Gracie Kirk playing at Hole in the Wall. Photo by Zoe Goleski.

Gracie Kirk 

Sophomore communication and leadership student Gracie Kirk has been surrounded by music ever since she could remember. Jam sessions with the family were not only something you see in the movies, but a casual late night in her Dripping Springs home. She eventually picked up guitar in seventh grade after hearing a song she wanted to learn, and she knew this was something she had to dedicate time to. 

“Growing up, music has always been like a part of my life,” Kirk said. 

Artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Merle Haggard, and, notably, Stevie Nicks were always playing on long family road trips in the minivan or spinning on a record at home, which heavily inspired her folk and country interests. Her early exposure to musicians like these completely shaped her path and influenced the lyrics we hear from her today. 

“I think that music is like the poetry form of this world,” Kirk said. 

Storytelling, much like her communication major, is what truly drew her to writing her own original music. She views music as a form of poetry, and most of her songwriting begins with her own words strung up on a page, inspiring melodies and chords to follow. Inspiration often comes to her unexpectedly. The singer even recalled a melody that came to her in a dream. 

“I dreamt of a tune, and it was so weird,” Kirk said. “I woke up and went to the piano.” 

However, music isn’t just personal for her; it’s her solitude. From performing with her grandmother’s bluegrass gospel band in Driftwood, Texas, to singing in the stairwell of the CMA, Kirk is able to bring people together in special moments. 

Hole in the Wall Performance 

Kirk stepped to the stage for a late Saturday night at the famous Hole in the Wall, located right across from the Moody bridge. The venue has hosted legendary artists including Willie Nelson, George Strait and Townes Van Zandt, just to name a few. In the intimate bar with two stages, Kirk commanded the larger one. 

The crowd was full of close friends, family and cowboys leaning on the bar to watch the performance. Friends pulled each other in for hugs as Kirk sang her own renditions of folk covers and even a couple of original songs that had yet to make the stage. 

Some of her most special moments have come from performing with and in front of others. The first time she sang into a microphone was during a performance with her gospel band growing up, when they arranged a unique version of a Raitt song just for her. She described moments like these as “pure music,” straight from the band to the people, and said the experience completely changed everything for her. 

“I think the beautiful thing about music is that no matter what, it brings people together,” Kirk said. 

Kylie Hernandez 

Kylie Hernandez is a senior advertising major about to hit post-grad with a budding country music career already in motion. Born and raised in the Live Music Capital of the world, the UT singer has spent her life watching people perform and knowing that would be her someday. 

“I feel like, when you’re born and raised in Texas, it’s just like, man, Texas runs through my blood,” Hernandez said. 

For her, place and identity are not separate from her music; they are the heart. 

The songwriter’s relationship with music started long before pen hit paper. She recalled listening to country legends like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson in her dad’s pickup truck on the way to school. Those early moments directly shaped her direction. 

She always had her eye on a music career. She was convinced Nashville would be the perfect place to start, attending Belmont University for a year. Although something seemed off, she realized coming back to her Texas roots was where she needed to be. 

“It feels more authentic to me to be in Texas, build my audience and career here,” Hernandez said. 

Here at UT, she signed with U Talent Records, a student-run record label, and has released multiple projects, like: 

“Good Ole Fashioned Country Love Song” 

“That’s Your Man” 

“To Texas” 

And most recently, “Hell in a Handbasket” with Greyson Turner, another local country singer in Austin. 

Since signing, she’s played a bunch of different shows around the state, such as Antone’s, Cactus Cafe, and most notably, the iconic Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth. Some would consider this the premier venue for Texas country music. 

“I’m hanging by a thread,” Hernandez said. 

If it sounds like a lot to juggle, that’s because it is. Despite that, the singer has figured out how her advertising degree impacts her career. What she learns in the classroom, she can directly apply outside, something a lot of independent artists have to seek out. 

For a girl who surrounded herself with music and pushed herself to pursue it alongside getting her degree, it was probably never going to go any other way. Music was the end goal. 

“I just feel it in my bones,” Hernandez said. “I’m supposed to be doing this artist thing. It’s what I feel called to do.”