Kim Ware, aka The Good Graces, “never intended to make a break-up record” but when Summer 2008 found Kim recouping from her divorce a few years earlier, the songwriting came remarkably easy for her. And while the divorce was definitely a focus, she found a way to temper the depressing topics with lighthearted tales of hope.

Planting her musical roots in Wilmington, NC, Kim was the first of several drummers for underground legends Tex Svengali, and went on to form the band Pacer, who released two albums on Kim’s own eskimo kiss label and embarked on a few tours up and down the east coast over the course of their four-year existence.

Kim tracked a few songs with acclaimed producer Jerry Kee (Superchunk, Polvo, Kingsbury Manx) at his Duck-Kee studio in Mebane, and the rest with Jay Manley (Velvet) at his home studio.

For the Duck-Kee sessions Kim brought along her friend John McNicholas to play electric guitar. John joins her for most of The Good Graces live shows and has a way of turning her music into an interesting folk/shoegaze hybrid. His melodic touches on “Over It,” “What’s Wrong,” and “Unhappy Ending” really help the songs branch out from their acoustic folk-pop foundation and give them a spacey, atmospheric feel.

Check out a track from their upcoming album, “Sunset Over Saxapahaw,” coming out in late October 2008:

[mp3] The Good Graces - Over It