I got a chance to check in with Star Anna. Turns out she’s got smarts as well as chops.
It
seems to me like you’re heavily influenced by grunge. Can you speak to
how your hometown has influenced your musical tastes? What’s it been
like to work alongside some of your heroes?
seems to me like you’re heavily influenced by grunge. Can you speak to
how your hometown has influenced your musical tastes? What’s it been
like to work alongside some of your heroes?
Growing
up in Ellensburg, I was lucky enough to be a teenager when Mark
Pickerel (Screaming Trees, Truly, Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands)
had Rodeo Records open. I spent most of my teen years and allowance at
that record store. Mark turned me onto all sorts of music that I may
have missed or taken a lot longer to find. Also I think my biggest
inspiration has to be Mark Pickerels hair.
up in Ellensburg, I was lucky enough to be a teenager when Mark
Pickerel (Screaming Trees, Truly, Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands)
had Rodeo Records open. I spent most of my teen years and allowance at
that record store. Mark turned me onto all sorts of music that I may
have missed or taken a lot longer to find. Also I think my biggest
inspiration has to be Mark Pickerels hair.
How
did you begin writing music? Did you take a class, did you teach
yourself music theory, did you rip off other peoples’ songs?
did you begin writing music? Did you take a class, did you teach
yourself music theory, did you rip off other peoples’ songs?
I
started writing music by just writing down the words. I never took
classes for it, don’t know shit about music theory (which is a blessing
and a curse), and I don’t know if ‘rip off’ would be the right word for
it. If you love something, if it inspires you, then it’s going to creep
its way into your work. Sometimes I would strive to capture something
specific while writing a song, a certain feeling, theme, style. That
only works out ¼ or less of the time.
started writing music by just writing down the words. I never took
classes for it, don’t know shit about music theory (which is a blessing
and a curse), and I don’t know if ‘rip off’ would be the right word for
it. If you love something, if it inspires you, then it’s going to creep
its way into your work. Sometimes I would strive to capture something
specific while writing a song, a certain feeling, theme, style. That
only works out ¼ or less of the time.
What sources do you turn to for inspiration?
Well,
I guess most obviously, my own life experiences. Part of my coping
process is writing about trying times, hard experiences. I think that’s
why I don’t have a lot of happy songs. I don’t need to work through ‘why
am I so happy?’
I guess most obviously, my own life experiences. Part of my coping
process is writing about trying times, hard experiences. I think that’s
why I don’t have a lot of happy songs. I don’t need to work through ‘why
am I so happy?’
I
have written some songs that I have no literal experience with (Gold
and Silver, Restless Water) but I later realize that parts of those
songs are metaphors for something else going on in my life. If you just
listen to the words of Restless Water, it’s about a serial killer making
a confession. But on a less obvious level, it’s about being an
outsider, being resentful and angry about it at times.
have written some songs that I have no literal experience with (Gold
and Silver, Restless Water) but I later realize that parts of those
songs are metaphors for something else going on in my life. If you just
listen to the words of Restless Water, it’s about a serial killer making
a confession. But on a less obvious level, it’s about being an
outsider, being resentful and angry about it at times.
Also, Mark Pickerels hair.
You
mix elements of punk, rock, and Americana together flawlessly. What is
it about these three different genres that speaks to you, and how do you
see them fitting together?
mix elements of punk, rock, and Americana together flawlessly. What is
it about these three different genres that speaks to you, and how do you
see them fitting together?
It’s
not really an intentional thing. I would say those three genres are
nearest and dearest to my heart (as well as soul, blues, r&b) so it
gets embedded in me over a period of time and seeps out into my own
writing.
not really an intentional thing. I would say those three genres are
nearest and dearest to my heart (as well as soul, blues, r&b) so it
gets embedded in me over a period of time and seeps out into my own
writing.
Punk
rock and rock and roll got me through high school. It was about freedom
and growing up and fucking up and trying new things (good and bad).
It’s what led me to being a drummer that idolized Animal and Keith Moon,
and falling head over heels for a guitar player that was a year older
than me. It was the ripcord to my formative years.
rock and rock and roll got me through high school. It was about freedom
and growing up and fucking up and trying new things (good and bad).
It’s what led me to being a drummer that idolized Animal and Keith Moon,
and falling head over heels for a guitar player that was a year older
than me. It was the ripcord to my formative years.
I
remember hearing Elliott Smith and Damien Jurado my junior year of high
school, Cat Power, Uncle Tupelo, Jesse Sykes, that opened my eyes up to
music that could have a folk/Americana, even country, without being
bright and shiny and polished. It wasn’t the big hair and rhinestones
I’d always associated with Americana. It was visceral. It tapped into a
place that the screaming, speeding, rebellious chants of punk rock
couldn’t. It’s right around that time that I picked up the guitar.
remember hearing Elliott Smith and Damien Jurado my junior year of high
school, Cat Power, Uncle Tupelo, Jesse Sykes, that opened my eyes up to
music that could have a folk/Americana, even country, without being
bright and shiny and polished. It wasn’t the big hair and rhinestones
I’d always associated with Americana. It was visceral. It tapped into a
place that the screaming, speeding, rebellious chants of punk rock
couldn’t. It’s right around that time that I picked up the guitar.
What
do you think was the most surprising outcome of Go To Hell? (Sonically,
emotionally, artistically — I’ll let you take that where you will.)
do you think was the most surprising outcome of Go To Hell? (Sonically,
emotionally, artistically — I’ll let you take that where you will.)
Honestly,
the fact that we actually got it done and out to the world. It was real
touch and go for most of it. In a nutshell it was this:
the fact that we actually got it done and out to the world. It was real
touch and go for most of it. In a nutshell it was this:
Record
an entire album in the winter of 2011 (The Sky Is Falling: unreleased),
break up the band, record three demos with a different band, realize
it’s the start of the record that SHOULD be coming out next, find out my
music partner/boyfriend is an insane con artist, cry for five days
straight, stop crying for three months straight, in which time decide to
blaze forward and finish the record (sans criminal), not have enough
money, raise enough money, finally (almost two years after beginning the
recording of what was supposed to be my solo record) Go To Hell is
released.
an entire album in the winter of 2011 (The Sky Is Falling: unreleased),
break up the band, record three demos with a different band, realize
it’s the start of the record that SHOULD be coming out next, find out my
music partner/boyfriend is an insane con artist, cry for five days
straight, stop crying for three months straight, in which time decide to
blaze forward and finish the record (sans criminal), not have enough
money, raise enough money, finally (almost two years after beginning the
recording of what was supposed to be my solo record) Go To Hell is
released.