After plans changed due to coronavirus concerns, singer-songwriter gets creative
NEW YORK — Harper Grae is no stranger to adversity. From a difficult childhood and modest beginnings in her small Alabama hometown, she’s taken the circumstances she’s been given and turned it into something beautiful. Grae’s new single released today, “Best For You,” and its accompanying video, finds the vocalist and songwriter doing so once again: the heartwarming video features her proposal to her girlfriend, intended to take place after Grae ran the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon, originally scheduled for late April. After the marathon was postponed, Harper employed some creativity to bring her proposal to life.
Watch the “Best For You Video” below:
“Once it was apparent Covid-19 was going to continue to shake things up for the world, I knew I wanted to get creative and plan something special for us at home,” Grae says of the proposal.
“I wrote ‘Best For You’ with Lena Stone and Craig Wilson, shortly after falling in love with Dawn, so having it be the heartbeat of our proposal seemed perfect,” she continued. “I searched for all the items around my house to use for the actual proposal and then recreated our favorite restaurant for a celebration dinner afterward. Honestly, it couldn’t have been more perfect for the times we are living in.”
Harper Grae was born Shanna Henderson in Montgomery, Alabama. She was raised by her maternal grandparents just down the road from Auburn University, where she would eventually graduate with her BFA, land a role on a major network TV show, and set out on a course that would take her from modest beginnings in a small town to a world stage. Successes aside, it has been those early circumstances and childhood experiences that have shaped who she is as a songwriter and artist.
In 2012, during her senior year of college, Grae was offered a spot on “The Glee Project,” after personally auditioning for show creator Ryan Murphy. She moved to Los Angeles and joined the show, where she performed her take on pop hits like “Born This Way” and “Now That We’ve Found Love,” making a strong impression with viewers and creating a loyal following that remains with her today.
In the years since, she’s relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where she’s channeled her memories into songs that have made her a celebrated new talent in country music. In 2017, she rebranded herself as Harper Grae, the first name in honor of her grandparents’ last name, and the last name an acronym for “God Redeems All Equally.” Her music has been recognized by CMT, Billboard, Rolling Stone Country, American Songwriter, and more. Grae performed at the GLAAD 2019 Concert for Love & Acceptance in Nashville last June, and in March 2020 kicked off a U.S. tour with Josh Kelley.