Christian punk artist Grace Graber has released her own take on Hawk Nelson’s “California” in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Letters to the President, the album that originally held the punk-rock staple. You can stream the song here.
The moment is the latest in a string of full-circle milestones for the singer and songwriter, who has often attributed a Hawk Nelson song with saving her life when she was a suicidal teenager struggling with PTSD. Specifically, the album Letters to the President was pivotal for her.
“When I was 16 years old, I had the chance to sing with Hawk Nelson,” Grace Graber recalls. “This show was my first chance to really tell all of the guys about the impact they had made on me. I got in the meet-and-greet line, and I walked up to them, essentially crying. I told them how much God had moved in my life since that song saved my life. And I was like, ‘My biggest dream one day is to sing with you.’ And I remember Jason just looked straight up at me, and he said, ‘Well, let’s make that dream come true!'”
The very next night, Grace took the stage with Hawk Nelson to sing with them during “California.” She says, “After I got off stage, I immediately thought to myself, if God can do that, He can do anything. And if my wildest dream came true at 16, what else might He have for me? So ‘California’ has very big significance for me because that was the song that God used to knock all of my biggest dreams out of the park, making way for what He would do with me in the future.”
In the years since then, Grace Graber has become an outspoken social media advocate for mental health, breathing hope into the lives of teenagers in a position like the one she was once in. Her Conversations EP captured national attention with its musings on the intersection of faith and mental health. With her upcoming album, The Breakthrough, those themes will be drawn from an even deeper well of redemption. Songs like recently released “Grace of God” put the testimony Grace has lived on bold display.
The thread of God’s faithfulness through ties back to Hawk Nelson has been a consistent throughline. Founding Hawk Nelson singer Jason Dunn sang with Grace Graber on her track “This One’s For You.” She has worked with several other former members of Hawk Nelson in the studio.
For Grace, it all started with Letters to the President. Her take on the sunny summer anthem “California” pays homage to the band’s long-term impact.
“My hope is that every member of Hawk Nelson knows how loved and cherished they are, how much impact they had,” Grace concludes. “This song is my love letter to Hawk Nelson.”
Stream “California” by Grace Graber now here.