If We Could, Would We is the latest effort from Brooklyn-based duo Gracie and Rachel (Gracie Coates and Rachel Ruggles), who have become known for their innovative brand of elevated indie-pop, complete with baroque string work and piercingly spare song structures. After releasing their self-titled debut to critical acclaim in 2017, Gracie and Rachel have been seen on stages opening for Ani DiFranco, Tori Amos, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and others. They have performed two NPR Tiny Desk Concerts and been praised by the outlet to "mix pop and classical in stark, infectious ways and make unforgettable, surprising music." Their 2025 single "WTF" earned praise from The Line of Best Fit who raved, "Gracie and Rachel Deliver Folk-Pop for the Future on "WTF,"'" and Rolling Stone which named it a "Song You Need To Know."
The most personal and daring album of their career thus far, If We Could, Would We asks important questions about potential regret and openness, ultimately concluding that the only way out is through. It also finds Gracie and Rachel sharing space again after coming to a crossroads in their personal and professional lives. After the release of their 2023 EP Nowhere Now Here, Gracie spent part of the next year working on solo material, a journey that eventually led her back to Rachel, who was working through the end of a long-term relationship.
Even as their paths diverged, Gracie and Rachel always found their way back to each other. Once reunited, they pushed themselves to keep growing. Sonically, If We Could, Would We expands their instrumentation, with Rachel incorporating the guitar on record for the first time and adding in a diverse array of other instruments and textures across tracks. Meanwhile, as a piece of art, If We Could, Would We symbolizes the duo's ebbs and poses the existential question many ponder; If they could go back and do it all over again, knowing what they do now, would they? Rachel says, "We may never know, but here we are. I still have hope and belief. I just want to keep telling the story."
~~~
Gracie and Rachel are a study in duality: light and dark, classical training with a pop sensibility, Californians in New York. Their music pits anxiety and tension against an almost serene self-assurance. The result is a compelling juxtaposition of Gracie's piano and lead vocals and Rachel's violin and voice, augmented with stark percussion.
Like their stylized color palette of black and white, their instrumentation appears simple and spare at first glance, but there's a powerful prism effect at work that brings us back to the concept of duality: their songs are intimate and expansive, questioning and confident. The nine orchestral-pop songs on 'Gracie and Rachel' (out June 23) tell a story that's rooted in the truth-their truth - but retain an enigmatic air that makes them relatable to anyone who has ever found their heart racing with doubt and pushed forward regardless.
"There's a terrific tension in the sound, an underpinning of mystery set against a baroque, but modern, pop foreground." - Bob Boilen/NPR Music.
show less
The most personal and daring album of their career thus far, If We Could, Would We asks important questions about potential regret and openness, ultimately concluding that the only way out is through. It also finds Gracie and Rachel sharing space again after coming to a crossroads in their personal and professional lives. After the release of their 2023 EP Nowhere Now Here, Gracie spent part of the next year working on solo material, a journey that eventually led her back to Rachel, who was working through the end of a long-term relationship.
Even as their paths diverged, Gracie and Rachel always found their way back to each other. Once reunited, they pushed themselves to keep growing. Sonically, If We Could, Would We expands their instrumentation, with Rachel incorporating the guitar on record for the first time and adding in a diverse array of other instruments and textures across tracks. Meanwhile, as a piece of art, If We Could, Would We symbolizes the duo's ebbs and poses the existential question many ponder; If they could go back and do it all over again, knowing what they do now, would they? Rachel says, "We may never know, but here we are. I still have hope and belief. I just want to keep telling the story."
~~~
Gracie and Rachel are a study in duality: light and dark, classical training with a pop sensibility, Californians in New York. Their music pits anxiety and tension against an almost serene self-assurance. The result is a compelling juxtaposition of Gracie's piano and lead vocals and Rachel's violin and voice, augmented with stark percussion.
Like their stylized color palette of black and white, their instrumentation appears simple and spare at first glance, but there's a powerful prism effect at work that brings us back to the concept of duality: their songs are intimate and expansive, questioning and confident. The nine orchestral-pop songs on 'Gracie and Rachel' (out June 23) tell a story that's rooted in the truth-their truth - but retain an enigmatic air that makes them relatable to anyone who has ever found their heart racing with doubt and pushed forward regardless.
"There's a terrific tension in the sound, an underpinning of mystery set against a baroque, but modern, pop foreground." - Bob Boilen/NPR Music.
If We Could, Would We is the latest effort from Brooklyn-based duo Gracie and Rachel (Gracie Coates and Rachel Ruggles), who have become known for their innovative brand of elevated indie-pop, complete with baroque string work and piercingly spare song structures. After releasing their self-titled debut to critical acclaim in 2017, Gracie and Rachel have been seen on stages opening for Ani DiFranco, Tori Amos, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and others. They have performed two NPR Tiny Desk Concerts and been praised by the outlet to "mix pop and classical in stark, infectious ways and make unforgettable, surprising music." Their 2025 single "WTF" earned praise from The Line of Best Fit who raved, "Gracie and Rachel Deliver Folk-Pop for the Future on "WTF,"'" and Rolling Stone which named it a "Song You Need To Know."
The most personal and daring album of their career thus far, If We Could, Would We asks important questions about potential regret and openness, ultimately concluding that the only way out is through. It also finds Gracie and Rachel sharing space again after coming to a crossroads in their personal and professional lives. After the release of their 2023 EP Nowhere Now Here, Gracie spent part of the next year working on solo material, a journey that eventually led her back to Rachel, who was working through the end of a long-term relationship.
Even as their paths diverged, Gracie and Rachel always found their way back to each other. Once reunited, they pushed themselves to keep growing. Sonically, If We Could, Would We expands their instrumentation, with Rachel incorporating the guitar on record for the first time and adding in a diverse array of other instruments and textures across tracks. Meanwhile, as a piece of art, If We Could, Would We symbolizes the duo's ebbs and poses the existential question many ponder; If they could go back and do it all over again, knowing what they do now, would they? Rachel says, "We may never know, but here we are. I still have hope and belief. I just want to keep telling the story."
~~~
Gracie and Rachel are a study in duality: light and dark, classical training with a pop sensibility, Californians in New York. Their music pits anxiety and tension against an almost serene self-assurance. The result is a compelling juxtaposition of Gracie's piano and lead vocals and Rachel's violin and voice, augmented with stark percussion.
Like their stylized color palette of black and white, their instrumentation appears simple and spare at first glance, but there's a powerful prism effect at work that brings us back to the concept of duality: their songs are intimate and expansive, questioning and confident. The nine orchestral-pop songs on 'Gracie and Rachel' (out June 23) tell a story that's rooted in the truth-their truth - but retain an enigmatic air that makes them relatable to anyone who has ever found their heart racing with doubt and pushed forward regardless.
"There's a terrific tension in the sound, an underpinning of mystery set against a baroque, but modern, pop foreground." - Bob Boilen/NPR Music.
read more
The most personal and daring album of their career thus far, If We Could, Would We asks important questions about potential regret and openness, ultimately concluding that the only way out is through. It also finds Gracie and Rachel sharing space again after coming to a crossroads in their personal and professional lives. After the release of their 2023 EP Nowhere Now Here, Gracie spent part of the next year working on solo material, a journey that eventually led her back to Rachel, who was working through the end of a long-term relationship.
Even as their paths diverged, Gracie and Rachel always found their way back to each other. Once reunited, they pushed themselves to keep growing. Sonically, If We Could, Would We expands their instrumentation, with Rachel incorporating the guitar on record for the first time and adding in a diverse array of other instruments and textures across tracks. Meanwhile, as a piece of art, If We Could, Would We symbolizes the duo's ebbs and poses the existential question many ponder; If they could go back and do it all over again, knowing what they do now, would they? Rachel says, "We may never know, but here we are. I still have hope and belief. I just want to keep telling the story."
~~~
Gracie and Rachel are a study in duality: light and dark, classical training with a pop sensibility, Californians in New York. Their music pits anxiety and tension against an almost serene self-assurance. The result is a compelling juxtaposition of Gracie's piano and lead vocals and Rachel's violin and voice, augmented with stark percussion.
Like their stylized color palette of black and white, their instrumentation appears simple and spare at first glance, but there's a powerful prism effect at work that brings us back to the concept of duality: their songs are intimate and expansive, questioning and confident. The nine orchestral-pop songs on 'Gracie and Rachel' (out June 23) tell a story that's rooted in the truth-their truth - but retain an enigmatic air that makes them relatable to anyone who has ever found their heart racing with doubt and pushed forward regardless.
"There's a terrific tension in the sound, an underpinning of mystery set against a baroque, but modern, pop foreground." - Bob Boilen/NPR Music.
show less
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