Grace Rolland 34 <strong>JAVA</strong> MAGAZINE By Tom Reardon Photo: Taylor Noel Photography
<strong>JAVA</strong>: Tell me a little bit about you. Did you grow up here in the Phoenix area? Rolland: I did. I grew up in Mesa, and I live like five minutes away from my childhood home. Oh wow. So, you’ve gone far… (Laughs.) Oh yeah. I can walk to my parents’ house, that’s the problem. My mom grew up here, and my parents still live in the same house that I grew up in. I still take my dogs for a walk on the canal that I would run on growing up. So, it’s nice still being connected after all this time, you know. I do. I’m a native as well, although central Phoenix. I can’t see leaving. It’s so easy to get everywhere. Well, a few years ago, I was traveling into downtown Phoenix to do a lot of activities. It’s much harder (living in the east Valley). I just don’t drive as much as I used to. And so, I’m trying to absorb and extend my time working in the studio and being at home. As much as I love being stable where I am at, it’s always just a game to figure out how to feel connected and actively participate in downtown Phoenix. I love that place, but it’s a little far. Photo: Julius Schlosburg From time to time, people come into your life that just shine. Sometimes you even expect it because of their talent and ability to create beautiful art, but when their star shines about as bright as any can, it’s still overwhelming. You brace yourself for the impact, yet the wind can still get knocked right out of you. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Grace Rolland is one such person. Under the moniker Rising Sun Daughter, she has released an extraordinary debut EP, I See Jane. The 30-year-old Mesa native has taken the last two years to craft the five songs that make up what is essentially her first solo record. While you may know her from Run Boy Run – an Americana band that achieved a fair amount of success with support from Garrison Keillor and his longtime syndicated radio show, A Prairie Home Companion – Rollvand’s work with Rising Sun Daughter deserves equal celebration. By day, Rolland works at the Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale, before returning home to hang out with her dogs, Patty and Porter, and spend time working on her craft. She seems to be compelled to pick up new instruments, especially ones involving strings, so it’s anyone’s guess what sounds will show up on the next Rising Sun Daughter record. We caught up with Rolland during a break from work on a beautiful October day. The music scene is better than ever in town right now. Maybe that’s because our population has exploded, or maybe people just care more. It’s not like I need to go somewhere else to get my music out, as if there aren’t enough people in Arizona. That’s kind of a daydream notion, that you have to live in LA, or that only people in those historically commercial markets will listen to your music. There are literally millions of people here, and everyone deserves good music, so I can still live and make music here, which is fun. So, tell me a bit about working at the Musical Instrument Museum. It’s such a great venue for concerts. I’m really thankful to have that job. For one thing, the financial stability is essential to me as an artist, and I feel so much closer to quality musicians. I get to watch those people perform, I help support their shows, and I’m learning audio engineering. It’s a place that I feel, even if I’m not working in a performance capacity, it’s a nice peaceful environment, and, in my opinion, it’s the best concert hall in the country. It really does sound amazing in there. <strong>JAVA</strong> 35 MAGAZINE