Anna Straker is set to embark on a new musical era with her EP “Growing Pains” this November. Though her lyrics are more real and intimate the EP will not be short of the synth pop anthems of her discography. “Growing Pains” treads into heavy personal experiences for Anna Straker, and as a result is set to become her most defiant release yet.
Read more about Anna Straker in our interview below!
How and when did you start making music?
My grandad had a piano in his house and since the age of 6 I couldn’t get off it! I begged my parents to buy one for me and when they did I was addicted. I got a music scholarship to a school at 14 and studied classical piano until I decided to become a pop star!
How would you describe your sound?
Electronic synth pop with a defiant vocal!
Who are some of your musical influences?
A random mix: Radiohead, James Blake, Alicia Keys, Destiny’s Child & SBTRKT.
In November you’ll be releasing your ‘Growing Pains’ EP, which is your first release since the EP ‘Serious’ about 4 years ago. This is seen as a new era for you, what brought about this change?
A lot of hard things have happened to me in the past year, and this EP is about having open and honest conversations about these things, like mental health, the pandemic, my sexual assault, sexism and depression.
Can you tell us about one of the tracks you’re most excited to release?
I’m most excited to release Boys Will Be Boys. It’s such a in-your-face feminist banger!!!!
Ahead of the release of the EP you shared the track “Good Days, Bad Days.” This is inspired by a very real and tragic incident in your personal life. As an artist, what helped you be more open and honest about your experiences, and helped you share and write about them?
I found it really helped me to talk to everyone around me about my feelings when I was recovering from the sexual assault. I think then I found it quite cathartic to write about it and it seemed like a really important thing to share it with the world too. I want everyone to know they’re not alone in whatever they’re going through.
On the same track you got to collaborate with Gabrielle Aplin on the song and video, how did she get involved and how did that come together?
Gabrielle and I have been friends for a few years, and when she heard the track she wanted to get involved! Her album Dear Happy really touches on mental health and so it felt like a no-brainer.
Do you mostly write the type of songs you want to in that moment? With this new EP in comparison to your past music, is this guiding you at all with the music you’re writing now or in the future?
I definitely write how I’m feeling in that moment. It’s really nice to be putting these tracks out now that are really relevant to how I’m feeling at the moment.
Once live shows are able to return, how do you envision a performance and how do you want to bring such an honest and vulnerable EP like this to the stage?
Omg I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL LIVE SHOWS ARE BACK. I am dying here!!!!
What can we expect from you in the future, and after the EP release?
More tunes, more shows, more dancing, more crying.
Listen to Anna Straker on Spotify and Apple Music.
Follow Anna Straker on Instagram and Twitter.
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