Third Album Released!

ANNI'S third album has just been released!
      The feel is a very different jazz/soul sound with some R&B and big band sounds thrown in. Here is a breakdown of each track, and you may also follow the link to listen for yourself.
      Track 1 - Jazzed Up - The opening track features a jazzy band sound with saxes and trumpets, followed by the sultry voice of Anni as she sings about getting 'Jazzed Up' when she feels as if she needs it.
      Track 2 - Awakening - Starting with guitar, this track reveals how Anni has awakened to find herself despite living in a complex world, mostly through a gratitude for being alive.
      Track 3 - Love Flows On - A song about finding a love that lasts year after year. A mellow tune you can sit back and chill to.
      Track 4 - Man of Mystery - A Bond-style theme about a spy with a mysterious background and the efforts made by a woman to break into his story.
      Track 5 - Sweeter - Beginning with guitar, the track is about finding that one person you find to be the sweetest lover in the world.
      Track 6 - Your Kiss - Another song with a James Bond vibe, singing about someone's kiss and how good it can be.
      Track 7 - Rise Up - A song about rising up when life pulls you down. Upbeat and positive.
      Track 8 - I Am Alive - A song about living before and after this lifetime. It is inspiring and calmly powerful.
      Track 9 - Your Love - A sax opens the tune, followed by a horn section. A mellow beat and a song about being happy and grounded.
      Track 10 - Dreams - A unique tune about being visited in your dreams by another person or entity. Positive, yet a little disturbing at the same time.
      Track 11 - Silverlode - Another spy song, in the James Bond style. This one features a big band with lots of horn fills. But who is the Silverlode?
      Track 12 - When The Rain Falls - A song about being carefree on sunny days, and introspective on the rainy ones.
Please click on the graphic header for this blog entry to visit Anni's Bandcamp page where you can listen to these tracks, and purchase single tracks or the entire album.

New Album Coming Along

A&R Factory Review

A&R Factory is a website that reviews music. I received another review from them, and it may be found on their website at this page.
      'Man of Mystery' is a throwback to the sixties big band spy music and we spent a lot of time and effort in getting the instrumentation just right.
      This A&R Factory review by Amelia Vandergast was very flattering, even saying the following: "If the producers for the next Bond film don't enlist the superlative talents pertaining to Anni and Lister, who co-wrote the song together, they will have missed a lascivious trick. Heaven knows the franchise needs to redeem itself after Billie Eilish sang the last Bond theme."

Some Listener Comments

Man of Mystery ranked well in a recent crowd review. Male and Female adult listeners ranked and left comments on the song.
      You may read these comments, along with age and gender of each listener, on the PRESS page.
      This newer style for me, that of a jazz-soul-R&B blend, is more mellow and easier to listen to by a broader audience. The song reviewed is anything but mellow though, as it has horn passages that remind the listener of a James Bond theme.
      These reviews were left by average listeners, not music industry people. Another review will be coming soon from A&R Factory, and this will be a professional review of the same song.

Back in the Studio

After taking the summer off to recharge, I'm happy to say I have been back in the studio and working on my fourth track for the new album. I seem to have mellowed out over the summer, and the new material is a blend between slow R&B music and soft jazz, sort of in the style of Sade, though very uniquely my own.
      It had been suggested that I go for a harder rock sound, reminiscent of bands like Epica and Nightwish. I did a few tracks in that style, but just didn't feel the level of inspiration I do when I am doing the more sultry styles that enable me to use a wider range of nuances with my voice.
      So this next album will be a more soft-jazz style, and I really hope you like it. Keep watching this website for a release date, probably later in the autumn.

Looking Around

The music scene is nothing like it once was. I was told an artist such as myself would have gotten signed to a label back in the 1970s. Today, sadly, a few labels produce nearly all of the music we hear on the radio, most of which uses non-human drum beats, basslines, and other sampled horns or pianos. A few use actual instruments, but generally combined with the automated stuff. Composition is a careful science with attention paid to pitch, melody, tempo and other factors found in top selling tracks. The name of the game is for the labels to make money, not to promote music as an art form.
      There are a few exceptions, such as when someone truly unique with a huge following comes along, such as Billie Eilish and her producer brother for example.
      So I'm looking around at this and feeling a bit discouraged, yet I feel the public may soon be ready to ditch the automated beats and crave authentic music again. I'll be ready, because I already am. But will it happen? Who knows? In the meantime, I'll keep looking around at today's music industry, hoping for change. With the first two albums now complete and for sale, I'm taking this opportunity for a break. Hopefully I'll find inspiration in my surroundings and will be back to writing songs again soon.

New Album Drops Early

D ue to high demand, we decided to release the second Anni album ahead of schedule on April 4th, rather than some time in May. This album establishes my newer direction into symphonic rock, as I leave behind the light pop tunes and love songs in favour of a harder-edged genre.
      Both the music and the lyrics contain more complex themes as I venture into a whole new area. These lyrics seem to come to me easily, despite the often strange subject matter. My producer and co-composer John Lister has his hands full keeping up with these new ideas, though he creates many of them himself.
      Click or tap on the image at the top of this entry to have a listen and hopefully purchase the album. I very much appreciate all the support I have been getting up until now.

A&R Factory Interview

I made it through an interview with A&R Factory which they provided at this page on their website.
      They asked very intelligent questions which had me reaching deep at times for the answers. They have posted the entire interview, taking sizable space on their website.
      They had mostly listened to 'Till the End of Time' as a reference song for this interview, and it was a good example, being a song to be released on my upcoming second album, "Revealed".
      Many thanks to Llewelyn Screen of A&R Factory for this thoughtful and concise interview.

A&R Factory Review

A&R Factory is a website that reviews music. I received another amazing positive review from them, and the page remains on their website at this page.
      'The Vortex is Closing' - a kind of fantasy song about being stuck on the wrong side of some kind of vortex, and having a split-second to try and cross to the other side, wherever that may be. It begins with a haunting piano and wind-up music box. Soon it becomes a rock song as I sing the melody about being trapped.
      This A&R Factory review by Amelia Vandergast was brilliant, and so well written! Obviously they know their music as they compared me to a couple of other bands, but focused on my strengths by providing positive observations about elements of the song.

Saying No

I was recently approached by a music promoter. He says he can find me some live performance work. I said no. Here's why. . . 1. He could get me work in Vegas or Orlando Florida, but I'd have to do cover arrangements of popular pop and light rock songs. 2. He could get me on a lucrative cruise ship as an act in one of the lounges. I'd have to 'tone things down' and only play standard rock classics, no more originals. I'd be a lounge singer, a juke-box act, repeating other people's creations.
      I'm just going to wait it out until someone wants me for me. I have a lot to offer with my original music and style, and I'm not about to throw that away and become someone I'm not. Having said all that, there are a couple bars on the American side that have approached me, and they feature rock acts and want me to perform there. I have no band though, so I would need to sing to my backing tracks. They prefer that I come as a four or five piece band. Kind of hard to bring the sound of a symphony orchestra with just a hand full of people, and I have no people to bring. I guess that limits it to backing tracks or nothing.

In The Charts

Reverb Nation provides charts based on geographical areas and musical genre. The Ottawa, Ontario region section lists about 50 entries under Rock. I'm a newcomer to the whole scene, yet somehow have made it into position seven so far. I'm not sure how they measure chart positions, but being this close to the top so soon is amazing to me.
      I'm so stoked about this, as it gives me encouragement to continue doing what I'm doing. I've been continuing to create songs in the genre of symphonic rock, which I love. My producer does 90% of the work in envisioning the instrumentation and creating the structure of the songs, while I work mainly just on the lyrics and melody. It's a great working relationship, as he may suggest changes such as adding backup vocals in certain spots, and get me to record them.
      The end result always blows me away. Apparently, some others are fans, as these rankings seem to indicate. I'm humbled and very appreciative of each person who has been supporting me.

A&R Factory Review

A&R Factory is a website that reviews music. They review songs provided by independent artists or bands which are just starting out, as well as ones that may have been around for awhile. I received an amazing positive review from them, and the page remains on their website. You may read it in full at this page.
      The review was for the song, 'The Revealing' which dealt with my own fears, especially stage-fright. I hated getting my photo taken, but have come a long way in a short time, having experienced several photo shoots to get some new promo photos. One line from the review is, "The Revealing from Ontario, Canada-based indie rock singer-songwriter Anni is a rather brilliant effort from a soul who wants to fly free from her own mind. Sung with purpose and passion, featuring a stunning melody and production to savour, we find a sure-fire classic to turn up loud." which was very beautiful and flattering to read.
      As I mentioned, this has blown me away - the fact that an unknown venturing out on her first tracks would get this kind of review is shocking to me! Many thanks to all who listened and wrote the review!