Chatting with Leah Graf : Her Friendship with Grammy-winning Artist Daya

College is a fishbowl of people from different backgrounds, communities and places across the world. The quick change in life and separation from hometown friends, which were once our everything can often seem overwhelming. It’s easy for us to take comfort in knowing we will probably see our friends over breaks and reconnect with them like old times.

Now imagine if one of your closest friends was traveling the country and performing for thousands of people. What if you woke up one day and the girl you had grown up with and roamed the high school halls next to won a Grammy and made the Billboard Hot 100 List? Elon freshman, Leah Graf, knows this feeling all too well.

Graf has been friends with Grace Tandon [Daya] for as long as she can remember.

While you probably know of Daya from her hit song "Sit Still Look Pretty" that was all over the radio or from her feature on The Chainsmoker's album, Leah has a much different story to tell.

“Grace and I grew up together. We went to the same middle school, we live 5 minutes apart, we went to the same high school. We ran track together in high school and we were on the same relay team. She is one of my closest friends,” said Graf.

Grace’s music career began when she took a music writing class in Los Angeles during her junior year. While in Los Angeles, she recorded a demo of her song “Hide Away” which was originally intended to be sold to another artist. One of the managers fell in love with her voice and decided to sign her. Months later, it played on several radio stations including Kiss FM and began to climb the charts. That’s when she decided on the stage name “Daya.”

“On the day that ‘Hide Away’ released, Grace came to school and people were playing it in the hallways, and in most classes the teacher was playing it,” said Graf. “The community, as well as the city of Pittsburgh really supports Grace and is very proud. Her first headlining show was at a venue in Pittsburgh and so many people from our community went to watch and support her.”

Daya never lets the fame get to her head though. She remains true to her friends still and continues to text Graf to share her favorite memories even while on her headlining tour.

“She is truly one of the most down-to-earth and funny people I know. No matter have much time has passed, whenever I see her she is the same Grace that I grew up with and I am so happy about that,” said Graf.

While Daya was unable to attend school daily throughout her senior year, she did take classes online. Her whole high school experience changed but she still got to walk with her friends on graduation day and go to her senior prom. This was an adjustment for Graf and other friends of Daya who had spent endless amounts of time with her since middle school. Graf feels as though they will always continue to be friends stating that “it is hard she is away often but we still talk all the time.”

Graf would really like to see her close friend win another Grammy in the future but next time in the Solo Artist category. She enjoys listening to Daya’s music on repeat and loves to hear it when she’s out or in the car. It reminds her of the many memories the two friends have shared. Her music is even better live according to Graf who recently saw her at her show in Charlotte.

“Her confidence and stage presence has improved so much since her first headlining show at Stage AE. Spending time with her before and after her concert has shown me how hard she works and how difficult it is to be a singer. She currently lives on a tour bus that is cramped with at least 10 other people, and she has late nights and doesn’t get that much sleep and gets sick so much, yet she still kills it at every show,” said Graf.