Anna Renee is an old school sultry songstress, and if the video for her debut single ‘Guilty’ is anything to go by, we should all be a little afraid of her! She’s collaborated heavily with The Voice vocal coach Stevie Mackey and the results are clearly audible in her transcendent vocals. She took some time to answer some of our questions recently and we liked her personality just as much as we liked her music. Here’s the interview:
YA Mag: How old were you when you got your first taste of songwriting?
Anna Renee: I was around the age of seven when I wrote a song with my cousin for our twin fathers on Father’s Day. I came back to songwriting just a little over a year ago now, after working on the pop musical web series, Destroy The Alpha Gammas.
YA: Your music has a very dramatic feel to it, kind of like a young Tori Amos. Which female artists did you grow up listening to?
AR: Thank you. I love Tori Amos. I listened to a lot of Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, Jewel, and I am currently falling in love with all of Sia’s music.
YA: You have a well publicized relationship with Stevie Mackey, who is a rad vocal coach on The Voice, and also coaches people like Selena Gomez. How did he first see your potential?
AR: Yes, I love working with Stevie Mackey. He’s my vocal coach and we also collaborate on the majority of my music. A mutual friend gave me a referral to start coaching with him.
YA: Your new single is called Pendulum. What’s it about, exactly?
AR: Pendulum is about a dreamer who swings from dramatic highs to dramatic lows, without ever faltering in conviction, or losing the belief that they are on the right path.
YA: Judging from both of you guys’ websites, you and Ryan Seacrest are having a love fest. Have you guys actually met? What’s the deal there?
AR: Ha! I have not personally met Ryan Seacrest, but he was kind enough to premiere my music video for my song, Guilty, on his website.
YA: You once spent a year living in Spain. Which one part of Spanish culture do you wish you could bring home with you?
AR: Yes, I lived in Barcelona for a year, and I did take back la siesta with me.
YA: You once worked on a dude ranch. Have your mechanical bull riding skills improved markedly as a result?!
AR: Yes, I worked on a dude ranch in Wyoming were I acquired all of my mechanical bull riding skills…have my skills improved? Let’s just say I’m pretty confident I could take on a real bull at this point…
YA: What’s been a milestone in your career thus far?
AR: The release of my music video for Guilty was a big milestone. I’m really excited for the next big one, which will be the release of my first EP at the end of September!
YA: If there was an artist who could come back as a hologram like Michael Jackson at this year’s Billboard Music Awards and perform with you there, who would you want it to be?
AR: Janis Joplin.
YA: Where and when can our readers catch you live?
AR: I’ll be playing a show at Hotel Cafe on August 10th at 8pm.
YA: Which five songs are playing on your iPod right now?
AR: Hozier – Like Real People Do, Sia – Soon We’ll Be Found, Florence + The Machine – Bedroom Hymns, Sylvan Esso – Hey Mami, Regina Spektor – Fidelity
Thanks for answering our questions, Anna! Readers, you can find out more about Anna Renee and her music at www.annareneemusic.com