Some families are lucky to have not one, but two stars under one roof. That’s definitely the case with the Sewell household, which gave us both Conrad Sewell (the voice behind Kygo’s tropical masterpiece “Firestone”) and his 18-year-old sister Grace, who released a debut EP Memo this May. Grace, who caught the attention of both Puff Daddy and Quincy Jones, kicked off her career in an ambitious way by recording an attitude-heavy cover of Lesley Gore’s feministic anthem “You Don’t Own Me.” We talked with the headstrong Aussie about her talented family, the lucky year she’s having and recent memos on her phone. 

Hometown: Brisbane, Australia

Who is Grace and what do we need to know about her? 

I’m an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from Brisbane, Australia with British roots. I grew up in a very musical household and I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I started writing songs when I was around 12 and I've been in love with the art of telling stories ever since.  

You left Australia for London and then USA. What’s the best and the worst part about living in all these places? 

The best parts about living are America is being surrounded by opportunity, meeting new people and learning new customs every day. The worst part would have to be being so far from home. 

Okay, so there is also a Russian-born pop singer named Grace. Did you try reaching out to her for, I don’t know, a crazy collaboration of two Graces? 

I didn't know that! That's so crazy. I'll have to check her out and I guess we'll see.  

Is there any particular reason why you picked “You Don’t Own Me” as your debut? Some poisonous relationships, perhaps? 

Nope, no poisonous relationship. The idea actually came from Quincy Jones, who produced the original version. After hearing a few of my records he suggested to my manager that we remake “You Don't Own Me,” and when the idea was brought to me I was 100% in. The message behind this song is timeless. It's about more than just a power struggle between a woman and a man in a relationship. It's about equality, and it’s empowering for women to hear those words and sing along.  

True: “You Don’t Own Me” is one of the earliest pop anthems. What are you other favorite anthems? 

My mum had impeccable taste when it came to music so growing up I was listening to a lot of soul and Motown and as a little girl I constantly played artists like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Chaka Khan and Shirley Bassey. So I guess some of my favourite anthems would be “I'm Every Woman” (Chaka Khan), “Respect” (Aretha Franklin) and “Diamonds” (Shirley Bassey).  

It’s a huge year for both you and your brother Conrad. Why do you think 2015 has been so good for both of you? Why did you two decide to start music careers at the same time? 

I think it's just fate. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and timing is everything. Me and Conrad have been making music for virtually our whole life and Conrad is almost 9 years older than me so he has been doing it for a little longer than me. We didn't decide to start a career at the same time I guess it was just coincidence that we both started to release music and signed to major labels around the same time.  

Are we getting a sister-brother collaboration any time soon? 

I love working with Con, and I've grown up watching and learning from him so I hope we do get to collab in the future. We have in the past, and I'm sure it will be on one of our albums some day.  

You worked with music gurus like Puff Daddy and Quincy Jones. What was it like and what are the best advices these two gave you? 

It has been so incredible to work with The Godfather —Quincy Jones. Just to be able to sponge off him and listen and learn from a legend like himself has been such an unforgettable experience. The biggest piece of advice he has given me is to stay real: remain humble and just focus on the music. Puff has been gracious enough to come by the studio and listen to records, offer advice and has been supportive of my career so far which I'm very grateful for.  

What’s the plan for you for the rest of the year? 

I just got off tour around Europe supporting the amazing Leon Bridges. So right now I'm just back in the studio. Writing and recording and working on my album. 

Your EP is called Memo. What’s the latest memo on your phone then? 

The last voice memo on my phone is just a melody idea. Lyrics and little ideas constantly pop into my head, and I'm always running to my phone to record them. There’s probably thousands on there.  

5 fun facts about Grace. Go! 

1. I love dogs. 
2. I'm a sucker for reality TV but I'm obsessed with Love and Hip Hop right now. 
3. I'm an Aries. 
4. I do a great impersonation of Britney Spears. 
5. I would rock sneakers every day if I could.