going to youth poverty and homelessness in America,” she says. “It was pretty surreal, I’m not going to lie. It was so much fun though – we were connected through friends of friends, and it all worked out really well.”
Following their much-lauded performances on the 2013 Big Day Out, Against Me! have just returned for a massive Australian tour, which takes in all the capitals and a few other major cities. The touring party also includes Californian pop-punkers Joyce Manor, who’re here in support of their third studio album, Never Hungover Again. Joyce Manor’s slot on the lineup is reflective of the strong affection Grace and the rest of the Against Me! clan feel for the band.
“You don’t forget being introduced to a band like that,” she laughs. “We were both playing FYF Fest, which is this really cool festival in LA. After our set, [vocalist/guitarist] Barry [Johnson] came bounding into our dressing room. He was all smiles, just introducing himself to everyone, ‘Hey. I’m Barry.’ I was immediately charmed by him. It was like, ‘OK, you’re Barry.’ We got to tour together later, which was so much fun, and now we get to do it all again in Australia – and that’s going to be even more fun.”
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
