Anna Mae – If I’m Being Honest

By starrymag | March 19, 2020

By: Mary Watkins

 

 

Q) How would you describe your musical style?

 

A) In short, it’s alt-pop! I really just try to make the music that I’d want to hear on the radio or on a playlist, so it’s definitely a mix of music that I grew up on and everything new that I love right now. I grew up on lots of alternative bands (Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, Dashboard Confessional, etc.) and listen to tons of pop now (Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Selena Gomez). So, I feel like my music combines all of it with some songs leaning more one direction or the other.

 

Q) What is your process when you are sitting down to write a song?

 

A) It somewhat depends on the day! But I do tend to love starting with a title whenever possible because I like having some kind of vision of what the song can become. I think that helps me stay super engaged in the writing process. I’m usually in the room with one or two other writers and so we’ll talk through what our vibe is that day or if anyone is coming in with a specific idea on their minds and then we will go from there! Sometimes it’s starting with a production loop, sometimes it’s a melody and sometimes it’s a lyric or a title.

 

Q) Do you get your inspiration for your songs from personal experiences?

 

A) Yes, I definitely do! Usually my songs are based off of my own experiences and if not, they are based off my friends and what is going on in their lives. I thrive when I’m passionate about what I’m writing and going through something yourself or watching someone you care about go through it definitely makes you really care about a topic/situation/emotion on a more personal level.

 

Q) Your EP If I’m Being Honest came out March 13th. The songs on this EP show all the emotions people go through in relationships. What made you decide to write songs with this theme?

 

A) It really just came together on its own. Since I write about real experiences, it’s inevitable that my music will have a variety of emotion throughout it. Sometimes I feel super confident and happy with myself, sometimes I feel alone, sometimes I feel confused, sometimes I feel a little sassy. So, the EP is really made up of all those feelings and sides of me. When I was coming up with an EP title, I realized that all of these songs are just my very raw and genuine thoughts, which is how If I’m Being Honest came to be.

 

Q) “Payback” is one of the songs on your new EP.  When listening to this song people can feel the confidence of a newly single woman out to show the man what he is missing. Why did you choose this song to be one of the songs on your new EP?

 

A) This song is really empowering and real to me, which is why I wanted the album to start off with this track. I had a really brutally heartbreaking relationship in the past and at times since I’ve wanted major revenge. But over time I’ve seen that becoming my healthiest self, instead of staying in the gloom that person had put me in, is the best thing I can do. So, I think that the real payback we can give to someone who has purposefully hurt us is to not let them define our lives and the person we will become.  I’m also pretty positive I’m not the only one who has experienced painful relationships and breakups – so this song is for the other people who have felt that too.

 

 

Q) The song “Just the Way I Am” tells a man to accept you as you are or move on. What was the inspiration behind this song?  

 

A) I got the first few lyrics randomly in my head one day while I was hiking. “I like lingerie, silk and lace, and waking up alone. Don’t mind the taste of chardonnay, but I’d rather sip merlot.” I had no idea what kind of song they were leading to, but they felt like random sentiments that are true to me as a person. We ended up crafting a song around multiple statements that are true about me and realized the song is just about being yourself and being confident in that. I’ve always been of the mindset that you shouldn’t have to convince someone to love the person that you are. If they want you to try to be someone else, they really just aren’t the person for you. So, I think that mindset definitely crept into this song. [smiles]

 

 

Q) One of your new song “Extra Credit” is a woman’s power jam, telling women to only give credit where credit is due for how amazing they are. Did you intend for this song to be a self-loving, empowering anthem for women?

 

A) Yes, I definitely did! I just hate when people have tried to make me (or my friends) feel co-dependent – as if we can’t exist or have success without them. If you’re ever feeling that way, I think it’s time to take a step back and appreciate the person that you are and all you’ve done to get there. Chances are those accomplishments haven’t all been thanks to some other person in your life. They have a whole lot to do with yourself and the choices you’ve made.

 

 

Q) Out of all the songs on your new upcoming EP which one is your favorite and why?

 

A) Ah, that’s a hard one! Possibly “Choose?” But I honestly really love all of them for different reasons. “Choose” is such a vulnerable song to me. It was also the first song finished that I really felt sounded like “me” and so it holds a special place in my heart because of that.

 

 

Q) With the songs on this EP, what do you want your fans to take away from it?

 

A) I want these songs to make listeners feel more confident and to help them feel and process their emotions. The music that has impacted me the most in my life, has always done one or both of those things.

 

 

Q) Did you always plan on singing your own songs or just being a songwriter for others?

 

A) I’ve always dreampt of singing my own songs but it’s been special to write with so many people and end up having other people sometimes sing the songs I’ve written. I also just knew that a career in music can be a tough thing to happen. So, while I dreampt of singing my own songs, I wasn’t sure it would ever be my reality. So, in many ways it really is a dream come true to be doing this.

 

 

Q) Your songs have been featured on movies and shows such as Insatiable, Emoji Movie, “Lucifer,” “Total Bellas,” etc. What is it like to hear your music playing during a scene?

 

A) No matter how many times I hear my songs on TV, it still feels surreal. Again, it’s such a dream come true. I didn’t imagine all of this happening and each time hearing it feels like another reality check reassuring me that it’s real.

 

 

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

 

A) Mainly, just thank you!!! Thanks for supporting me and thanks for listening to these songs. That alone means more to me than I’ll ever know how to say. I really hope that the songs mean something to you and positively impact your life, even in the smallest way. Hopefully, after you listen to the EP you just feel more like yourself and that you like who you are even more.