Commenting on her upcoming tour, Grace says: “I’m so so so excited. I’ve only ever done one other tour of my own and I had the time of my life. It blows my mind every time I see my fans singing all of my lyrics back at me. They’re the best!”

Having previously toured with Haim, Dua Lipa, Jorja Smith, Mabel, Dermot Kennedy + Rag N Bone Man, she is no stranger to the stage and first began performing her own material in public at the age of fourteen. “I’ve had the best time supporting so many amazing artists they’ve all been so good to me,” Grace adds.

“I’m probably closest with Dua. Since touring with her she’s supported me with everything I’ve done. It’s so amazing to have someone a few years ahead of you to look up to. She’s fab.”

Grace has also recently released a video for her latest single ‘Heal Me’. The visual sees Grace reminisce on her younger years, featuring snippets of her as a child.

This video comes off the back of coming third in BBC’s Sound of 2019 as well as being tipped by the likes of MTV, YouTube Music, Amazon and Ticketmaster in their coveted one-to-watch lists. The song’s premise is about feeling the pain of rejection and abandonment, but not letting it hold you back.

This is something says she felt as a child, being raised solely by her mother, as her relationship with absent father grew more distant. This track follows on from previous release ‘Why Her Not Me’, which tackled the notion of jealousy and abandonment Grace felt for her father, whose lack of presence in her early life inspires a lot of her music.

She says: “All of my songs are about my life and the things I’ve experienced. I grew up with a single mum and had a lot of unanswered questions growing up so music has always been a tool for me to process my situation and feelings. The video is basically my journey so far compacted into a three-minute video.”

The singer explained that music is instrumental in keeping her sane and feels blessed to have such a strong support network. “It’s important for everyone to have an outlet. If I didn’t speak about my feelings in my music I think I would’ve lost the plot by now,” Grace adds.

“I’ve always been encouraged to talk. I’ve been blessed with an amazing friendship group and family who I have always been very open with.”

See below for Grace Carter upcoming tour dates:

Tue 26 March – Gorilla, Manchester, UK

Wed 27 March – O2 Institute Birmingham, UK

Thurs March 28 –  Electric Brixton, London, UK

Fri March 29  – Concorde 2, Brighton, UK

Mon April 1 – Luxor, Cologne, Germany

Tue April 2 – Stage Club, Hamburg, Germany

Wed April 3 – Lido, Berlin, Germany

Fri April 5 – Exil, Zurich, Switzerland

Sat April 6 – Dude Club, Milan, Italy

Mon April 8 – La Boule Noire, Paris, France

Tue April 9 – Bitterzoet, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Carter is now in preparation for her debut album after she was signed to Polydor, and is under the same managed company as Dua Lipa, who she supported on tour. Speaking to BBC News, Carter revealed how she found her voice, and connection with music: “I was a difficult child for sure. I was a very angry child and I hadn’t quite found a way to let it out, apart from shouting for a long time.

“My mum met my stepdad when I was 13 and he was the person who really changed me as a child and the way I looked at my life and dealt with things. He got me a guitar and said, ‘Instead of shouting at everyone and getting really angry, why don’t you just try and talk about the things you’re feeling?’”

It seems that Carter’s broken family during her childhood, caused her a lot of angst, however she believes that was a pivotal point for her, and music became her way of expressing her anger and emotions. Carters raw and emotional single ‘Why Her Not Me’, was an expression of the anger and sadness she felt towards her biological father.

She said on this song that “sadly, today I figured out the reason my dad wasn’t in life was because he was raising another family but I want to know why he picked them over me. Why her not me?. I literally just said that and the song wrote itself.”

When asked if she was glad that she put such personal information out there for everyone to hear Carter explained that for her she was “just an open book”, and “I didn’t really think about it”.

Writing for Carter seems to have been a healing experience as she explained “It was really hard (releasing ‘Why Her Not Me’) I think the month after I put Why Her Not Me out, I felt pretty exposed. I felt like I’d shared a lot. But at the same time I felt like I’d got a lot back, and through sharing that story and being open, it allowed a lot of young people to be open as well. As hard as it was, it was also extremely empowering and exciting that I was encouraging young people to talk and be open about their feelings (about) situations they’ve been through, and help them realise that actually they’re not the only ones who have felt it.”

Carter also revealed some of her biggest musical influences including, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse and Carole King. Grace Carters music is often referred to as melancholy and sad, yet her lyrics are often thoughtful and empowering too. in her own words she explains “I never want to be a victim, and that’s the main thing. Of course there are sad subjects through all my songs; but at the end of it i’m stronger than all that.” For the complete BBC Music Sounds of 2019 click here.

Now in its 17th year, the list showcases the hottest rising stars, that we should keep our eye on in 2019. Mahalia and Slowthai, flamenco singer Rosalía, R&B star Ella Mai, and pop artist King Princess are all among the rising stars, who have made it onto the BBC’s Sound of 2019 longlist.