Henry Grace wrote the chorus for “Passing Through” while making his 2022 debut, Alive In America, but the song needed to travel some miles and hit dead ends before finding its form. Co-produced by Blaine Harrison of Mystery Jets and recorded at Middle Farm Studios in Devon, the track leans hard into The War On Drugs’ widescreen Americana and Springsteen’s heartland rock. Grace admits he was initially hesitant to commit that fully to the influence: “We’re all big fans of theirs. Initially, I was hesitant to lean in like we have, but I’m glad we did.”
What Is “Passing Through” About?
The British singer-songwriter moved to California at 21, playing small folk clubs in LA and San Francisco where Ray Lamontagne and Bon Iver shaped his early work. That transatlantic journey permeates his second album Things Are Moving All Around Me, but “Passing Through” represents the moment Grace stopped being a solitary troubadour and became a band frontman. He credits guitarist Brian Love and producer Harrison for the track’s magic, noting that when they finished recording, he wasn’t sure it would make the album. It became one of his favorites to play live—so much that they opened with it at Glastonbury’s Acoustic Stage last year.
Unlike the stark arrangements from Alive In America, this new material is band-driven: Grace alongside Harrison on keys and backing vocals, Love on guitar, Tom Holder from The Heavy Heavy on bass, and Toby Evangelou on drums. The album captures a three-year journey through homecoming and transformation, with “Passing Through” serving as the final single and focus track marking how far the sound has evolved. Sometimes the best artistic choices are the ones you make despite your hesitation.
“Passing Through” has been added to B-Side Guys’ Best, our curated playlist of the finest tracks we’ve covered.
B-Side Guys 
Leave a Reply