Feature: Annie Anna Decodes “Wait”
Is there a person/event that stimulated the creation of "Wait?"
I wrote most of the lyrics for “Wait” years ago (my best guess is 7 or 8 years ago). I honestly do not remember who or what inspired the song at the time, and the lyrics remained untouched in my notes app until the middle of last year. My best friend from college had recently gotten engaged, and she asked me to be a part of her wedding by performing the songs for all of the special dances. I remembered the unfinished lyrics, and I asked her if she’d be interested in me performing an original song at her wedding. I sent her a quick demo I recorded on my phone, and she said it “nearly brought her to tears”. Needless to say, she loved it, and I finished the song specifically for their wedding. The first time I ever performed it was during their private last dance before their send off. I originally didn’t plan on recording the song, but the day after the wedding, she and her husband were still raving over the song and strongly encouraged me to record it. It was so special to them, and the least I could do was record it so they could listen to it for years to come. Even though to me, this will always be Krista and Ethan’s song, I am extremely happy to share the song with the world, and I hope that many people find it and make it theirs.
Can you describe the emotions or feelings you hope this single evokes in listeners?
The goal of the song is to evoke a feeling of comfort and warmth. I somewhat ironically associate those feelings with winter, as I feel like we all are much more appreciative of warmth during the cold months. So the imagery of winter winds provides contrast to invite the listener to seek out that warmth. With it being a love song, I tried to specifically capture the feeling of warmth and comfort you’d feel snuggled up with someone you love under a blanket or near a fire.
What did you enjoy most about making "Wait?"
This is actually the first track that I wrote and recorded all of the instrumentation on. The honest reason behind that was because I wanted to turn the song around quickly, and I happened to have some free time over Christmas to flush out all of the parts on my own. However, I’m really glad I took this approach because for one, it was extremely fun to write everything, and two, I feel like it really contributed to the intimacy of the track. This coming summer, I will have a few months of down time between courses for grad school, and I really hope to use that time to take a similar approach to recording some of my other songs.
How did you get started in music, and what inspired you to become a singer-songwriter?
I credit my dad with getting me started in music, as he is a musician as well. I grew up listening to him sing along with his favorite songs on the radio and playing guitar, and over time, like him, I developed a strong emotional connection to music. I think that emotional connection is what inspired me the most to become a singer-songwriter, as I always found the process of singing and writing to be very cathartic. I never felt like I was able to capture my emotions strongly through words alone, so music became almost a second language for expression. Using the two together is really the only way I know how to express myself fully, so that’s why I create music.
How do you balance crafting relatable stories with maintaining your unique voice as a songwriter?
To me, balancing very specific details with the general, underlying “truth” of the message is what gives you a unique but relatable story. The overall message is what resonates most with listeners, and the specific words chosen are there primarily to add color and depth to that message. No matter how unique a story or experience is, there is almost always some element of relatability hidden within it, you just may need to go deeper to find it at times.