somegirlnamedanna has been popping up a lot this year, hasn’t she? Since the release of her debut single ‘hello i am’ just as the world started to end and we all headed into lockdown (timing), 22-year-old Minnesota artist Anna has assertively staked her claim to a spot in the rising pop star ranks. Her songs are delicate and heartfelt – none more so than newest drops, ‘california’ and ‘kitchen table’ – with a reassuring, instantly-captivating warmth. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill singer-songwriter ditties; they’re far more interesting than that.
Hi somegirlnamedanna, how are you doing? Are you busy at the mo?
Hey! I’m doing really well right now, as I’ve actually been crazy busy. We just shot two quarantine music videos, and the whole team has been working remotely, gearing up for the EP drop. I am also pretty nervous because this will be my first EP release.
How did you get into making music then, what inspired you to give it a go?
I’ve always loved creating music since I was little. I played our antique grand piano when I wasn’t writing or drawing, and when my brother got a guitar for his birthday, I started playing it the minute he set it down. I guess music has just always felt like it’s been a part of me, not just something I did as a hobby, and I never really thought about my destiny or what I wanted to do when I grew up. I just knew I had to make music to survive, so I created every day.
What do you most enjoy writing songs about? Is there a particular vibe you go for?
I have hundreds of songs in a folder, and each and every one is a unique little moment of my life. Some days I feel really emotional and write a piano ballad or even something just acapella, and other days I will be laughing with my friends and joke around about boy problems I’m having, saying “dude, seriously just stop”, and it will turn into an actual song. The vibe I go for when I’m writing is whatever the hell I am feeling that day I guess.
Do songs find you, or do you usually have to find them?
I feel like a lot of times, my favourite songs happen so easily and naturally. I will improv something jokingly, and it might become an entire chorus, or I might just be in a really tough spot in my life, so the emotional lyrics just pour out of me. Abandonment (a song on the EP) is an example of that; a song that basically just wrote itself. I was feeling so down that day, and I walked into the room and said, “I need to write a song called abandonment. I just need to”, and it was finished in an hour or so.
What’ve been the highlights from your time as a musician so far? Is it living up to the hype?
The fact that I get to make music for a living is probably the coolest thing ever!! My favourite moments have been playing live (which I’m so excited to do again when possible in the future) and receiving messages from people who have really been affected by the music I’ve released so far. I can’t wait to continue releasing more music.
You’ve got a new EP out soon, right? What can you tell us about it?
I do! I am so nervous and excited at the same time, putting something so personal to me out there definitely scares me a little. The EP represents a chapter of my life, from turning twenty-one to twenty-two. I went through a lot of ups and downs the last year, and you will really start to get to know me through this EP.
What else are you working on right now?
Other than shooting several quarantine music videos back to back, I have been crazy busy also writing in general. This time to slow down has been able to let me dig into the creative process and get back to my writing roots again.
Are you creative in non-musical ways too?
I love to paint, and actually will find myself creating visual art when I am not writing. I even get really creative when I cook as well, taking way too much time for fancy plating or getting way too serious about cookie decorating. I try to be creative as much as I can, because that’s how I feel my best.
What do you do for fun?
I mean, I do music for fun, hahaha. But I also love going outside and being active, I love finding really cool new food spots all around town, and I’m a social butterfly. During a sunny day, you will definitely find me going on a picnic or a hike with friends.
Who do you think is the most exciting band or musician around right now?
I am a really big fan right now of H.E.R., Jacob Collier, aboutagirl, and Baby Rose.
Tell us a secret about yourself?
One time when I was really young, I was on a ski team, and our coach put little bells on our jackets to make sure she could keep track of us on the hill. Well, when I was getting off of the ski lift, the bell on my jacket got caught on the chair and let’s just say I experienced riding down almost half of the hill hanging from a ribbon on my jacket. No, I did not fall fortunately, but yes, I was completely mortified as I hung there upside down from my jacket for almost a full minute before anyone even noticed that a child was actually just flying through mid-aair. I am full of embarrassing stories.
What are your plans for summer?
I am planning on creating and laying low for the rest of the summer, taking this time to write an entire album and continue getting back to my roots. I also hope to spend a lot of time with my friends and family.
somegirlnamedanna’s debut EP ‘twenty one, twenty two’ is out 31st July.
