We had the pleasure of sitting down with the hugely inspiring young artist Anni lately. She tells us more about playing the piano, Till The End Of Time, her connection with John Lister and why we all needed to listen to that wise inner voice.
Hello Anni. Thank you for speaking with us today. Firstly, how did you get into performing music and what sparked your interest?
Anni: I began playing my parents’ piano and singing at a very young age. I would make up happy melodies and words and sing them whenever I was afraid or got hurt or had something coming up such as a test or a visit to the dentist. When I look back, I see that it was kind of like visualizing a more positive outcome.
Please tell us all about your debut solo release Till The End Of Time and what was the process like.
Anni: “Till the End of Time” is a song from my upcoming second album, and it deals with how our days are numbered and we ought to make the most of them. I had a lot to do with the structure of this song, and wrote the melody and lyrics. My producer took care of the more complex musical details and wrote the chords, arranged it, etc. He would have me sing harmony parts or change a few things, but it resulted in a better song.
How did you first get connected with John Lister and how has he helped your career?
Anni: John had heard of me as a freelance singer and had me come to his studio to sing on a couple of pop songs he had written. But he also had worked on rock music and I expressed interest in this, so our journey began in creating the ‘Anni’ persona and music. The first album contained some pop, but the new one will be all rock.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Anni: Don’t leave life to chance. Imagine yourself where you want to be, visualize a better outcome and just work towards that goal as though it is unstoppable. I guarantee it will happen, based on my own experience. The best advice I can give is to always listen to your inner voice, your intuition.
Your music has passionate energy brewing from each corner and features many different genres. How would you describe your sound and your vision for your new project?
Anni: The second album, “Revealed”, is more focused on the symphonic rock genre. This is a combination of hard rock music and orchestration, blended together to create a very powerful sound. My vision is to strengthen my voice, hit higher highs and stronger lows to become the very best I can be. My lyrics have evolved too, as these songs deal with more complex themes.
When you close your eyes and imagine performing live, what does it feel like deep in your bones?
Anni: This is an excellent question. My first album ‘The Revealing’ has a title track that talks about this very thing. I start off with stage fright, knowing there is no place to hide, but then I just boldly go for it and face the audience. I feel that when the time comes for a concert, I will take over the room, I will fill it with the songs I have conceived and as a messenger, it will not make me nervous, because they are not staring and listening to me, but to the delivery, the presence and message.
Lastly, what goals do you have for the rest of 2023 music-wise?
Anni: My first goal is to complete the second album, but these symphonic rock tunes are much more complex to compose and execute, so it’s going much slower than my first album. I believe it will all be worth the wait though, and the new album should be ready by summertime. After that, I’ll seek out live venues and maybe take a bit of a vacation. I’ve also been thinking about changing my look, which could happen once the second album is done. I’m thinking shorter purple hair, but we’ll have to wait and see. I expect to continue with the symphonic rock though, as it’s a niche I feel completely comfortable with. Thank you for interviewing me! 😊
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Listen up to her story on Soundcloud.
Interview by Llewelyn Screen