Interview: Anne Bennett

Published on 8 November 2021 at 10:55

1: Who is an artist that you think everyone should listen to?

I think everyone should listen to Lana Del Rey.  Her writing is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.  I have been a fan of hers since day one.  She is able to perfectly package a nostalgic emotion, it’s very hard for me to describe.  But when I hear her music, every inch of me gets the chills, and my heart gets heavy.  Such a beautiful pain.  Please go listen to her!

2: What inspires you to create?

Pain, loss, love...never anything happy to be honest.  I also get inspired when I’m traveling, whether it’s in the Nevada desert or the mountains of New Zealand.

3: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a creative profession?

You have to have really thick skin to be an artist.  It sounds cliché, but it’s true, and I wish someone had told me this when I first started.  Not everyone is going to dig what you do.  Some people are going to be nasty.  Rejection comes more often than acceptance and praise.  The people who you have to watch out for the most are sometimes those closest to you, who appear to be your friends, but at the slightest hint of success, they turn on you.  Some will try to take ownership of what you’ve done, or tell you that your new song is not really that great.  Ignore them and keep moving.  If you really love what you do, you have to keep going, don’t stop for anyone or anything.  

4: Do you feel open minded about what you listen to? Do you like going out of your comfort zone?

I’m pretty open minded when it comes to music.  I don’t listen to just one genre.  In the winter months I love listening to Mozart,  Beethoven, and Ghost.  In the spring I listen to a ton of 80’s and 90’s alternative (The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Throwing Muses), summers are for surf music, Chris Isaak, Lead Belly, classic rock, and pop songs, and fall is usually for dark, Halloween-themed music.  I love going out of my comfort zone, even if it’s a genre I’m normally not into (like modern country-pop). Send me music and I’ll listen!

5: What outlets do you find out about music from? (Record stores, magazines, samplers, etc.)

It used to be record stores.  I’d love to look at the album covers and base my selection on those.  Or remember when Barnes and Noble still had CDs and headphones to sample an album before buying?  I think you’d just scan the barcode and you could sample like 20 seconds of each song.  That’s how I discovered Bat For Lashes! I also discover new artists from TV shows and movies.  I’m always paying attention to soundtracks.  When I was younger I found all my favorite songs on soundtracks such as “Jawbreaker,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” etc.  

6: What is your favorite format to listen to music on? (CD, Vinyl, etc.)

To be honest now I just plug into my car and listen to Spotify.  But I do own a Victrola, so I love listening to records when I get the chance.  

7: How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business?

I think the music industry is a lot more saturated now for sure.  Anyone can put their song on Spotify and it can be hard to find really good music.  It also makes it more difficult to stand out from the crowd now. And Spotify pays garbage for streams.  Does anyone even buy music anymore?

8: Who was the first band/artist that became your favorite band?

The first artist I ever fell in love with was Mariah Carey.  The fact that she wrote her own music really inspired me and I loved her voice (so unique!).  As I got older, I became obsessed with PJ Harvey, who inspired me starting around 2006 or so.  Everything she does is phenomenal.

9: Do you have any hobbies outside of music?

Yes!  I love to travel.  I think it’s an addiction.  Some of the amazing places I’ve been are New Zealand, Ghana, Angola, Malta...I wish I could afford to do it more!  When I’m not doing that, I love reading (also an addiction).  I own over 200 books and have run out of places to store them, so they overflow onto my floor, next to my bed, in the kitchen, everywhere.  I’m also really into decorating my historic 1730 New England home.  This has become a huge passion since moving in almost 2 years ago.  

10: What was the inspiration for your song “Heavy Hand”?

“Heavy Hand” was written while I was on a road trip down south this past Spring.  My cousin has just died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident and I was on my way to his memorial service.   The pandemic was still in full swing, even though many restrictions were lifted, and I felt like I was trapped, like I couldn’t escape the town I was in all year long, and I was finally breaking free, but death was still following me. Passing by farm after farm after farm in the Carolinas helped inspire some of the lyrics.  I could immediately hear a dirty, gritty guitar sound in my head and the song just fell into place

11: What was your inspiration for your song “Highway Boys?”

“Highway Boys” was inspired by my love for traveling down a long, empty desert highway.  Anytime I’m on one of those open roads and I see a bunch of bikers I yearn to be with them, to ride with them.  This song is about Freedom.  Freedom to live as you want to live.  Freedom to live on the edge with no rules.  

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