Within the recent months, Anna has made a name for herself in the indie-pop world, and for good reason. She’s a ray of sunshine and in the best way. She’s sure of herself, upbeat and tells it like it is. It was incredible to talk to her about her debut EP, twenty one, twenty two, which is about the moments and milestones she’s encountered in those years.
Anna! You’ve gotten a lot of buzz from your singles. I’d love to know which song you love the most? Or you’re proud of.
“seriously, just stop” is one of my favorites. It’s the first empowering song I wrote for myself. Looking back on a year to where I am now, I don’t think I could have written it then, so I’m especially proud of this one.
What is the inspo for this EP?
somegirlnamedanna: It’s a project depicting the last year of my life. It’s my own story and it contains every moment from the ups and downs, funny moments, personal stories in the last life. I hope it’s an EP that everyone can relate to.
When you’re creating your songs do you have a specific technique?
somegirlnamedanna: I actually do lyrics first! I’ve never written the song melody first, I just always seem to do words first. Whether it’s merging a voice note or writing in my journal. I usually have the concept first and then go build a song from there.
Who are some artists you listened to growing up that influenced your sound?
somegirlnamedanna: Artists like Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette and Joni Mitchell. Their storytelling empowered me and were very monumental in framing who I am as an artist.
I know in your last video, “kitchen table” you show us a peek into your life. Tell me about growing up as a horse girl and how did you crush the stereotypes and embrace this identity for yourself.
somegirlnamedanna: I think you can relate, but I definitely think so. Horse girls are hard workers. I think when you have a horse, it’s a huge responsibility. Growing up, having mine taught me that I couldn’t have to be selfish. You have to take care of something else that isn’t you. I did it all - from barrel racing to equestrian type riding. They all have shaped me who I am today. Instead of a boyfriend, I had my horse, haha!
What have you been up to during quarantine? Any new hobbies?
somegirlnamedanna: I’ve been cooking a ton and loving it. I wasn’t writing a lot before, but I’ve been doing more due to the time I have sitting at home and I’m playing piano and guitar more and learning other instruments.
We think empowering young women sets the precedent for their future. What’s a piece of advice you could offer younger fans?
somegirlnamedanna: If you know what you love to do, don’t let anyone stand in your way. I’m constantly empowered by female artists and if I could provide that to any young girls, that would be my dream. I think it’s beautiful and powerful to have strong women to look up to. This EP is here for you - for all your moods that we go through. We’re human, it’s natural to go through these issues whether it’s heartbreak, abandonment, dealing with guys or girls - all of it. It brings us together.
Follow somegirlnamedanna on Instagram and Spotify to stay tuned.
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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"
