forget the “right time” - an interview with musician Anna Dellaria
12/19/19
about perfection, loneliness, and trusting the process.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background as a musician and artist! Who you are, where you're from, something you wish more people initially knew about you?
Firstly, thank you for having me! :)
I'm Anna Dellaria, and I'm a singer and songwriter from San Rafael, CA (about 20 min North of San Francisco)! I play piano with improper technique (just feels better), I love dogs and Beyonce, and singing/writing music is when I feel the most like myself.
Where do you find yourself mainly drawing inspiration from for your music?
I love visual art. Collages and graphic design have recently inspired a lot of lyric/harmony in my music. Aside from that, I'll notice things about the environment around me (i.e. in crooked trees or cracks on the sidewalk). Basically inspired by things that make me pause for a moment & wonder how it got there or where it's going. Driving is the best for that because it forces you to be present with yourself and your thoughts. Often times I'll get inspired but suddenly a text will come in or I'll be interrupted by something else.
What are some things you wish you would have known before entering the music industry?
Nobody knows what music/art is good or bad. Probably because there's not really "good" or "bad". It's all subjective, and the only thing that matters is making music that affects others or yourself! Also that there are some awesome people in it and others that are also lonely and unsure about what they're doing and not everyone has it together. I found that comforting personally.
What do you hope listeners get out of your music? What messages are you trying to convey?
I hope they feel a little less alone, or inspired. Whether it be an uptempo song like "Mama Said" or "I Choose Me" that's directed towards empowerment and uplifting, or more confessional and stripped songs that maybe admit parts of ourselves we don't want to confront. Part of why I love lots of different music is because the messages can be interpreted by the listeners in different ways - the only important thing to me is that it affected them somehow.
What song/set of lyrics that you've written are you most emotionally attached to?
"My biggest fear's becoming everything you told me I'd be - a worthless, inconvenience bad at best. So thank you father for teaching me to fit just right - now I'm left with someone I don't recognize - composed of everyone but who the hell am I".
(if you can believe it I actually start to reclaim my pride somewhere in that unreleased song)
There's always a large degree of vulnerability that comes with putting your art into the world, what advice do you have for someone who might be scared to take that first step?
Don't wait until you think it's "perfect" cause it'll never be perfect or "the right time". So many creatives allow the fear of imperfection or failure stops them from actually ever sharing any of their work. I've found the most growth after I put the music out, because once you let it go you can truly look at the pieces of it you love, hate, or maybe want to extend upon. Also, the process of actually sharing that art oftentimes is educational and also should be something to take pride in and congratulate; Don't wait to see how it's received just keep moving on and celebrating. (I know, easier said than done).
I know that this last event was your final show of the year, what kind of things can we expect from you in 2020? What will you be working on in this little break period? Or is it top secret...
I'm wrapping up a bunch of new music for the top of next year in addition to the EP that's completed and on it's way to you all in the Spring of 2020 :) I'm also planning some shows, so stay tuned for the next date!
huge thank you to Anna for taking the time to chat with us, make sure to stream her latest release, “Sorry Doesn’t Work,” on all platforms now.