Are you really a Vermont-based music podcast until you’ve chatted with this Waitsfield native?

That’s right, it’s a milestone episode featuring songstress Grace Potter and the Special Projects Conductor of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) Matt LaRocca!

Following the successful maiden run of their orchestral and rock n’ roll mod podge, Grace is once again sliding into her sousaphone for a reimagined journey through her iconic catalogue along the VSO at this year’s Grand Point North Festival!

Grace has been releasing music for the better part of three decades both as the front-woman of rockers Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and as a solo artist. She has shared stages with the likes of Heart, Mavis Staples, Kenny Chesney, and Mick freakin’ Jagger. And don’t even get us started on when she performed for Barack Obama. Iconic. 

Her music has been featured in films such as Disney’s Tangled, and television shows like One Tree Hill, ER, Grey’s Anatomy, All My Children, and Grace & Frankie.

The 2019 album “Daylight” was nominated for “Best Rock Album” at the GRAMMY’s. 

In addition to his role as Special Projects Conductor, Matt LaRocca is the Music Director and Conductor of the Champlain Philharmonic Orchestra​, a University of Vermont professor, and a member of psych-rock group Freeway Clyde. He has performed alongside the likes of Guster, Myra Flynn, Francesca Blanchard, and Kat Wright.

Grace and Matt joined us remotely between rehearsals for the event to discuss what constitutes a loading ramp, set list structure, the impact of weather on a performance of this scale, mini-skirts, the Rolling Stones, spontaneous songwriting, turn-off’s, and everything in between. 

Grand Point North returns to Burlington, VT on September 12th - 14th, 2025 and features two nights of Grace Potter, Goose, Brittney Spencer, Melt, and many more. 

Tickets can be purchased by visiting HigherGroundMusic.com or GrandPointNorth.com.

Follow @GraciePotter, @VT_Symphony, and @GrandPointNorth on Instagram to stay up-to-date with the run of events, updates, added dates, and more. 

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Very special thank-you to Nate Payne of Pitdweller Media and Nate Payne Photography for our thumbnail image.