Trashy Annie’s “Big Red Bow” is a fearless anthem of self-love and rebellion. In this interview, Annie opens up about empowerment, breaking stereotypes, and finding freedom through unapologetic authenticity.
1.
Annie, “Big Red Bow” is such a bold and unapologetic anthem. What inspired you
to write a song that celebrates self-love and challenges societal double
standards?
I am such a fan of unapologetically being yourself. The name Trashy Annie came
about because people online gave me crap about wearing clothes that are “too
young” for me. I feel very strongly that we should never let ANYONE tell us how
to dress, who to love, what size we need to be, or that we are “too old” to
chase our dreams. Big Red Bow is all about loving our flawed selves just as we
are and throwing up a big ol’ glittery middle finger to those that preach a
“right way” to live.
2. The track blends rock, country, and even touches of hip-hop swagger. How
did that sonic mix come together in the studio, and what made you want to take
that stylistic leap?
I am a lyricist at my core. Everything else, including learning to sing,
perform, play guitar, etc, has all been done in service of the music and the
messages I want to deliver.
My writing process tends to start with lyrics, and then I wrap them in whatever genre of music fits the message. It isn't that I am trying to cross genres or do new things (although I do always love trying something new just for the sake of opening the aperture and testing new ways to write), it is more that I am trying to serve the song.
The result is akin to a “mix tape” style when it comes to the album makeup, which I like because I think it keeps people engaged. Let It Kill You jumps from country to hard rock to punk, and I love that!
3. There’s a lot of empowerment and defiance in your music. Will “Big Red
Bow” be part of a bigger message running through the upcoming album “Let It
Kill You” out on Oct 31?
Definitely.
Trashy Annie as a brand is all about empowerment. I am an outlier in life, I’ve always been a little bit of a weirdo. Kids used to tease me by saying that I smelled like urine and bologna in elementary school.
They weren't wrong, I probably did. But at 7 or 8 years old, I didn’t have much choice in the matter. As a way to cope and find humor in the situation, I began to tell people that it was a perfume of my signature scent.
The takeaway for me: rebel by being yourself, defy societal norms and, ultimately, love who you are.
4. The title of the new album — “Let It Kill You” — is provocative. What
does it mean to you personally?
Kinky Friendman and others are credited with the advice that loosely is, “Find
the thing you love and let it kill you”. To me, this is the very best way to
live life. Go down swingin’. We never know how many days we have left on this
planet and I intend to spend every one of mine doing something I love. It may
kill me, but I can’t think of a better way for my story to end.
5. You started learning guitar in your mid-40s and now you’re the lead
singer of a high-energy southern rock band touring the US. What was the turning
point that made you say, “I’m doing this, no matter what”?
I grew up on food stamps and welfare and knew there would not be any money for
college, so I taught myself to play the trumpet as a kid and ended up putting
myself through college on a music scholarship. I loved it more than anything,
but I pivoted away from music in my 20s because I was in an abusive
relationship at the time and he was jealous of me playing out in the clubs late
at night. I was young and impressionable and decided to hang up my trumpet and
go back to school. I wanted financial stability and an industry I could make a
decent living in, so I ended up going back to college and getting my doctorate.
I started a biomechanics analysis company called RunLab. When COVID hit, I was
forced to lay off 28 of my closest friends, people who had helped me build my
start-up, RunLab from its infancy. I had also lost my dad to cancer and was
just carrying around a lot of grief. So I decided to pick up the guitar and
write a song. I’d always been terrified of the idea of singing in front of
people, so I wanted to do it just once and feel like I conquered a huge fear.
That was the turning point.
After that first tune, I was hooked. I jumped in head first and never looked back. My childhood obsession with music came flooding back and it was like my heart was finally full again. I will never give it up again. Music is part of me and I will never let anyone dissuade me from chasing this thing again.
6. As a songwriter, you often mix grit with vulnerability. How do you find
that balance between being emotionally raw and staying fierce?
Oooh interesting question! I think my music is pretty true to who I am as a
person. It’s what appeals to me about songwriting in general. If I walked
around telling people what's REALLY going through my head at any given time
they would think I was a raving lunatic. But when I put it in a song? Now
that’s just beautiful art! I actually have a line in Big Red Bow about that.
To answer your question: the mix of grit and vulnerability come naturally to me because I think I embody that as a human. I am tough; but I also cry.
7. I’ve seen some of the videos and your live shows are full of wild energy.
How do audiences react to your message of unapologetic authenticity?
More and more they react with GLITTER!
I think a Trashy Annie performance brings out the very best kind of people. It’s like a musical version of the “island of misfit toys”. We get the outliers, the freaks, the weirdos, and all the people that society likes to push aside. All the people like me, that social media has ostracized because we don’t look or act or dress a certain way.
We often see people that might otherwise not cross paths in life singing side by side in their glittery cat ears. Recently we had a group of Hells Angels rocking out shoulder to shoulder with art school kids. Behind them were a rowdy group of gay guys and they were dancing with a grandma in a tutu. Oh, and they were all singing a song together about a pink dildo named JAKE.
It’s literally the BEST crowd ever.
We were all there for the music and to shut the craziness of the world out for a couple of hours. We got to enjoy the ride and each other.
8. The band formed during the pandemic — a time when most people were
isolated or uncertain. How did that moment of chaos become the start of
something so powerful for you?
I think the pandemic was the best thing that has happened to me on a personal
level in a long time. It’s crazy to say that, because it was a HORRIBLE thing
for the world.
The solitude forced me into my own head. I had to evaluate my life and find the things that were missing. Without the pandemic I likely would have continued to suppress those feelings in favor of a growing business. Without it I may have never picked up that guitar. It was one of the hardest, and also best, times in my life and I view it as a a chapter turn.
9. “Big Red Bow” calls out the hypocrisy of how men and women are judged
differently for the same behaviors. Have you personally faced that kind of
double standard in your journey as a musician?
Women face a HUGE uphill battle in the music industry, but especially in rock
and roll. There are so few women to look up to in this industry. They are
definitely there, and they are amazing, but there aren't enough of us. It is a
big sausage fest out here, but I fully intend to break down as many walls as I
can. Big Red Bow touches on sex, drugs, and rock and roll from a female
perspective because you’re exactly right, men and women in music (and in life)
are judged very differently for the same behaviors. If men sleep around they
are considered a “ladies’ man” and if women do it they are a “slut”. What are
we doing here? And why are we judging people for their preferred lifestyle in
the first place?
10. If you could describe the new album “Let It Kill You” in three words,
what would they be — and why?
Edgy
Vulnerable
Fun
I think this album pushes the envelope a bit when it comes to female empowerment, but with a soft feather on some songs and a sharp blade on others. That being said, I write music that never takes itself TOO seriously. I talk about things that people don't often feel comfortable discussing in regular conversation, but will sing about at the top of their lungs if it’s music. To me that makes the music a lot of fun.
11. Lastly, with the release coming up on October 31st, what do you hope
listeners feel when they hit play on the full record?
I don't care what they feel, I just want them to feel SOMETHING. So much music
out there these days is vanilla (to me anyway). I couldn’t wait for the new
Cardi B album and after hearing the word “bitch” 18 times in the first song I
just found myself shaking my head. It had amazing production, clever
syncopation and Summer Walker is so talented but I didn’t FEEL anything.
Music is a personal experience. And it should make you feel something.
Ultimately, I don’t care if they feel sad, mad, happy, or any other emotion
when they listen to this album, I just want them to feel.
Post a Comment