Stone Cold Grace Unveils New EP “To Die, to Come Back, to Die”
- Emma Zoe Polyak
- Apr 8
- 2 min read
After months of teasing new material, Stone Cold Grace’s new EP, “To Die, to Come Back, to Die” is finally out in the world. Full of emotional lyrics and breathtaking vocals, the project is a reminder of why Stone Cold Grace is making a name for herself in the Philly indie scene.
Stone Cold Grace is the pseudonym of Philadelphia musician Sara Johnson, who also fronts the Philly rock band Caring Less. Across recent local performances, her solo work has taken on a more intimate form, and one that finds its fullest expression on To Die, To Come Back, To Die.
The EP has a quiet intensity, grounded in careful production that consistently centers Johnson’s voice. Recorded at Miner Street Recordings with Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey, the project reflects a deeply collaborative process, featuring contributions from McTear on electric guitar, Pat Berkery on drums, Matt Keppler on bass, and Johnson’s brother, Sam, on piano and synth. There’s a clarity to the way each element is arranged – nothing feels excessive, and as a result, the emotional weight of each song lands even harder. The project draws you in gradually, and you have no choice but to let it guide you into Stone Cold Grace’s world.
That journey is reflected in the tracklist itself, which dips and floats between soft, acoustic songs and more rousing tracks. “You’re Always Leaving” and “True Love” stand out among the latter, driven by layered guitars that carry a twangy, almost shimmering quality. Even at their fullest, though, the songs maintain a sense of intimacy, never losing sight of the emotional core of the project.
“On the surface, it's a record mourning my first relationship of ten years and the confusing feelings that surround truly being alone for the first time in my adult life,” Johnson says of the EP. “On a deeper level, it's about grieving parts of myself that have died – searching aimlessly for the key to resurrecting and renewing those parts, no matter how futile it may seem. Hands outstretched in the dark. The act of reaching back in time to every other version of myself and trying to possess the things that made me, me.”
This duality between loss and an attempted renewal runs through the project, shaping both its lyrical focus and its sonic palette. Johnson’s writing is particularly effective here, capturing the quieter, less definable aspects of change.
“Esther,” the closing track, brings the EP to a gentle conclusion. Centered on soft acoustic guitar, the song places Johnson’s vocals at the forefront once more.
To celebrate the release, Stone Cold Grace will be playing a show this Friday, April 10, at Harmonie Hall in Philadelphia. You can find more information here, and listen to “To Die, to Come Back, to Die,” out now.
