The Anahit’s
Interview conducted March 20, 2021
By Dan Locke
Budapest based band The Anahit’s melancholic pop tunes have always had the experience of womanhood as a center of their topics. Their new song, Heart Alive released on the 8th of March, international women’s day, circles around the abuse and violence endured by women with a gloves off attitude, inspired by the very own experiences of Rita Csányi, the band’s frontwoman. Regardless of the heavy topic the song, which steps into a new direction compared to the band’s earlier sound, brings a sense of hope to the listener.
What is your upbringing?
I grew up in Budapest in a loving family with my parents and my brother who is 11 years younger than me. Even though my family was supporting me in every way during my teenage years it was quite a shock for them when I decided to start my journey in the music industry. I was 16 when I told them I wanted to be a musician and I already knew I wanted to go to London to study contemporary music. It took them a while to understand how determined I was and when I turned 18 I finally moved to London for 4 years to study at ICMP.
How did you discover music?
Even though my parents aren’t musicians they always had a passion for music. The used to collect vinyls and CDs so it was obvious for me since I was a child that music is almost like air, you can’t live without it.
How did you start to write music?
When I was 14, I had my first “heartbreak” and that was actually the point where I realized I needed to express my pain in some kind of way. So, I started to write songs and that’s how it all started. It was the most incredible feeling because I could finally turn something negative into an inspiring piece of art.
How did your band form?
After I graduated from university in 2017, I moved back to Budapest, and shortly after that I met Soma, our producer and keyboard player through a friend. It was quite interesting because we didn’t have a band yet but already had a guitarist, George who I knew from ICMP as well and we worked together on my final project for my degree. So, all of a sudden, we had 3 people already and even though George was still in London we could work remotely and he would fly to Budapest when we had gigs.
Our drummer Dani joined us in 2019. We knew him from open mics a long time before he joined, but in 2019 we felt like we need to take our live performance to the next level.
How did you get your bands name?
Anahit is the goddess of wisdom and water in the Armenian mythology. Because I have Armenian roots and I love writing by the riverside or use metaphors connected to water I thought this would be the perfect name for this project.
Rita why did you move to Budapest?
This is always a tough question. I thought I had to make it in my country first and then try to get recognized in other countries.
I feel like I have to show something to a UK or USA based label in order to get signed. I have to prove that ‘hey this is actually working in other countries so it might work there as well.’
Describe your music.
Brutally honest and quite dramatic. We like to call it dramatic pop with some dark r&b spices.
What is the meaning of “We’ve all been there You’re not Alone”?
Basically, exactly that. We’re all going through very similar feelings during our lives but still we tend to think that we’re alone and no one else can relate. I believe that our music can give some kind of comfort for those who are hurt. We’d like to give emotional support to the people who are listening to our songs.
What was your first performance like at Kikeltelo Elektro Fordulo with Ferko and Analog Balaton?
I was so nervous. Even though I had loads of gigs when I was in high school, this was different. I felt like I was naked in front of the audience, because it was the first time, I performed my own songs. When we got off stage, I felt extremely happy and relieved. It was fantastic.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
No, not yet. We’re only at the Hungarian Artisjus.
What makes a good songwriter?
In my opinion, a good songwriter writes honest songs that people can relate to. A good writer is creative, original, can surprise the audience with every new song, and makes music that feels real.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Well, here’s the thing, I wrote dozens of songs during university because i was on the Songwriting Programmed. None of those were recorded and released because I was still working on myself as a writer, singer and producer. The first song I wrote was a long time before that and it was called ‘Jack is gone’. I made a home recording of it and never released it anywhere. I was quite a beginner at the time. 🙂
What is the process of writing your music?
I’m usually the one who writes the toplines and after that, we work on the instrumental with the guys. Lyrics and melody are probably the main thing in our music, so I have different writing strategies that I like to use. I’m writing 1-2 songs every week so we can have enough material to choose the best songs for release.
How was it to win the Eter Fesztival talent show which led you to play the Sziget Festival?
That time we were performing with Soma as an electronic duo because George couldn’t fly home. Honestly, we did our best but couldn’t imagine to win Eter festival. When the judges said our name out loud, I started jumping and screaming because I was so happy. And then we played at Sziget which was such an amazing experience. We had a massive stage and 80% of the audience was from abroad and they loved us. The feedback from them was just so important and precious for us.
Tell me about the making of the video “To My Haters”?
So, we wrote this quite ironic and tough sounding song ‘To My Haters’ and we wanted a shocking and cool music video for it. All we knew was that we wanted the video to match the lyrics of the song. Sofia, the director came up with the whole concept and we fell in love with it the first time she sent us the script.
Tell me about your latest song “Heart Alive” which was released on International Women’s Day.
I wrote Heart Alive in 2020, after I could finally let go of past traumas and toxic relationships. It was definitely therapy for me. I showed it to the band and our manager, and they said that this song could help thousands of women by encouraging them to speak up about abuse and toxic situations that they went through. We decided to release it a year later to have time to connect with organizations that help women who went through physical, emotional and verbal abuse.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I think it is really amazing that nowadays we don’t need record labels to share our music and connect with our audience, so streaming is definitely amazing for that. At the same time, it’s a lot harder to break through the noise. The competition is so much bigger and tougher, but in my opinion with a proper marketing plan it can work pretty well.
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?
Yes, I think most kids now don’t really know what it means, unless they study music.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I love both and in certain countries vinyl is getting more and more popular. We really want to release our next album on vinyl as well.
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?
Well, it definitely killed it for now. But I think as soon as COVID will be gone or at least we’ll all be vaccinated people will return to live gigs. The feeling, the crowd, the vibes…no live stream gig can replace that.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
We wrote even more songs and worked on our bands branding and marketing strategies.
How is it to teach music at the ImPro School during the lockdown?
To be honest it’s a lucky thing that you can teach songwriting online. I miss the regular lessons, but for now I got used to teaching online and I’m trying my best to keep my students motivated every week.
How was it to be a nominee for the HEMI Music Hub Awards?
It was such an honour to be a nominee for HEMI. We learnt a lot of new things and had the chance to connect with managers, booking agents and artists from the Eastern European region.
Is a Grammy next?
I love the fact that you asked that question, because in Hungary no one even dares to ask it. Yes, absolutely! First Hungarian pop band to ever win a Grammy, it’s definitely part of our plan.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I’m lucky because I have a dog and I live quite close to a forest. So long walks and playing with him outside keeps me physically and mentally fit.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I would love to say yes, but music is my everything. My life, my work, my motivation, my hobby…it’s life.
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?
I think many people and artists might switch to other social media platforms. Maybe YouTube will become even more popular for this kind of content.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
We have to be more active on social media. Doing interesting and fun videos, interact with them and make more of our art to keep them engaged. Last year we did a session called ‘Popwriting Monday’ where I wrote a new pop song and recorded a video of my singing it every Monday. Our fans loved it!
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.
I never really liked to the idea of pay to play. Simply because even if you’re a smaller act you still do the work. But in certain cases, it’s worth it and it is an investment.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
I’m going, to be honest; I only like real concerts and for me, nothing else can replace that. I talked about this with some of my friends who are not in the industry and they said the same thing.
Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?
It really depends on which country we’re talking about. In certain places, governments can truly help music creators and live venues and save the industry. But in countries like mine, the music industry and live venues are not getting any help. The financial help they offer is so little that you can’t really survive with that.
Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artist? The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/relief-resources. Have you applied for it yet?
Yes, I knew about it and it is truly amazing how many people they helped. I haven’t applied for it yet.
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?
Honestly, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. But if I must choose, I would say I would probably be a pastry chef.
What is your happy place?
My happy place is wherever my music takes me.
A lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. 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.
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? Another factor is mortality.
That’s a very difficult question. It would depend on the situation I’m in but if it would be needed, I would consider selling it, but I don’t know the right answer because I never actually thought about this before.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on Monday (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 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
It just means that the competition gets bigger and bigger. We’ll have to find ways to get noticed and it will definitely be harder than ever but I believe that real talent finds its way no matter what.
