Anaté – 3AM

By starrymag | June 13, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Anaté started as a trip-hop project and in the first few songs we explicitly targeted the “Bristol sound.” As we wrote new material, we found ourselves first using more and more acoustic instruments and more recently looking for a more modern-pop sound. The result is a mix of influences that hopefully makes our music more interesting. For example, “3am” is in essence a blues song, but many curators recognized the influence of Massive Attack in the breaks between the verses.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) We both grew up with Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, which clearly influence our songwriting even in a totally different genre. References we used while writing include – beyond Portishead and Massive Attack – artists like Morcheeba, Zero7 and Dido.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “3am.”

Ana: The chords were born when I was jamming in an airport on a piano (before corona). The lyrics were then influenced a lot by the bluesy feeling of the song. I imagined someone singing about her fantasies in an almost empty bar at 3am, imagining that the guy listens to her song across that dim-lit room, even if she knows that he is actually not there.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) We heard many good things about this song already (thank you all!). One thing that resonates a lot is the “escape from reality” mood, which is probably something everybody can relate to in a way or another.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

Ana: We don’t have a standard approach. It depends how creativity decides to unfold. I sometimes write lyrics first, just because I had something on my mind that I needed to get out. Other times, I just jam on the piano until I find a nice melody and then I write the lyrics. Other times Andrea sends a beat that works and that becomes the starting point.

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

A) Yes, “3am” is part of an album, Confessions which will be fully released this summer. We have one more single planned for release in June and then we will release the rest of the album.

Q) With concerts currently on hold, what do you miss most about being on stage?

Ana: So much time has passed that I even forgot the feeling…The connection with people is what I miss the most. And also that feeling of becoming someone else when on stage.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

Ana: Probably the small bars where I used to sing with my old band, or the open mics in Paris. There’s just a nostalgic connection I have to those times.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Too many names come to my mind, all of them too out of reach for the moment 😀

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

Ana: I recently listened again to Jamie Woon’s album Mirrorwriting. I just love his lyrics and the way he creates a whole intimate mood with his music.

Andrea – I have The Bitter Truth from Evanescence in heavy rotation these days. Classic Amy Lee songwriting and killer engineering – sounds great.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

Ana: Because it is an incredible way for an independent artist to get his/her message across. The feeling of finding people who vibe with your work and with your message even if they are thousands of miles away is just amazing.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

Ana: I am humbled and thankful for everyone who has decided to follow me on this journey. Thank you for being there and I only hope that my work will bring joy to your life or inspire you in any way. [smiles]