Interview | FFS 5 with Annamay

With a new band at her side, Stockholm artist Annamay is more equipped than ever to present the healing tides of her brilliant songwriting to audiences. The songstress has recently released two new singles that highlight this latest musical shift, “Out of Reach” and “Om Hon Hade Vetat”. Both fall in line with a deliberate, meditative evolution for the artist, looking to renewing cycles in love and life to craft personal assuages. A natural empath and multifaceted artist, Annamay makes a mark with her latest.

iPlease tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and how did you get started in music? Any defining moments along the path to present day?

I’m living in Stockholm, Sweden but was born by the footstep of a mountain in the north. Love the city but long for the mountains and nature. Started writing music by the age of ten but it’s been in private just for myself.. a couple of years ago a song-coach opened my eyes to my potential and got me to believe I had something special to tell with my music and voice. That’s when I started for real, writing songs to record and release. I found her, Eva Hillered, and her choir when realising I was on the path of working myself to the ground, engineering. I needed something to bring me the energy of life again. When I went back to my upbringing, I realised it was music. Best decision ever made. I’m human again and have time to feel love and take care of myself and others again. Music nourishes on so many levels.. and it brought me back to life.

As an artist, how do you define success?

Success? There are so many misleading paths in success.. If you’re happy with yourself and make music that influence  people to the better I think you have succeeded.  I mean you can make all the money in the world and still be the most lonely and miserable person in the world, that’s not success, not to me anyway.  If you can find joy where you’re at you’ll succeed in having a fulfilled life, no matter in what line of work you are.  Success, when you feel joy and love in the present for your self and your surroundings.

What do you find to be your greatest struggle when it comes to the music business?

To break through, get heard. There’s such hard work making and recording music, but even harder to get your music out there..  I mean, yeah I do want a few people to stumble over some of my songs. With this new band however, I feel we can achieve anything.

It’s also a challenge to make time for music when having a full-time job, a family and friends that you wanna spend time with. It’s essential to schedule time for creativity and family. My creativity hours I do instead of going to the gym but I try to stay healthy by walking to work and eating healthy.

What do you think is the most realistic goal you can achieve as an artist? What do you hope to achieve?

Write songs that hit right in the middle of the heart of people. Music was my best friend growing up. No matter what happened in life (and that was quite a lot..) I always had my music to listen to, sing and play. Through betrayal, heartache, decease, moving around a lot.. music was always there for me. I wanna be that best friend to someone else through my music. 

Outside of music, what do you like to do that you feel contributes to the creativity that you tap into for your music?

Hang in the sunset by the waterside alone or with friends. Exercise preferably in nature. Play games with my family or just simple family time. Offpist skiing. Also just picked up gardening, such lovely thing to grow your own food. I try to find time to attend at least one songwriters retreat once a year. To meet and work with people that share the same mindset, sensitivity and closeness to their feelings is mindblowing and brings me closer to my soul. Love long walks with some music project pumping in my headphones, it’s  awesome, often end up with new ideas then. Oh, and dance dance dance!!