Originally from a different solar system, otherwise known as the backwoods of Michigan, Annathyst has never followed a traditional music approach. Untamed by the structure of traditional music teaching, her interest in music often coincided with singing around the campfire with her acoustic guitar.
In late 2019 she began working with producer/artist Julian Peterson of Wolf Den Records out of Colorado. The result was a set of songs or transmissions that expanded upon her raw sound into more interstellar places, though still retaining the faint scent of campfire.
Fresh off the release of her latest single, "All Night," Annathyst pairs deep messaging with gallant and high-spirited lyrical content in this intimate record about not settling and finding the strength to break free from limitations and live your dreams.
Co-written with Julian Peterson, the rustic approach that fuels emotionally gripping soundscapes allow listeners to be cordially invited into a universe that simmers in the starry-eyed resonance of Annathyst. The striking timbres that weigh heavily in your headspace have you searching your soul in a profound manner that transitions hazy moments to suddenly clear.
As Annathyst struts the lyrical keynotes of 'don't hold me back now, 'cause your dark cloud hides the light that I seek in the night,' you can't help but to hold onto her words ever so tightly. With the instrumentation tackling an ethereal realm of airy synths and compelling guitar chords strummed, the traditional folk components that are the backbone of "All Night" allows you to sway towards the customary motions in a fluent fashion.
Annathyst has a knack for taking a blank canvas and vividly pouring out her thoughts in a colorful scheme of observation. With luscious singles such as "All Night" taking the wheel, you can't help but gravitate towards her every move and sound.
Congratulations on the release of, “All Night.” What was it like writing this song with Julian Peterson in order to expand the artistic horizon of its desired sound?
Thank you, this has been such a fun release! As far as writing this song with Julian, I’ve actually never co-written a song with anyone so this was a brand new experience for me. I describe the way I write music as “instantaneous transmissions” since there is not a lot of conscious control that goes into writing my songs. I feel them and hear them and they flow right through me. During a studio session, this song started to come in and Julian tuned right in with me and together we were in that space of allowing the song to drop in. “All Night” expanded my sound since Julian helped it lift off to more interstellar and electronic places which have always been a dream of mine.
Could you please take us into what the studio session was like when fashioning “All Night?”
Julian was working on some producer end stuff and I was sitting there feeling kind of bored. I picked up one of his electric guitars and sat down with it just fiddling around while he was working. The next thing I knew I was singing the first verse and I shared it with him. He loved the sound of it and right away started to record me on the mic. He came up with the chorus which I loved and we just kept flowing with it. By the end of the session “All Night” was born.
What musical and non-musical influences do you take into your artistic creations with you?
I would say I am most influenced by nature. I spend a lot of time outside and I work in the wilderness. It’s often when I get that space and time to be with the earth, music begins to flow through me. Another big influence in my heart and what love or loss I am experiencing at the time. Music has always been the best way for me to process both joyful and devastating times in my life. And musically I tend to be tuned into whatever lo-fi, indie/folk, electro-pop vibe I can get my ears on, and obviously that influences what I create as well.
How important is it for you to touch on vulnerability in the music that you create?
This is an interesting question since I’m not sure how to create music without vulnerability. Being open enough to channel music takes a ton of vulnerability on my part. Channeling is a profound experience but I often face a comedown after it where I’ve been lifted to such beautiful places and then I drop back into my body and have to remember to eat, sleep, and take care of myself. The best songs I write bring me to tears because of the magnitude of emotions and energy flowing through me. I think that’s the blessing and curse of being an artist - you can’t hide your vulnerability, at least not from your art.
What would you like listeners to know about you and the music that you create?
As I have spoken to channeling, I often feel like a vessel of these songs. These songs first come through me and often relate to things in my own life. I experience profound healing through writing these songs and as I have released them on a smaller scale throughout my life, I have watched them work magic on other’s hearts. These songs are an offering from my heart to whoever needs them. May they find you exactly where you are and bring to you exactly what you need for the healing of your heart and the healing of humanity.
