You don't so much listen to an Anna Mae song as you become involved in it. The Nashville-based alt-pop songstress choreographs her vocal performance between everything from heavenly string and harp orchestrations to the plucks of a modern guitar rig. The end result is a profound song that speaks to blossoming matrimonies everywhere. Her sync career has continued to demonstrate her influence over our emotions with each new single release—not to mention the myriad of license deals she's had across the film industry.
The latest single, "Newlyweds," is the kind of intended feel-good hit that occurs when a blending of sonic delights find structure amongst Anna Mae's deeply enamoring voice. The accompanying video is a testimonial to the idyllic nature of weddings over the countryside, as the protagonists are gushing and melting over each other's excitement for their vows.
Lighting up like a firecracker in the chorus, "Newlywed" drips with heart-lifting imagery as the whites of the dresses and greens of the scener are lathered over the playfulness and purity of the affection we're witnessing. "Can we always be newlyweds," Anna sings, "bubble baths and sleeping in," as the soon to be husband quivers over his excitement in seeing his wife for the first time.
Anna Mae dials up the cuteness factor without ever becoming a cliche or tiring, and "Newlyweds" even bends to Mae's intrinsically placed breakdown as the orchestration locks into a halftime tempo for a refreshing transitional moment. As the drums clasp down on our feet and the vocal performance on our hearts, Anna Mae's saturated harmonies evaporate amongst the expansive reverberated tunnels of this wedding anthem. "Can we stay forever young, kissing like it's the very first one" the song surges, conjuring up the all too familiar feelings we have right before the inevitable, "are you crying right now?" moments in the films her music so naturally sync with.
What kind of emotions were you primarily trying to highlight with the Newlyweds, and what distinctive message were you trying to impart on your audience?
I got the title “Newlyweds” one day while hiking and knew right away that I wanted it to be a dreamy love song - not an overly emotional or heavy one, but a song that conveyed that feeling of first being in love. That part of a relationship feels beautiful and exhilarating. I wanted to almost immortalize that feeling in a song because I think regardless of how long you’re with someone, it’s so important to remember the special things that rocked each other’s worlds from the get-go. Congratulations to the groom and bride! What came first, the marriage or the musical accompaniment? Was this a friend's engagements you had the pleasure of filming?
So it’s actually mine and my husband’s wedding! I have darker hair there so I look a little different :) We got married on the farm that I grew up on because my parents recently turned it into a wedding venue. It was so special to get married there and while I wasn’t planning on using the wedding footage for the music video, it ended up working perfectly!
How do your collaborators help you put the final meticulous touches on your records, and do you feel like this is what helps make your music so relatable and emotional?
When I create, I love coming up with a title and imagining what the song will sound like and what the visuals will look like. I also do love coming up with specific lyrics, but so many times my collaborators are able to help me put my ideas into words that encompass everything I was dreaming up from the beginning. When you write with other people, you also talk things out differently than you do when you’re writing by yourself. I think that those conversations also help so much in having the lyrics accurately articulate a feeling or a moment. What can we expect for the new single set to release for the rest of 2020? Should we anticipate any collaborations you've been simmering over in the past couple of months?
I’ve been sitting on a few songs I love and also have been creating new ones that I’m super excited about. Quarantine has definitely made me want to release more of my music because why not?! So there will for sure be more releases from me throughout the rest of the year (including a cover or 2 of my favorite songs.) What has been keeping you inspired this year?
Older music 100%. I’ve been diving into older stuff that I grew up on and also exploring the music of artists that have been around for a long time that I hadn’t yet heard. Honestly, I’ve been listening to Bruce Springsteen 50% of the time and also lots of Kacey Musgraves and ABBA. All of those artists sound so different but I’ve been insanely inspired by all of them. They write about things that I wouldn’t normally think to write about - that really opens my eyes to new ideas and ways of creating.