Anate
Interview conducted July 28, 2021
By Dan Locke
Italy/Germany -based, collaborative Alt/Pop duo Anaté release a set of five depth fully rich new singles, “Confusion”, “First Time”, “Rio”, “Flow”, and “3am”. “Confusion” speaks on the nature of duality. Composed of singer-songwriter Ana and central producer Andrea, the pair say “it’s about the conflict between what we want and what we are ‘allowed to want’, between who we are and expected to be; between emotion and reason.” “First Time” reminisces on one’s first love and eventual heartbreak, complete with a slow groove and scattered moody strings. “Rio” is a tribute to Ana’s time in Rio de Janeiro and celebrates being grateful for every part of the human experience. “Flow” evokes similar sentiments, encouraging listeners to find their own freedom and is surrounded by lush piano instrumentals. “3am” is a “bluesy” track exploring escapism, written in the middle of the night out of instant inspiration. All five magnetic singles are from Anaté’s debut album, Confessions. “…beautifully shows off Anaté’s abilities to fuse alternating genres together whilst also flaunting their individual talents. Meeting
What is your upbringing?
I grew up in a family of computer engineers with a passion for music. My father played the piano and the guitar, my mother played the violin when she was young, they both had a big passion for rock music. My grandfather was an orchestra conductor, so I grew up listening to classical music as well. In terms of education though, I did not follow the artistical path completely, as I did not go into music school. Started taking piano courses since I was 5, but always on the side.
How did you discover music?
Through my grandfather, my father, and later on MTV. My grandfather was an orchestra conductor and loved classical music, he is the reason I started playing piano at the age of 5. My father introduced me later on to rock music, I grew up on Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd… Then I discovered MTV and I started absorbing the pop culture. The first albums that I bought for myself ranged from Faithless to Robbie Williams to 50 Cent 😀
How did you start to write music?
I remember a first song that I wrote with a good friend of mine as we were like 10, it was a joke haha. We were dreaming of being big stars and started writing silly songs. More seriously though, I started writing music when I was playing with my band during my bachelor’s. Just as today, I was mainly focused on melody and lyrics, though I would often come with the chords and the direction of a song as well (much more these days rather than back when I was playing with the band).
You are an Italy/Germany based collaborated Alt/pop duo. How did you get together back in early 2019 in Brussels? Tell me about that day.
I was kind of freezing from what I recall. I met with Andrea in the main train station. We took a train to another city to go record our first songs ever in a small studio. I remember being quite shy about my voice, yet Andrea was encouraging me. We immediately hit it off and started thinking big since then.
How did your band form?
Our band formed from a common passion for music with a meaning. We had a very good collaboration from the start, even if it mainly happened long distance between Paris-Milan.
How did you get your bands name?
It is just my name (Ana) and beginning of surname, no fancy story there 😀 It is how I used to be called in high school.
Describe your music.
Dreamy, dark, hypnotic, downtempo, contemplative, lyrical.
What was your first performance at like?
We only got to perform together in a studio during our live sessions available on YouTube. It was really fun brining the bad together especially after the pandemic started. We still did not get the chance to play live on stage however, hopefully one day.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve. Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
Yes, our songs are registered at the Italian PRO (called SIAE). That was a convenience choice as Andrea lives there and I was moving from Paris to Berlin.
What makes a good songwriter?
Having a story to tell / share, either through lyrics or music. Daring to be vulnerable in that sense. I think people feel that.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
The first original song we wrote together was First time. We did record it and it is already out as a single and part of our upcoming debut album.
What is the process of writing your music?
It depends, sometimes I just jam on the piano and I find some chords progression that I like and then I play around with that. Other times, I first write lyrics and then I find a way to translate them into a song. In general, it is really based on being present and just creating whatever I feel on the spot.
Has anyone in the Lady Gaga camp heard your version of “911”?
Not yet but it would just be amazing if that would happen 😀
Tell me about the making of the video Confusion?
We filmed it in two days in Berlin. The idea behind it was to visually illustrate this inner conflict between emotion and reason, between who we truly are and who we are “expected” to be, between what we truly want and what we are “allowed” to want.
Why did you pick Fausto Torlli Tulissi to direct it?
Fausto is a dear friend who believed in our vision and had also the talent and creativity to wonderfully bringing it to life. He enjoyed our project and also perfectly understood the message behind it. We were so pleased with the result and will definitely work with him again in the future.
Tell me the backstory of your latest song “One Last Time”?
The song talks about any form of addiction, whether it is addiction to a toxic relationship, substances, work… I wrote it in a moment when I was experiencing this kind of unhealthy pull towards something hurtful, with the intention to “gain back control” and set myself free from that disturbing thing I was constantly coming back to.
Is this a continuation of your song “First Time”?
We did not create it with this purpose in mind, but the listeners are free to create their own stories 😊
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
It’s a never-ending source of music discovery. I love how it has no geographical boundaries and also how it is such a great way of promoting indie artists just starting their journey.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
Not necessarily, I think people are more and more aware of the social media power even when it comes to music or musicians. It is a way to connect and to make yourself heard.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Depends on the mood 😀
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
For some reason I thought about Sting – Fragile. I just like the message of the song. And it takes me back to childhood.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I do feel covid killed live music, but I only see it as a phase, don’t think the future will have to suffer from that. On the contrary, people will learn to appreciate more the live acts and the human connection.
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
Looking from a learning opportunity perspective, yes, Covid-19 could be considered as a “plus”. It taught artists how to make more use of the online world, of social media, to become more creative and to learn to express their music and art without the help of live acts, which can be very different.
During the lockdown you have collaborated 20 songs remotely. How was that?
It was not so different from our usual way of working, since we were most of the time working remotely anyways. The only difference was that we could not meet and record as often as we would have liked. This part “killed” a bit the creativity that is usually unfolding in the studio.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
Work out and danceeeee 😊
How was it to get together finally in a face-to-face meeting?
Just great 😊 I think we jammed more than we used to. This is definitely something you cannot do long distance.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I started painting actually.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook and YouTube?
This thing was a lot of noise for nothing. Those rules are in place for almost a year now and if anything, they impacted people uploading music without having it licensed first. All our music is on Facebook, including some cover songs – for which we have a license from HFA.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
I think that even when live shows were a thing, the connection that a band has with its fans has to come from a genuine place. If as a band you have a message, a purpose, a desire to connect to likeminded people, this should be the foundation of your relationship with the fans.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
This is a complex question that would deserve a long answer. In short, playlists and opening slots at large gigs are necessary components of any promotion campaign. Spotify forbids paid placements as they compare them to streaming manipulations, which is a position I understand. At the same time, I don’t see material differences between paying for a placement on a good playlist and – for example – paying for ads on a large music blog. Furthermore, playlist curators are struggling to make any income from their activity. You can’t expect to have high quality independent playlists curated for free in the “spare time”. I don’t know what’s the best solution here, but it’s obvious that the entire playlist system is not working and, in this context, the only ones making money are scammers taking advantage of inexperienced or otherwise naïve artists.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
As interesting as it sounds, I still believe it cannot beat the connection that you feel with the other people in the audience as somebody attending a concert. Not to mention as a band “performing” for your public.
In the past if a musician stop doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
Dancing!!!
What is your happy place?
On the dancefloor haha
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million), Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Someone who was totally against selling his rights was David Crosby. He did not want to sell his publishing rights. And it was not an easy thing for him to do. But by making a deal with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, it took a big weight off of his shoulders. He could pay off his house and cover other bills. And now he doesn’t have to work for a living. It should be noted that David is battling tendinitis in his hands which hurts his ability to play guitar.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
As interesting as it might be to do this exercise of imagination, I feel that one’s perspective can change so much depending on whether one is an acclaimed artist or not. Having the reach of Beatles cannot be compared to the reach of an indie artist. Apart from financial motivation, there is also a matter of “ego” when it comes to holding on to your art. I genuinely have no idea how I would react in such a situation.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,000 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
Having your songs disappearing from Spotify or – worse – your artist profile deleted would basically vanish months if not years of effort in building a fan base. As far as I understand Spotify deleted songs showing a disproportionate number of fake streams or followers. I am not against that: numbers are important and inflating streams and followers may give an unfair advantage for example on gigs and PR opportunities. I do realize there may have been artist impacted who did nothing wrong, though – which is sad and unfortunate. On our side we are staying on the super safe side when it comes to promotion and hopefully, we won’t have similar issues.
Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either with something like a dance challenge and lip-sync videos or creating a funny skit or candid camera moment.
TikTok has become a great platform for music promotion, sharing songs, and finding new listeners. In which it has become a place for music artist to earn revenue when people use their music. Which in many cases the daily promotion on TikTok has led to hug boosts on other platforms like Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.
TikTok does this with the become algorithmically generates a feed of content for each user, which you see as the displaying of #. The more a user engages with content, the smarter TikTok gets at guessing what kind of videos the viewer wants to watch.
Because a song can go viral because of this.
Sony Music and Warner Music Group-, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
We have considered that, as we also noticed the power Tiktok has in promoting the music of tomorrow. I feel it is an interesting means of further exploring your creativity as an artist and combining music with visuals.
Breaking news: TikTok is launching TikTok Radio, a full-time SiriusXM music channel going live this summer. The station will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.
Some of the on TikTok include Cassyette, YukoEXE, Ashinikko, Palaye Royale, Josh Dun (Twenty-One Pilots), Yungblud, Morrissey, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons, and Mick Jagger.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary, Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could became a force in the future of streaming music?
Sounds promising, but I would need to consult someone from generation Z to truly understand the impact 😀 not being an avid TikTok user, I do not imagine myself streaming music on that platform, unless it is for “market research” purposes.
With more and more live music happening. And the virus is still here. Are you willing to play large concerts and festivals and what precautions would you like to have in place?
Yes, we are definitely willing to do so. I think the right authorities are capable of answering better when it comes to precautions 😀
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thank you for the interview and I will leave you with a quote from someone I once met: “Please, never take yourself or life too seriously.” 😊
