In late March, somegirlnamedanna made a swift entrance into the music scene with her debut single “hello i am” – which has already received over half a million streams worldwide. MTV selected somegirlnamedanna to be a part of their MTV Push: FIRST series, and it’s safe to say you’ll want to keep your eyes on her… as this is literally only the beginning.
Anna was born and raised in a remote area of Minnesota, and is “a girl with a name like all of us are.” The authenticity in her music shines like the sun, and on her latest single “kitchen table”, she invites listeners to take a look at some of her most notable memories growing up. We got to chat about the making of “kitchen table”, her musical beginnings, and more! Check it out below.
Hey Anna – Congrats on “kitchen table”! Can you give us some background on the meaning of the song and the process of creating it?
Thank you! I had gotten the concept for the song while being incredibly homesick. I was going to college in Nashville and kept thinking back to my biggest memories and defining moments in my years at home, and a lot of them surrounded the kitchen table. I remember all of the beautiful memories, hard conversations, tears of joy and pain, and really just incredibly defining moments that shaped my life that happened there. I wrote the first verse, compacted a bunch of other lyrics into my notes, and set off to my friend’s house to write the rest of the song with people I was close to. To this day this song is still one of the most special songs and closest to my heart.
How did you get your start in music?
I have been surrounded by music my whole life; it was never quiet at home. There was either music playing on the radio or I was playing our antique piano in our living room. There is something reverent about the piano in our house; it’s completely out of tune and some keys are missing… but I remember falling in love with writing there.
Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations?
Some of my biggest early musical influences are Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos, and Joni Mitchell. I can remember the first times I heard the music of these iconic songstresses, immediately inspiring me to be a writer.
Your debut single “hello i am” totally took the world by storm. What was your reaction to the amazing response to your intro?
It made me beyond happy that people could connect to the song. I wanted to introduce myself before I started telling my story and I really wasn’t expecting any attention from it, so to have such positive feedback meant the world to me.
You grew up without the influence of tv or social media. How would you say this helped shape the person you are today?
Having such quietness around me growing up gave me more room to create. I had to find a way to entertain myself, so I spent most of my time painting, writing stories, and playing piano.
I know the last couple of months have been very interesting to say the least. Has spending a lot of time at home influenced your creative process?
The last couple of months have been really hard to describe emotionally. It has felt very heavy and confusing, so I have been writing a lot more ballads and deeper poetry. A lot of times when I don’t know what I’m feeling I approach expression through visual arts, so I have been painting with watercolor and drawing a lot lately. Being able to spend time outside on the farm has really been able to help me cope as well.
What has been one of the most exciting experiences on your musical journey so far?
I have had so many exciting experiences throughout my musical journey but so far the most exciting has been actually having music out! This is something I have always dreamed of and I’m so happy others can finally listen and connect to it if they need to.
What else do you have in store for listeners this year?
I get to share more music and my story with you this year, which I am incredibly excited about. I feel like this is the first time I really get to be vulnerable and honest about where I come from and who I am, and I’m so excited to share that with you.
Finally… what was the last song you listened to?
The last song I listened to was Water Fountain by Alec Benjamin. I’m in love with his songwriting.
Check out “kitchen table” now, and be sure to say hi on Twitter and Instagram @somegirlnamedanna!
