Having been a fan of Anna Shoemaker, this project of hers might be the most raw and honest one yet. This one stems from a different journey and it’s very evident through the lyrics and even the songs she’s chosen to showcase. We were so excited to get to talk to her about her inspiration and also what’s next to come.
Anna, so great to meet you! I am so glad to have this interview with you! I wanted to ask, for the second project, why an EP?
Anna: Well, it's gonna, so it will eventually be an album. I am working on an album, but I think I just wanted to take my time and it’s not like this is instead of an album, I just wanted to put out this project and put out music.
No, totally get it. I love that. Which song or for you on the EP is you’re the most proud of for the fans to have?
Anna: “Hey Anna” and “ADHD” are the ones I’m most excited about. “Hey Anna” just because it’s really personal to me and I love the song.
When you were creating this EP, how did the process come about? Were you using real-life experiences or just dabbling away in your notes app prior to the sessions?
Anna: You know, it like never feels as dramatic at the moment. Like, if I think back about all the things that the EP could possibly be about, and like what it is about, it's like, at the moment when you're writing, it's not necessarily this like huge emotional thing. For me, It's, it's a little bit more subconscious. And wI write with Constantine, who's like been the main collaborator on this EP and is going to be like the main collaborator on this album. At the moment, we just feel like we’re writing and we rarely go into it like, “Should we write a song about this or that.”
Was there a difference in when you were writing and working on your album versus this project?
Anna: Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's like, it was really like night and day with my album. I was working with a ton of different people and it was kind of all over the place. And, you know, during the pandemic, it was songs from before and during and after, and it was like a lot of different things. For the album, it was very much like an expression of who I was at that time and I was very all over the place. This was just me sitting down and being more reflective and creative.
Who were some artists you listened to when you were growing up and have inspired your sound?
Anna: I really loved Sheryl Crow and Lauryn Hill. I think what caught my attention was that even when the songs were about something so heartbreaking, the melodies and the music were upbeat. It just showed that you can make something beautiful out of a horrible situation.
No totally hear you. A lot of Sheryl’s songs are so chill for being so sad!! If you could give your younger self a piece of advice, what would it be and why?
Anna: This is a really good question because I just had a cousin who graduated high school, and I’m always telling her these things and I feel like they just go above her head. I think I would tell myself that high school is just another blip on the radar. You’ll think all these things matter, but in hindsight, they won’t.
Keep up with Anna on Spotify and Instagram.
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"
