We caught up with Annelle talk about her eclectic inspirations, her approach to covering her idols, and her not-so-secret love of country music below.
For such a young artist, there’s definitely some vintage tones coming off of a couple of these tracks, especially “Bobbie.” How did you get so interested in the sounds of the past?
I grew up with parents who are very passionate about music and the arts so there was never a time when we didn’t have music playing in the house. I learned a lot about music in past decades from them. Also, my dad plays in a hobby band. I learned a lot of classics by watching him and hearing him rehearse and occasionally singing with him on stage.
You got into music at a very young age and have even been crafting your own albums and EPs for nearly a decade. How would you say your style has evolved since the first steps into curating your work as an artist?
Change as an artist is inevitable. A lot of my earlier work was inspired by the music my family played around me. As I got older, I began to find my own identity both in life and musically. I really fell in love with R&B and Jazz in my early teens and in university I became more interested in alternative music. I don’t know what the future holds for me but I’m open to combining any kind of genre because I like to make music that doesn’t have a label.
How would you describe your songwriting process?
Mostly, I start with making an instrumental track on Logic, so the melody comes first. But there are very special times when a lyric comes to me, and I build a song around that one lyric. I usually play it out on the piano but more recently I’ve started to build it around the guitar.
Who have been some of your biggest musical inspirations? What have you been listening to lately?
When I was younger, I listened to a lot of Joni Mitchell and Amy Winehouse. My Irish uncle, who is also a musician, sends me CDs for my birthday. I draw a lot of inspiration from the powerful female vocalists and songwriters that he sends to me, including Duffy, MIA, and Weyes Blood. When I was 14 an older cousin played Daniel Caesar and Sabrina Claudio for me. Their music really shifted my music taste into a more contemporary R&B direction. As for who I’m listening to? Well, I still love Sabrina Claudio. I’ve gone back to Norah Jones, Fiona Apple, and Faye Webster lately. Those have been really moving me creatively. Charlotte Day Wilson is also absolutely incredible. Her voice gives me the shivers!
You include a cover among your three live songs – what about the Ariana Grande track drew you to it?
I like that Ariana Grande experimented with her lower register in this song. There’s a lot you can do with it vocally. I also have an alto register so it’s fun to play with the lower end of my voice with a more pop song. Pop music is usually sung in a higher register, so this feels different. And of course, it’s Ariana and she is the queen!
You mention your love for any and all genres – can we expect you to explore any new areas that you haven’t yet on future releases?
Absolutely. I love this question! I’m a secret country music fan. I’ve been listening to a lot of Kacey Musgraves lately and I’m sure a lot of that will seep into the music I make this summer. I just love the storytelling in pop country.
What’s next for Molly Annelle? Anything else you’d like us to know?
I’m going to be producing a lot of music myself. I would like to revert to my bedroom style production. I’m an outgoing person but prefer to work alone when it comes to music and art. But that’s not to say I haven’t had an incredibly enriching experience working with all of my amazing mentors like Louise Burns.
