Q&A: somegirlnamedanna
BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF VERSATILE SOUNDS AND HEARTFELT MESSAGES - somegirlnamedanna has stepped on to the scene. somegirlnamedanna has hit the ground running and has not plans to slow down anytime soon. Her latest release “kitchen table” showcases a more vulnerable and open side of Anna, reflecting on her childhood. Pairing a music video for “kitchen table” as well, somegirlnamedanna is making the best of these crazy times and continues to connect with her growing audience. Check out her latest track “kitchen table” and read below to learn more about her inspirations, the “kitchen table” music video and more.
LUNA: First things first, how are you taking care of yourself these days? Any fun new quarantine hobbies?
ANNA: I have been cooking and baking a TON. I have also been spending a lot of time outside with our horses, and, well, recording the music video for kitchen table. I have really been able to keep myself busy creating constantly.
LUNA: Congrats on your latest release “kitchen table”! The track touches on your childhood and growing up, do you find yourself drawn to any common themes or narratives with your writing?
ANNA: Thank you so much! I used to write a lot of stories in third person growing up because sometimes it was easier to write about a fantasy world than reality. I was a pretty lonely kid growing up and many times my favorite part of the day was writing stories in my notebook on my hour long bus ride home from school. The first time I started writing about my life and my own experiences was when I wrote this first EP, and I think since then I have found a new comfort in expressing myself through my true honesty.
LUNA: “kitchen table” is a bit more upbeat than your debut single “hello i am”, sonically how would you like to see your music evolve?
ANNA: I feel like i don’t really have a genre, and actually you will find that many of these songs on the upcoming EP are very different in sonics and ambiances. They are all just songs I wrote over the past year that captured different moments of my life, and what I needed to write to get through what was happening at that time.
LUNA: You’re pairing the release with a music video as well, can you talk a little bit about the creative process for that?
ANNA: We had an entirely different treatment for the music video originally, and then the pandemic hit. I drove home to Minnesota to be with my mom and brother and we quickly realized that we would be social distancing for awhile… so we decided to get creative, and ended up shooting the whole video with just my brother and my mom on an old VHS recorder. We had empty tapes for the VHS delivered to the farm, little dresses from my favorite online stores sent over, and several phone calls with my favorite creatives to help my brother and I learn how to, um… shoot a music video. It was absolutely freezing outside, so my mom would drive us out to the fields at sunrise with coffee and blankets and then my brother would run out of the car and we would start shooting immediately. 2 hours later we got 3 inches of snow. What a memory.
LUNA: What role do you playing in crafting the visual side of your work?
ANNA: I love being involved in the visual creative side of my work. I always get on phone calls with my amazing art director Ashley and together we bounce off of our ideas; I’ll send her random doodles, and she will piece them together so we can build a story out of the visuals. I try to include art whenever I can - we painted my face for the EP artwork, and it makes my creative heart so happy.
LUNA: People have compared your sounds to the likes of Lorde or Imogen Heap. Who’s been inspiring you lately? Any non music inspirations shaping you as an artist?
ANNA: These are two artists who I wildly respect and love. Lately, I have been in my feels a little more, jamming to great singer-songwriters like Alec Benjamin and Noah Gundersen. Poets like Rupi Kaur have inspired a lot of writing and honest, raw feelings. In times of loneliness I always turn to art, whether it’s creating it or seeking it out.
LUNA: You’ll be part of MTV’s Push: FIRST series, which will focus its global spotlight on a curated selection of new artists. What can you share about this upcoming series?
ANNA: This is a really exciting partnership that I have gotten the opportunity to be a part of, and you will be learning a lot about me and what goes on behind the music and during my daily life. You will get to see a little deeper into where my songs come from as well.
LUNA: Is there a particular message you’d like people to take away fro your music?
ANNA: The biggest thing I want people to take away from my music is that your story and background is what makes you beautiful and unique, and it’s what makes you human. Being honest and vulnerable about it is okay and it allows us to connect with each other on a deeper level.
LUNA: This year has been a weird one to say the least, but you’ve definitely hit the ground running and are powering through. Now that you’ve got “kitchen table” out, do you have any goals/plans you’d like to share?
ANNA: This has been quite a crazy year for all of us. I am blessed to be able to be releasing music, and there’s nothing stopping that. I’m deeply excited to share the EP with you, as I talk about points in my life I had never been able to talk about with people before. This EP was a turning point in how I wanted to live my life, how I wanted to share my own struggles and stories. So I am extremely excited (and nervous) to put all of that out there.
