Donny Anderson – Lovin’ You

By starrymag | August 5, 2020

By: Robert Warren

 

 

Q) Start by telling us what makes your new single “Lovin’ You” special?

A) “Lovin’ You” is special to me because it’s not only the first single I’ve been able to put out in a few years. It also features a dear friend of mine, Divine Brown.  Divine is an extremely talented soul icon in Canada and this single was a lot of fun for us to work on together.  The song also has the backing of the Songwriter’s Association of Canada for an official 2020 supported release. “Lovin’ You” is also the first single of mine as an artist that I’m sending to radio – so that’s extremely exciting for me and I can’t wait to see what happens with everything!

 

Q) What was your experience like creating “Lovin’ You,” with Rykka and Arun Chaturvedi at the Songwriters Association of Canada camp? 

A) Songwriter camps are always such an amazing experience for me.  I’ve been able to be at many of them all over the world and the excitement never fades around them for me.  It’s such a creative and incredible environment that brings some of the best talent together.  The energy of situations like a songwriter’s camp is incredible and unmatchable.  I always leave the camps on such a high and feel like some of the best songs I’ve created have come from various camps.

“Lovin’ You” was no exception – the organizers paired Rykka, Arun and I together at a camp that was held at a legendary studio in Toronto called Revolution Studios. Arun came with a skeleton of a track and had some ideas for direction – we ended up writing the song in about a four-hour window that day.  We knew we wanted to keep that nostalgic throwback vibe, and everything snowballed from there.  We wanted to create a song that simply made people feel good.  Arun and Rykka are two of the most talented people I know and that day we really just had a lot of fun.  The energy was high and the good vibes were even more than good.  After that camp, Arun and I got together several times and tweaked the song, turning it into what you hear today!

 

Q) The song is all about unconditional love. Tell us why do you think unconditional love is important to any relationship.

A) Unconditional love in any relationship is truly what we all should be striving for and to have for one another.  I think that’s the biggest way the world and people can heal the most.  Knowing that people are safe together, being kind and giving that unconditional love towards each other could truly change the world. “Lovin’ You” was meant to inspire that and to inspire a feeling deep down of connection and heart – and also have that feeling feel good at the same time.  It’s that kind of story that is unconditional – knowing that somebody will always be there for you no matter what and that there’s only good feelings attached to it regardless of what people go through together.  I think it’s the way to build a bridge between huge gaps in our hearts and humanity.

 

Q) Your single features Divine Brown, what was your experience like working together?

A) Divine and I have known each other for ages.  She’s truly part of my family.  She has been a grounding force for me and has some of the most amazing and most valuable advice to share as I move along with releasing music as well as just in friendship alone.  She’s one of those people that truly always has my back and I’m forever grateful for that.  With all of that in mind, Divine coming onto the song meant the world to me and brought a whole new flavor to the sound.  We are connected at the heart and only good things can come from that.  When we were recording the parts, the entire soul of the song got elevated to this place that I believe is felt when people hear it.  We are usually in tune (pun intended…[laughs]) and working on anything with Divine is a complete pleasure.  When things come together that are meant to be, and filled with amazing people who are in it for all the right reasons, I think a little piece of magic is created inevitably.

 

Q) How do you think this single “Lovin’ You” is going to reflect the sound that may or may not come in your upcoming 2021 debut album? 

A) “Lovin’ You” is a great re-introduction for my music – since it’s been a long while since I’ve released anything.  It also exemplifies a lot about who I am – I try to treat people with kindness and unconditional love, and lead with that.  I also try to keep things positive.  It’s a good starting point for the sound of my album coming – it has that touch of classic vibe, like you may have heard that song somewhere before, something that feels good but is also very commercial friendly.  That’s one side of my sound – that positive feel-good sound that can be easily digested and you can play in the car, take to the beach or dance to.  The other side of my sound is that epic side that deals with many of the human emotions and things we go through.  The album will reflect a lot of that but try to keep it in a positive space.  Really my goal for the record is simply to make people happy, get to their soul and help get through things.  These days you can have many different styles on one record – and I’m working on this project with the intentions of just keeping the sound as authentic as I can and to create really great music that connects.  I have a batch of songs that I’m really excited about and are truly pieces of me and I can’t wait for people to hear that.  I’ve never had the opportunity to show people a “collection” of thoughts and feelings based on who I am.

 

Q) What do you hope fans take away from your song? 

A) I really hope that this song brings peace and love into people’s hearts.  I know that the time we’re living in is definitely unprecedented and extremely challenging and I feel like anything that can ease the weight of the world, even just a little bit, is helpful.  We’re all in life together and I wanted this song to reflect that.  To have a nostalgic sound that people can relate to and something that’s easy enough on the ears and heart that people don’t have to think very much about it and just feel what they’re feeling in the moment.  I hope people will take good feelings from the song and be able to have it as part of their day to uplift them wherever they may be.

 

Q) You were a former “Canadian Idol” finalist. What did you personally take away from that experience that has carried with you into your music career?

A) “Canadian Idol” was definitely an interesting experience with an interesting process.  I wasn’t even planning on auditioning.  I had already become friends with several of the contestants and had written songs for their albums by that point. And I guess I auditioned because I thought I had nothing to lose and it was a platform that could only help get my music out to the masses.  I learned a lot from that experience about how business is run, as well as what it’s like to be under constant pressure and how to deal with that.  Also, most of the people involved in creating the show were really awesome, accommodating and kind.  I realized that you could be successful as long as you were organized and kept things moving, worked hard and were kind to those around you helping lift you up.  I definitely took that with me and tried to incorporate that philosophy into everything in life that I’ve done – not just music.  Dreams can absolutely be achieved if you work hard enough and are good to those around you.

 

8) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song?

A) P!NK or Kelly Clarkson would be dream duets for me. I think those two artists really exemplify what I’m trying to do with my career and where it fits and they are both filled with authenticity and originality.  I also think they are two of the most soulful artists that choose great songs and I really want to walk that path and create a diverse career as they both have.  Unapologetically, also.  I have a lot of dream collaborations that I would love to be a part of as well – the list is too long to type.  I would love to be able to work with a lot of the people I look up to in order to learn, to have them help me with my vision and for me to help them with theirs.

 

Q) Where do you go to get inspiration for your songs?

A) There’s never been a single place that inspiration has hit me from as long as I’ve been creating. I collect thoughts from everywhere. From random experiences, from things people say, from ideas that seem to come randomly from above and hit like a lightning bolt into my head and my heart.  I think as long as you’re generally in the moment and feel the path in the moment, the song really can really come to life.  Collaborating with other artists and writers is a fun process for me, just like in a song camp, because the vibes can get super high and you have the chance to hear other people’s ideas and perspectives.  I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that if someone has a great idea and is running with it, your job is to stay out of the way of inspiration.  No matter what though, it’s a delicate balance.  Inspiration is the part that’s never been hard for me – it comes from every direction.  Putting the pieces together after that in the right way is always the more intricate and delicate process.  Sometimes it can happen in ten minutes and sometimes it takes ten years.  Fundamentally though, I know that most of my ideas are inspired by the concepts of strength and love.

 

Q) Is there anything else you would like to mention about your new single?

A) I would love to mention that the single is now at radio and I would totally appreciate everyone’s support getting the word out about it – please call or email or text your stations and ask them to play it. Also, on all the streaming platforms and social media.  I think it’s a song that people’s hearts really need right now and I am feeling so grateful for all the early support surrounding it!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and your music?

A) I am truly honored by everyone’s response to the single so far and I want to send a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported it.  I hadn’t released music in a while and I was afraid people may have forgotten me.  That’s always a worry for artists, I know, and I can imagine it stops a lot of people from putting out new music or continuing to bless the world with their gifts.  This song is a perfect example that if you lead with your heart, good things happen.  I am so grateful for all of the people that have helped get this off the ground and so grateful to all the fans and supporters who’ve really understood the message and are getting what they need from the song.  It makes me feel like I’ve been able to be of service in a way and I, ultimately, will be so happy if I’m just able to get the song out there and change people’s day for the better.