If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen a girl in a white bow singing her heart out about a train ride to Massachusetts. It’s a whole vibe. Because of songs like "Augusta" and the recent hit "Tough Love," the internet is currently convinced that Gracie Abrams is a New England girl through and through.
She isn't.
Actually, she’s about as far from a "Bostonian" as you can get without falling into the Pacific Ocean. But the confusion is totally understandable. When an artist writes lyrics like "I took a train to Boston" or "The benches by the Charles gave me somewhere to go," you naturally assume they grew up eating legal seafood and wearing Vineyard Vines.
The Real Story: Where Is Gracie Abrams Actually From?
Gracie Abrams was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Specifically, she grew up in Pacific Palisades, which is a very wealthy, very sun-drenched neighborhood nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the ocean.
It’s a long way from the T or the freezing winds of a Boston winter.
She is the daughter of J.J. Abrams (the guy who basically rebooted Star Wars and Star Trek) and Katie McGrath, a powerhouse producer and political advocate. Growing up as a "nepo baby" in Hollywood meant her childhood was spent in the epicenter of the entertainment industry, not in a triple-decker in Southie.
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So, why the Boston obsession?
Why Everyone Thinks She’s a Boston Girl
The "Is Gracie Abrams from Boston?" rumors didn't start out of nowhere. They’re a direct result of her songwriting.
In her 2021 track "Augusta," she sings:
"Feel like maybe I might go to Boston / Cut my hair in the way that I've wanted."
At that time, Boston wasn't her home—it was a metaphor. It was an escape. For a girl raised in the fishbowl of LA, Boston represented a place where she could be anonymous, start over, and maybe find a version of herself that didn't feel so "lost."
The "Tough Love" Connection
Then came the 2024 album The Secret of Us. In the song "Tough Love," she moves past the daydream and actually goes there. She mentions the Charles River. She talks about the city with such specific detail that fans were 100% sure she’d moved there.
Honestly, she kinda did, just not permanently.
While Gracie didn't grow up in Massachusetts, she has spent significant time there. Her mother’s side of the family is actually from Maine. During her 2022 tour stop at The Sinclair (a legendary venue in Cambridge), she gave a shoutout to her mom’s family who had driven down to see her.
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The Barnard Years: A New York Detour
Before she was opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, Gracie actually tried the whole "normal college kid" thing. She enrolled at Barnard College in New York City to study international relations.
She eventually dropped out to pursue music full-time (which, let’s be real, worked out pretty well for her). But that time on the East Coast is likely where that deep connection to the Atlantic lifestyle began.
New York to Boston is a quick Acela trip. It’s easy to see how a California girl could fall in love with the moodier, academic, and decidedly un-Hollywood atmosphere of the Northeast.
Fact-Checking the "Boston" Myths
Let’s clear up some of the most common things people get twisted about her background:
- Did she go to Harvard? No. Fans sometimes think this because of the "Charles River" lyrics, but she never attended school in Boston.
- Is she a Red Sox fan? She’s been spotted wearing a Red Sox hat on stage, but that’s usually a "local hero" move for the crowd.
- Does she live there now? Nope. She’s primarily based in Los Angeles, though she travels constantly.
Why the City Matters to Her Fans
When Gracie performed at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway, the energy was electric. She told the crowd, "This is your song," before playing "Tough Love."
To her fans in New England, it doesn't really matter that she wasn't born at Mass General. She captured the feeling of being young and lost in that city perfectly. The way she describes the benches by the Charles or the feeling of wanting to "disappear" into a new place resonates with anyone who has ever used a city as a fresh start.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're trying to track Gracie's actual roots or just want to vibe with her East Coast energy, here’s what you should actually look into:
- Listen to "Augusta" vs. "Tough Love": You can hear the evolution from "wanting to go" to "actually being there." It’s a cool look at how her relationship with the city changed.
- Check her LA Roots: If you want to see where she actually comes from, look at her early SoundCloud uploads. They have that bedroom-pop, Pacific Palisades loneliness that defined her early sound.
- Visit The Sinclair: If you’re ever in Cambridge, go to the Sinclair. It’s where she played one of her most pivotal early shows and where the "Boston connection" really solidified with her fan base.
Basically, Gracie Abrams is a Los Angeles native who happens to be a Boston enthusiast. She’s a tourist who stayed long enough to write some of the best songs ever written about the city.
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Pro Tip: If you're looking for more artists who actually grew up in the area, check out Noah Kahan (Vermont) or Clairo (Massachusetts). They offer that authentic "I grew up in the cold" perspective that pairs perfectly with Gracie’s "I'm escaping to the cold" energy.