Gotee Records recording artist Jamie Grace spoke to BreatheCast about her Sophomore record Ready to Fly, life as a young star, and the importance of staying pure in an age where everything but purity is promoted.

The 22-year-old Grace shocked the Christian world when her song "Hold Me" from her debut album One Song at a Time scored the Atlanta born singer her first Grammy nomination and won her a Dove Award.

Singer songwriter Graceis gearing up to release her newest record Ready to Fly this month and when asked what her favorite song of the album was she said it changes all the time but right now it has to be "The Waiting." A song penned by Grace, her sister Morgan Harper Nichols, and legendary singer Natalie Grant.

"It was such an honor to do that song, It's a really slow ballad. So I love the way it feels, it's kinda deep and soft, but the message behind it I love as well. We never really know exactly what God has planned or when things are going to happen, but we do always know that he has something planned and that he is going to do a work in our lives," she said. "The song is about being in the waiting, being in those moments. It's really cool to sing about the promise that He's not going to let us go even while we are waiting."

"The Waiting" is not the only collaboration with Grace and her big sister Nichols. Nichols was on some background vocals on Graces' first studio album. On Ready to Fly, Nichols is featured on the song "White Boots" along with their mother.

"I wish it happened sooner, My sister and I have our country duo together, 'Harper Still,' so we knew that when we did a duet together that it'd be country sounding at least. My mom came to me with the idea because she knew I wanted to do a song about purity. So when she came up with the concept of using boots as a metaphor of purity and waiting. I loved it! It's kinda how conversations happen," she said. "In real life I'm sitting there talking about me waiting and then my sister comes in and encourages me and then my mom echo's what she saying 'that's right, that's right' so the set up of the song is kinda like a conversation at home."

Grace said her best experience on working on the new album Ready to Fly was her very diverse collaborations. Some of the featured talent on the record was: Manwell Reyes from Group 1 Crew, Jason Crabb, her sister Morgan, and her writing collaboration with Natalie Grant.

"It was really fun to feature TobyMac on the first record and in the same light on this new record there's three features, and that was really cool to have so many features on this album. My sister does is kind of like a folk/singer songwriter and then Manny is a straight up rapper, so that's really cool, and Jason Crabb does southern Gospel. I've always been a fan of southern Gospel and then also to write with Natalie Grant and have that pop music style represented as well, that was really awesome."

With so much variety on the record the singer said, "That really does represent what my iPod sounds like."

Grace said her biggest Rock Star moments are times when she and an artist she admired growing up are hanging out having real life moments.

"It's so funny because I tend to be such a nerd about the little moments. For example, I'm on tour with Skillet right now and I was walking through the mall, and John and Korey stop me at the mall and said, 'Oh hey' and that felt like it for me. My sister and I went to visit Natalie [Grant] once at her home. We sat on the couch while she was listening to Strawberry Short Cake with her little girls and moments like that are just like, 'This is it, we have arrived!'"

In closing, Grace said she is really excited about the upcoming record release. She felt like her growth made the album being worked on well worth it.

"I can't wait for it to come out, I hope people like it and it'll make them smile a little bit," she said.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the interview tomorrow, where the singer opens up with Breathecast about staying pure and avoiding temptations as a young person and someone in the music industry.