After an eight-year hiatus, New England-based singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Grace Doty returns with “Sunset Colors” — a dreamy pop single that captures the euphoric intimacy of a relationship in its honeymoon phase. Written, produced, and recorded from her home studio in Connecticut, Grace Doty’s music blends shimmering guitar-and-synth textures with intimate, introspective storytelling. Drawing influence from artists like Lights, Bad Suns, Michelle Branch, and early Britney Spears, her sound is shaped by the sensory world of coastal New England, early 2000s comfort movies, and the hazy glow of golden hour by the beach.

With “Sunset Colors” out now, we took some time to hear from Grace Doty. Read below to learn more about Grace Doty, the story behind “Sunset Colors,” and what’s to come.

Hi Grace Doty! Let’s start with how you got your artist name?

I really tried to come up with a cooler name, but I ultimately accepted that nothing else felt right. Doty is a Mayflower name!

What city are you from, and where are you based now?

I was born and raised in New York, but I’ve always had a thing for coastal New England, where I currently live.

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?

I always knew I wanted to make music, but I learned over time that I wanted to take a little bit of a different approach. I studied voice and piano as a kid, and in high school, I learned how to produce music in Logic Pro. After I graduated, I spent many years playing bar gigs, solo gigs, band gigs, and doing the competition show circuit because I thought that’s what you had to do as a musician…but I learned that I actually don’t enjoy playing live. Writing, recording and producing music is my true passion, so that’s what I focus on now. I feel a lot of freedom knowing there’s not a ton riding on this. I’m just creating art that I love in my home studio on the shoreline, playing with my dog, and frolicking in the woods. Dreams do come true!

How has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound?

I was raised in a very musical family. My mom always played music around the house — Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor, Alison Krauss — so I was exposed to really amazing songs and high level musicianship at a young age. My uncle is also a professional musician, so he took me under his wing and showed me the ropes.

How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?

My new song, “Sunset Colors,” is a dreamy, electric guitar-driven track inspired by golden hour and the nostalgic Y2K girl-pop era — but my music varies. There’s a steady dreamy-pop theme, because that’s what really drives the emotions home for me, but I also have elements of R&B, bluegrass, and rock in my sound. It’s really a combination of the music that inspires me and makes me feel something. I work in service of the songs, so whatever the song needs, I’ll create!

Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

Cooking! I love to visit local farms and cook with their produce. I also recently took up chess, and I am completely obsessed with it. As far as staying creative, I kind of allow my creativity to do its thing; I don’t force it, but I always try to honor the ideas when they come. I meet regularly with my mentor, the great and powerful Olivia Barton, who helps keep me thinking about songs and creating. Also…walking! Nothing gets my gears turning like a brisk walk.

Who are some of your main musical influences?

This is such a hard question because I know who I’m inspired by, but I don’t know how obvious it is by the music I make. Lights is my hero. I’ve been listening to Alison Krauss and Union Station since I was two, and I’ll never stop. Bad Suns is my favorite band. They do something almost
nobody else does well — write absolutely genius poetry set to extremely catchy, feel-good music. I also listen to the late 90’s girl group, DREAM, all the time. I do think you can hear that in my music.

What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?

Honestly, finishing “Sunset Colors” and finally releasing it into the world after an eight-year break. It took me a very long time to get it to a place that felt ready. I had an idea for a huge concept project that I’m still in the process of recording, and “Sunset Colors” was the track that I knew needed to go first. Once that came out, it was like “Oh! Wow, okay, I’m really making this thing.”

What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?

Trust your vision and don’t compromise on it. My goal with this new phase of music is to execute on exactly what I hear in my head, and to not allow anybody or anything to derail that.

Obviously, I appreciate collaborating with people who I respect — some of my favorite parts of “Sunset Colors” were ideas that came from collaborators — but there are also moments where someone has an opinion and you think “they’re a better musician than me” or “they’re more successful than me,” so they must be right, even though your gut knows it’s not aligned with the vision. Anyway! Trust the vision. That’s what I’ve learned.

Now onto your release, “Sunset Colors.” What inspired this song? What is “Sunset Colors” about?

“Sunset Colors” is the first chapter in a larger story about my personal experience with first love and eventual loss. I was running on the beach around sunset one day and the song just struck me like lightning. I had been searching for a way to describe the honeymoon phase in a deep and meaningful relationship, and the sunset as a metaphor for that just felt right.

What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “Sunset Colors?”

I didn’t want to go too literal with the artwork and feature an actual sunset. I wanted to bridge the gap between a sunset visual and the intimate subject matter, so I chose to use an image of me on a bed enveloped in colorful sunset tones. I love the way it turned out.

Shoutout to my photographer, Io Escu, who spent an afternoon with me in my guest bedroom, listening to 90’s/2000’s bops and crafting these visuals.

What was the creative process like when making “Sunset Colors?”

Very long and arduous and occasionally frustrating, but also extremely fun and rewarding and creatively stimulating. I learned so much about my artistry from creating this song. I also got to collaborate with my friend, Isaac Teel from the band TAUK, who contributed some super swaggy drums to the track. It would have been impossible for me to capture the amount of cool he brought to the song, as evidenced by my use of the phrase “super swaggy.”

How long did it take to complete “Sunset Colors?”

It took me almost two years from writing it to releasing it. I was getting my feet wet with production again and figuring out exactly how I wanted it to sound. I just kept opening up the project and “finger-painting” until it felt finished, and then it did, and now it’s out!

What is your favorite lyric in “Sunset Colors” and why?

The bridge, for sure. The line “ROYGBIV got nothing on you” gave me chills when it first came to me. I love when an otherwise serious song presents an opportunity for some playfulness or humor.

What do you hope fans take away from “Sunset Colors” and your music in general?

I hope people can see their own story in it. I think a lot of people have experienced the kind of all-consuming, deeply connected soulmate love that this song is about. I hope people listen to it and go “ah, I remember that feeling.” I hope they feel that way about all of my songs.

What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?

My upcoming album will hopefully be out later this year. It’s a concept project chronicling my own personal story of first love, lessons, and loss. There will be a few more singles before the full project comes out. Until then, I’ll be sitting by the coast with quill and ink chipping away at
the story until it feels ready to meet you.

Where can we follow you on social media?

Instagram.com/gracedotymusic is where you’ll see me posting most often; gracedotymusic.com has everything else!

Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!