Anna is candidly honest, open, and completely vulnerable. Her single, “London Knows” talks about her personal experience with sexual assault and it tells a story from start to finish. Her latest, “Good Days, Bad Days” is a trope to all the emotions you feel, but ultimately to say you can’t appreciate a good day with a few bad days. I’m so thrilled to know her and I can’t wait for her to share more music with us.
Tell me about your single, “London Knows.”
Anna: I wrote a few months after I was sexually assaulted on holiday. I was in Bangkok and my drink got spiked, it was terrifying. I lost my boyfriend for hours before eventually finding him. I didn’t want to explicitly sing about the situation, but rather the recovery process. After it happened, I felt unsafe - like I couldn’t just go out for drinks or hang out with my boyfriend. Everything just felt uncertain. I just was like, “London are you there?! Will you still be there for me? I just need some time and I’ll come back to you.”
It’s the first song I put out that has meant so much. Creating it was cathartic, but even singing about it brought up so many things. The video also channeled my depression and trauma a bit.
I know Gabrielle Aplin is someone you were excited to work with. Can you talk about “Good Days, Bad Days” and how that came about?
Anna: So basically wrote it, Gabbi heard it and she wanted to be on it. I am excited to put something out with her. I wrote this song for when I wanted something to say to myself on days where I felt awful. It’s a mantra to myself echoing that without a bad day, the good days won’t feel that good. I think while this track is poppy and upbeat, it covers a spectrum of emotions.
What is your songwriting process like?
Anna: Usually, in the studio, I start with a beat, synth, or chord, and then once I have a vibe I’ll just say what it makes me feel like and then add the lyrics, but for me, it’s usually music first.
How did you get started in music?
Anna: I was actually doing classical music in school and I wanted to be a classical pianist for years. I would upload videos of me to YouTube and when I was 17, my now producer discovered me. I honestly thought it was spam at the time, but I’ve been working with them since.
What is something you want your fans to know about you?
Anna: Umm, probably that I’m one of 6 children. I have a crazy, rowdy family and I think that’s part the reason I am the way I am. I always have to be the loudest person in the room, haha!
And last, but not least, any quarantine hobbies?
Anna: I’ve been finding other ways to be creative like painting. And I’ve watched an entire season of desperate housewives.
Samantha Fong
"At 15 years old, I begged my mom to take me to Walmart to get Taylor Swift's debut deluxe album and I never turned back. This was my very first entry point to stan fandom. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee I was exposed to a ton of music - from rapping 3 6 Mafia to bopping to Justin Timberlake's solo discography. Now, in LA have a day job working in nonprofit development, but by night, I'm a full-fledged fangirl. I'll listen to generally any genre, but I'm a sucker for a good pop song. If you ever need someone to scream sing Carly Rae Jepsen's E·MO·TION with, I'm your girl. No, I still have not gotten over the One Direction hiatus. Please continue to respect my privacy. Twitter : samfonggg, Instagram : samantha_fong"
