With her recent single Lookalike starting to catch the attention of entertainment industry executives, eighteen year-old pop singer/songwriter Annah Marcelle is looking to take the next step in her musical journey.
Nashville-based entertainment industry executive and award winning music publisher Chris Keaton sat down with Annah to talk about her career goals, her musical inspiration, and much more.
Hi Annah, and thank you for chatting with me today. First off, how would you describe yourself as a performer?
I have always loved being on stage, but I have never performed my music on my own before. I enjoy the spotlight, but I also enjoy doing the behind the scenes stuff and writing music for other people to perform.
How would you describe your music?
My music doesn’t really have one specific genre. Some songs are pop, some songs are folk-ish, but I enjoy creating music that is different from anything else I have written. The genre of my music really is singer-songwriting because it changes with the emotions that I am going through in life.
Do you aspire to have a career in entertainment? If so, why?
I really want to be able to have a job that doesn’t feel like a job, and music would be that job for me. I want to do something that makes me happy because I love it, not because I get paid well for it.
What makes you different from anyone else?
One thing that makes me different from other artists is that I write music for me. I don’t write my music with the intention that anyone will hear it, I write it because it helps me cope with life and it genuinely makes me happy.
Who inspires you and why?
Musically, Taylor Swift inspires me the most. Her lyricism is like no one else’s, and no two of her songs are alike in any way. Every song that she makes is unique and tells an intricate story.
How do you stay motivated when you get frustrated?
I stay motivated by convincing myself that I will continue to grow. I know that if I work hard, nothing will stop me from being better at what I do than from the day before.
What inspires you to write songs?
Inspiration lives in so many different places for me. Sometimes it can be a big thing that happens to me in life that causes a spiral of songwriting, but sometimes it can be simple things like an intriguing person in a restaurant that magically forms multiple stories in my head.
What scares or frightens you?
Not being able to make music for a living doesn’t scare me. However, it does scare me that if that happens I will no longer be happy making music, and my talent will become stagnant.
In a perfect world, who would you be on tour with?
I would want to be on tour with Taylor Swift because the production is amazing.
How would you like to get paid?
If I was a full-time songwriter, I would want to be hired by a record label to write music for their signed artists. I would not want to sell my music independently. If I was signed as a performer, I would play as many shows as I could get.
In a perfect world, what would you be doing daily?
In a perfect world, I picture myself sitting at the piano and writing music all day. I want it to be recognized as my music, but I don’t see myself necessarily being the performer, even though I would do it if that opportunity came to me.
What needs to happen in 90 days?
I don’t know what needs to happen. I know what I want, but I don’t know what needs to happen in order to make that a reality.
Where do you see yourself in six months?
In six months, I honestly see myself still doing what I’m doing now. Of course I want things to pick up for me, and I actually have been having this intuitive kind of feeling that something is coming (not that I even believe in that kind of stuff), but I want more people to start recognizing me and my music.
Where do you see yourself in one year?
My answer for this question is kind of the same as the one before. It is hard for me to think about the future and be optimistic. I know for a fact that in a year’s time I will be a better musician though, which is still a very good thing even if nothing changes.
What services should a good manager provide?
A good manager should have my best interests at heart, while also pushing me and my career to the fullest.
What would you like to do after your music career?
After this career, I’d like to just sit at the piano all day and write music because that is what makes me the happiest.
Do you have a Plan B if things don’t work out for you in music?
If things don’t work out, I want to write books or be an editor. I love writing so I would still want to be in a profession that involves that.
Do you have a journal? What’s in it?
I do not have a journal, although I used to make video diaries, and sometimes I write daily entries on a google doc or in my notes on my phone. I mostly write about really sad things or really happy things. I write when my emotions are most provoked, whether or not they are positive or negative.
Aren’t you glad there are no more questions?
Yes, haha, but this was still a lot of fun!
You can check out Annah’s latest single Lookalike and all of her other music on most streaming platforms now.
Visit Annah Marcelle Music on the web
About the Interviewer: Chris Keaton is a Nashville-based entertainment industry executive, award winning music publisher, artist management consultant and a 2016 Inductee in the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Visit chriskeaton.com for more information.
