Life is short. Go for it: Annika Cathrina's Journey into Music.

00:00:00:00 - 00:01:12:17 Efe Mike-Ifeta Hey, welcome to pop up conversations. I'm iffy on this episode. I'm talking with Vancouver based singer songwriter Anika Katharina. Anika story into music is an interesting one. She grew up in a small town, found her way into performing, and eventually began figuring out how to build a career in music on her own terms. Along the way, there have been some pretty unexpected turns, including a serious accident in Thailand that changed the way she looked at life and what she wanted to do with it. We also talk about her music, her journey as an independent artist, and her latest EP, Up All Night. So let's get into the conversation. what I found really fascinating when I was reading about you is that you have a multi-million stream electronic 00:01:12:19 - 00:04:03:01 Annika Catharina Yeah, that was, you know. Like a very my first introduction to, like, putting music out to the world. I started like a social media page for my music during Covid because everyone else was, you know, not playing live anymore. So I was playing in a gig band and I was like, what am I going to do with all this? Like, you know, love for singing. And it felt really weird to not be doing it places. So I started just posting like really bad, you know, quality covers on social media. I didn't know what I was doing. I was never into like, you know, media and I've trying to get better over time, but I yeah, I was posting that and then this DJ creator kind of Demian was like, hey, would you want to sing on this song? I am kind of taking my own spin on Sweet Child O mine, and I have these really awesome violin players that want to collab, and I thought, I love guns N roses, like, I, I love that song. Sure. And you know, I, I just did it in like a, you know, a little, not even not even a real studio. I actually wish that I could go and redo the vocals on that song, because I, I sing that song so many times now, like live, that I feel like I'm tapping into more of my guns N roses vibe. And I listened to I listen to that version. I'm like, oh, I'm so weak. I like, I don't like the way I sound. But it was that was so long ago and I, I wasn't really, you know, recording professionally. So it was kind of like my first time, like getting in a kind of studio and just like, going over. It was very foreign to me. But people liked it. I mean, it's guns N roses, so that song is so timeless, and it was a fun little spin on a classic classic rock song. So yeah. And then after that, it kind of like sparked, you know? Okay, I want to like, put out my own music. And, you know, I was kind of watching how this person was putting out music and that was like, okay, so how do you do that? And then I came across distro kid, like, that's what I've been using to put out music. And there was just so many things that I did not know you came to putting on music. So I'm electronic version of the song, because it kind of it started the gears rolling of, okay, this is how you put out a song, this is what you got to get, you know, in order before you put out a song. And that was kind of like dipping my toes in the, you know, online streaming world. 00:04:03:03 - 00:04:31:21 Efe Mike-Ifeta Right, right. But it appears that that has brought you so far, because when I look at your page and all the stuff that you've been able to put together, I am sure that you're working with the team and all of that. But it feels like and again, all of the accomplishments about making those editorial playlists and stuff like that, it feels like you've gotten a fair grasp on that whole world called social media and trying to get the digital space going. Would that be a fair 00:04:31:23 - 00:05:48:06 Annika Catharina Yeah, I think I, you know, I learned real quick, like what I needed to do. And I know it's it's primarily just me doing it, reaching out and doing a lot of the release stuff. I've worked really hard to build relationships organically with people. And, you know, I work with a PR company that helps me roll out my music too. But we are a very small but mighty team over here. You know, I'm hoping that as time goes on, eventually I will add more people to my team because you know it. It is just me making decisions. And sometimes I don't think that I'm making the best ones, but I'm I'm doing the best that I can with the information that I have. I, you know, I would love some more guidance and more mentors. So I'm always looking for ways to learn how to do this properly. It's there's so much that goes into releasing music that people don't really see behind the scenes. And yeah, it's intimidating, but I've tried my best to work with what I got, but would love to keep learning from other people. 00:05:48:08 - 00:06:27:13 Efe Mike-Ifeta Well, I'd say just before we move on, that whatever it is that you're doing seems to be working, there's a quality to to the stuff that you put out. I was on Spotify today and I was listening to all of the songs, and it would appear that you do have a video for kind of like every song that comes on. I don't know if those are like full length videos or just for the spot that gets the show on Spotify, but either way, it feels very thought out and very thought through and a very professional. And I want to commend you on all of that effort because yeah, I know it does take a lot of work and 00:06:27:15 - 00:07:31:17 Annika Catharina Thank you. Yeah. You know, I, I quickly realized that the world was very into, you know, the social media frames and watching videos that way. And I love music videos, like the full law music videos. I think those are such a great way to, like, physically see the story of the song. But, you know, it is it's more beneficial to like create these contents for the socials for me right now because my budget isn't huge. So trying to make sure that those videos come across as professional and as quality as I can, if they're going to be the video that people come to the Spotify canvas, or if it's like a YouTube short. I want it to come across as professional as I can, because I put a lot of time and thought into how I kind of want to come across online, and it's really nice when people are like, I like, I like your content, or I like what you're putting out there because, you know, yeah, it's a lot of work. 00:07:31:19 - 00:07:46:01 Efe Mike-Ifeta Anyway, I'm going to keep going back to this point. So before we move on. So when you talk about, you know, you hadn't recorded professionally before, I think 2022, would 00:07:46:03 - 00:08:22:11 Annika Catharina Yeah. It was around that time. I mean, I was always trying to like make little demos, but I they're very like, not what I do now. I mean, it was all learning as I went. I was just so used to singing into a microphone on stage, you know, getting in a studio with the headphones. And it's a very different world and it's almost like a different way of singing, too. So a lot of that was like very foreign to me. So it was around that like Sweet Child o mine cover era where I was like, okay, so this is what it's like to put on the headphones. 00:08:22:12 - 00:08:53:13 Efe Mike-Ifeta But when you say singing into the mic on stage, I want you to just tell me a little bit about that background. So what was what was your introduction? I've read about Patsy Cline and that, you know, you came to country true, Patsy Klein, but pop and rock where you first loves So tell me you had all of this musical genres that you were being immersed in, but just tell me about that background and how how what made music special for you? 00:08:53:15 - 00:12:06:05 Annika Catharina I just loved the way it made me feel singing. You know, I grew up with a very theatrical family. We listened to a lot of top 40, a lot of classic rock, and we would always be putting on little skits for one another. And eventually during that time and set of lip syncing the songs, I just started singing them. And I really liked the way singing felt like I would go into my room and film myself in like one of those camcorders, and I don't know why I was doing it, but I just really loved the way it made me feel. And, you know, and then you slowly start to figure out, okay, well, how can I do this more? And I was a very shy kid, so I was like, well, I want to do this in front of people, but I'm terrified to do it in, you know, outside of my family. So I joined choir and I joined musical theater and jazz band and vocal jazz. I all any time I could be around other vocalists and, you know, it gave me over time, slowly built my confidence to do this in front of people. And then when I graduated high school, I come from a small town, so I didn't think that there was a career in music that was for famous people or people who knew how to get there. I didn't know how to get there, so I just started singing in a gig band. We played at weddings, you know, bars, events and, you know, that's still wasn't that wasn't quite where I wanted myself to be. I wanted to, you know, somehow be in the industry. But again, I had no idea and didn't know where the resources were, how to find them. Still very felt like it will never happen because yeah, it's just this is that's the feeling I had. I was like, well, I so I'll get a, I'll get a job and music can be something I just do for myself. And it wasn't really until I had this accident that happened to me and Covid were all sudden. It was, you know, more time online and more ways of me understanding. Like, actually, I think there is resources around in Vancouver. I think there is a community of musicians that do this full time. I think there is ways for me to be in this industry, and a lot of it can be done through connecting online. So because of that, I just learned, okay, I want to get into the industry and over time make this a career and do this full time. I'm going to learn as much as I can really fast, because I know that people have been doing this since they were super young and they've had, you know, a lot of guidance along the way. And I felt like I had to catch up. So I was I was always researching, you know, what to do, how to get better, who to connect with then. Yeah, it just something I had to learn on my own. And there's been so many people along the way that have helped and actually taken the time to sit down with me and be like, you know what? 00:12:06:06 - 00:12:29:02 Efe Mike-Ifeta You know, I saw that you released a song, but like, there's so much more that goes into releasing music than just recording the song. You know, this is what I do when every time I go to release a song, so then I would be like, okay, I'm going to try that. So I would, you know, take what someone told me and kind of adopt it into how, you know, the ways that I could do it. 00:12:29:02 - 00:13:49:00 Annika Catharina That would make sense. And then, yeah, each time you release a song, I think you get better at the process. And and now I am in the industry, and I'm just so grateful because I never thought I would actually be in the industry. Every time I get to go away for something with music or be a part of an industry event, I just think like, wow, I just never thought this was possible. Even being here right now is the coolest feeling, because it was for someone who grew up in like a small farming town. This this wouldn't have been something people were doing. So I was, you know, I'm pretty proud of myself for how I've, you know, slowly chipped away at figuring out how this whole thing works. And it's fun. You know, I've met so many friends through this process that I'm so grateful for. I wouldn't have some of my best friends if it wasn't for this music journey. And a lot of them don't even live in the same province. So it's really cool that, you know, it's cool to know that I was able to put myself here, but also the relationships that I built have been so meaningful and so awesome. And yeah, now I feel like we're all a part of people's lives beyond music too. So it's a really cool. It's a cool place to be. 00:13:49:02 - 00:13:58:06 Efe Mike-Ifeta So there's so much to kind of so much to dive into from what 00:13:58:08 - 00:14:00:23 Annika Catharina That is a lot. 00:14:01:01 - 00:15:46:21 Efe Mike-Ifeta No, but I'm really excited about it because I so there's a lot of philosophical threads to pull on from what you've said. The first, I think I'm going to kind of try and get at is this idea that oftentimes the thing that we want to do is, is ours to do, if We could we could dance around a subject for forever and kind of wait for kind of people can show us the way. But oftentimes the way people get to get on our wagon is when they see that we're taking steps and we're making those those moves and all of that. And I think that's fascinating because there was a time you said, oh, it was kind of like a there was nothing resources. But when you were ready to do that, you actually found and started to find everything that you kind of needed for So I think that's fascinating. But you also talked about the accident, and I want to just talk about that a little bit to see how that informed. I want to get a timeline of when that happened, and whether you've been able to connect that happening to anything that kind of to your sense of urgency or your ability to to start to dig in, to say, okay, I'm going to I'm going to do this because I get the sense that you have described it, the happening of it has been grateful for it and all of that type of stuff. So if you if you don't mind, just maybe give me a timeline and how that has woven into your story now and where you've gotten to. 00:15:47:00 - 00:22:24:08 Annika Catharina Yeah. So this accident happened at the very end of 2017. So yeah, I was just entering my 20s and, you know, I actually took that trip because I felt like I was I didn't know what I was doing. It's typical 20 year old like, I'm lost. And, you know, I have this passion for music. And I think I was always just a little frustrated that I didn't know how to, you know, pursue it in a way where it made sense, like, I, I was I think I was just, you know, it's I didn't have like this. I wanted to do it, but there wasn't like this fire under me because, yeah, I guess I'll figure it out as I go and all this. But then when I was in Thailand and our brakes failed on one of those scooters. Yeah, I injured myself pretty bad. I broke pretty much from here. Down nose down on my face. It was a lot of jaw surgeries and dental work for the next couple of years following. And it was during that time when I wasn't really able to sing because of it being so in my face, I realized that a life is very short. It could be gone tomorrow. Once you have something that you really love and it's taken from you, you really appreciate what you had before. So I kind of said to myself, If I'm able to sing again because I didn't really know what was going to happen, like there's a lot of nerve damage that still is in my mouth. And I always thought, you know, if I'm able to get through and sing again, I'm going to do it and I'm going to I'm going to do it as best as I can, and I'm going to figure out how to put myself in the music world, because life is way too short. I almost, I don't know, I felt really lucky the way that the accident went. So I just lived life with this. Like really the sense of gratitude that I, I get to still be here. And for me, I'm like, I'm not going to I'm not going to mope around anymore. If I want to do music, you're going to have to figure it out yourself because you know, no one's going to tell you how to do it. You're going to learn. If this is something you're truly passionate about, you're going to find a way. And, you know, I don't want to also live life with any regrets. I think if I never pursued music, especially it being such an important thing to me when I was younger, if I never still kept with it, yeah, I'd feel like I'd be sad that I never, you know, pushed myself because I was a always finding an excuse or b thought that maybe something could just happen. Things don't just happen. And I think back then you think you have all the time in the world, but you really don't know. You don't always have that time. So if you're given that time, like go for it. There's there's really no harm. If it's something that brings you joy and you want to go for it, you just you never know what tomorrow could bring. So that's kind of what that experience gave to me. And I feel really grateful because I had such a different mindset before that, also very anxiety ridden. And I worried about everything. And yeah, it wasn't wasn't my best self before that trip. And I feel like I kind of became someone else and I grew up pretty quickly after that situation. And and yeah, I was really I'm really grateful I, you know, the it was a nice mistake, I guess getting on that moped accidents happen. But yeah, I'm just every time everyone asks me about that experience, most of the time, people, you know, they don't know if they've never listened to an interview that I've talked about before or they just, you know, they could understand, like, I think we all have something in us that makes us kind of, you know, shift our perspective. Sometimes it happens later in life. Sometimes it's when you're super young. And I think we all kind of have something that really makes us shift our perspective. And I think it's good to have those moments in life because it was it was a good thing for me, and I'm kind of glad that it happened because, you know, I came out fine. You know, there wasn't anything wild that would have stopped me from doing music. And yeah, I got this really cool new look on life because of it. So that kind of has all trickled into the way I view music, because once I got into the music world after releasing, I realized it's it's quickly that it can be something that you can look very negative upon. And you can you can again always say you don't have the resources. Someone else is always going to have more. Someone else is always going to have a bigger team. And it was it kind of was what I thought about music before the accident. But now having this, you know, you know, this different outlook because of that experience, I feel like I can walk through the industry and genuinely love it. Like I've I love learning new things. I love meeting new people. And I really try not to think about things that I cannot control. There's a lot of things that you can't control in the music world. And yeah, I try not to like get too down when things don't work out or, you know, there's it's unfair and all the things that you could list off that just seemed to be against you. But, you know, I didn't get into the music world just so I could be angry and negative about the whole industry. I did it so I could share music, and this really was something for me, something that I never thought I was able to do. And now that I'm doing it, I'm just so grateful that just over and over I just have this really, fake sense of gratitude. And yeah, I don't think any of that would have existed without my Thailand experience in 2017. 00:22:24:10 - 00:23:44:03 Efe Mike-Ifeta Again. So people would say you just preached a sermon preached, right? So there's a again, there's just so much gems and just so much wisdom in, in the outlook that comes up. And it's it fascinates me all the time that, you know, we often get to be at the brink of, of, you know, something and it changes us so, so fundamentally from, from the inside out is like saying you have X amount of months to live. And it kind of puts what matters. And, and. I'll be interested to know, has that I know you speak of it with gratitude and all of that, but have you found that that urgency that you felt going through that period? Have you found periods where it has dulled and then you had to do something to say, hey, there was a time when, you know, I didn't have as much as I do now in terms of my career and all of that. Have you found that it is deep and come back up and deep and come back up? 00:23:44:04 - 00:26:08:21 Annika Catharina Yeah. Like I think for me, I always felt, yeah, like I'm going to go and be go go go go go. And I've been working really hard for the past two years to, you know, kind of put myself in the music world by releasing music as constantly as I could. And I'm actually at this kind of place where I feel like I don't necessarily need to do that, you know, maybe next year. You know, I really I'm really proud of all the music I put out these past two years and worked really hard, and now I feel like I'm more excited about maybe taking the time to just, you know, sit with these songs, continue to write lots. But I don't feel like there's this urgency to put everything out that might change in six months. But, you know, for it felt for so long that I'm like, well, you just got to this music world. People have been here for ten years and you're just you're just coming in. So you got a lot of you got a lot of, you know, you got to pick up the slack. And that's what it felt like. And you know, so I was like going running, running. And I love to be like that. Like I love to like, push myself to a point where I'm exhausted. Like, I don't mind that feeling, but now I'm kind of like, you know what? I'm I'm loving the stuff that I'm writing. And if 1 or 2 songs maybe come out next year, that's okay. I don't feel like I need to put an EP out next year. It's kind of like I felt like I have urgencies, like that urgent feeling in different places now. It's more like more writing, more writing, more writing, and constantly get better. Getting better and saying, what are you going to say? Say something different in a song. And that's kind of where I feel like I want to spend most of my time. And do I need to put a bunch of stuff out? I don't feel the. I don't feel that urgency for the next year, I think. So who knows? Like I said, I if I could change my mind, I, I do get really excited and I get really hyper focused on projects, so that could all change. But like it's kind of like this. So. 00:26:08:23 - 00:26:23:03 Efe Mike-Ifeta I'm going to ask two questions before we kind of move away from this topic, if you don't mind. So I know you've spoken about the accident, but can I just ask, how did we get to Thailand to begin? Can we just is that is that something that you're open 00:26:23:05 - 00:29:30:06 Annika Catharina Oh yeah. Like, you know, for me, because I'm going, I'm getting older and I'm like, I know exactly why I did that trip. Like I said, I came from a small town and usually traveled with my family, and I wanted to travel with my friends like I saw everybody else doing, like these big tri land trips and going to different islands. And it looked really cool. I also felt lost. I don't know if I was lost, but you just feel like I need to go find myself and I wasn't going to find myself. But you feel like you're going to. I was going through university, and I was halfway through a degree that I was just doing. Just because that's what you do. You go to school, I guess. And I kind of said, you know what? When I get back from Thailand, I'm not going back to school. I'm going to I'm just going to figure out music. I really I need to like, I kind of had this before. I just, I think I was just getting really down about like, just go on a university just cause. And it just, I feel like I was so young and I had all these feelings. And that led me to booking this trip. I. Yeah, and it all worked out for the best because, you know, it's great to see how different countries are and experience different cultures. But I think whatever stuff was going on for me, it wasn't going to be magically changed in another country. And I realized that really quickly. But I was young. You feel like you're you're going to do that. You watch all your peers do it, and it looks like a really good time and, and fun and a, a small town girl finally is just with her friends. She's backpacking. I've never did that before. And now that I'm older, I'm like, wow, that was I just think that's a typical feeling most 1920 year olds feel. But you don't need to go to another country to, you know, I have a lot of stuff going on in my mind that I thought was going to all sudden be fixed, and it's not going to happen. You will you will experience awesome things and you'll see, you know, such a beautiful places. There's so many beautiful places in the world and different cultures and I that's all the beauty of traveling. But I yeah, I wasn't going to find myself that I thought I was, but in a sense I did. I feel like I was taught a lesson and here we are. No I haven't, I keep seeing people say, it's a good book. I, I love to read. I'm such a murder mystery kind of girl, but I do need to mix in a good, solid read. Yeah, on the list. 00:29:30:06 - 00:29:42:10 Efe Mike-Ifeta it. But it's a good book. It's a good book that might kind of, you know, feed into this philosophy that you have now gathered. I think you'd find value in 00:29:42:12 - 00:32:02:10 Annika Catharina Yes. Adding it to the list. Oh yeah, there was a lot of. More sad music. I think I just let myself feel sorry for myself for a minute, just because, you know, I was I knew I was going to be fine. Like, people have way worse accidents. But, you know, it was I you know, a lot of this happened during like the Christmas months. And then I had like a second surgery that really put me out for a couple of months. And that was during the summer. So everyone else was having fun. And I was just laying in bed not doing anything, and everyone was out and I was just all alone. And so I would just listen to sad music, you know, watching TV, you know, I was so like messed up from the second surgery that like, watching TV was like, not enjoyable. Like, I just it was too much to watch. So I would just lay there and listen to like, just sad music and and it actually was good. I, I kind of needed that to really just be like, okay, yeah, this sucks, but it's temporary. So if you want to cry, like just listen to some music and get it out because you're not going to be like this forever. This is such a temporary feeling. And you can either mope and be like, what was me? That everyone else was having fun? This is not how I wanted to spend my early 20s. And just really silly things like just not. It didn't matter in the long run. And yeah, I, I loved listening to like, a lot of slow power ballads like Evanescence. I don't know if you've listened to the band, but their ballads just meant so much to me. They're very I don't know, they make me feel something that it's sometimes hard to explain. And yeah, just songs that cut deep. Those, those, they're ballads just really cut me deep. 00:32:02:12 - 00:32:59:13 Efe Mike-Ifeta No, I was just interested to see how whilst you were longin to make music, the role that music played during that period, I thought it'd be interesting to try. And looking back now to to. Yeah. To. Yeah. To just go through saying once I can do this now, you know, and all of the music that you were listening to. But it's such a. What do I say? It's such a big experience in your life. I think most people may not even they would have the same experience in a lot of different ways, but to have a physical type thing happen as well into to also go through that big emotional type stuff. I'm glad that you have come out the better for it, and that you may make a music and that we're sitting now, even if it's virtually right now and having this conversation. So I'm really glad that it has turned out 00:32:59:15 - 00:34:15:18 Annika Catharina Yeah, I'm glad to. It just. Yeah, I feel really I don't know why. You know, in my mind I'm like, it could have been so much worse. That's. That's all I kept thinking about. It was there was there was just like, you know, if I would have hit my head instead of my jaw, like, what would happen with my brain, like I would I knew right when we crashed that it was primarily like my jaw took the fall for me and, you know, wrecked it completely. But hey, like, my brain was completely unharmed. And I remember being in Thailand and going and getting everything scanned. And you know, when they said it was good, it was like this huge relief. Like, I, I know people with traumatic brain injuries, my brother has a traumatic brain injury. And it just that to me was it's just it's so hard to watch someone go through something like that. The brain is, is just a wild thing. And if it gets damaged it's, it's just it's hard. And I think that would be a lot harder to deal with than just some physical, physical, physical stuff. 00:34:15:20 - 00:34:36:07 Efe Mike-Ifeta And when, when that happened, like, what were the moments or days after that did you call. I guess you did call home. But how did that happen? Like you called home. And what was happening at the time? Like who was there to support you during this stuff before you go back to Canada, how did you get back to Canada? And if what happened? 00:34:36:09 - 00:38:58:06 Annika Catharina Yeah, it's actually wild because it was it was Christmas Day in Thailand and Christmas Eve back home. So I was I was FaceTiming like all my family. They were all at dinner and yeah, they just I kind of waited until I got my scan back from my brain because I didn't want my family to worry, but I pretty much said, like, we we crashed. I'm about to get this surgery. That's I'm going to get put under. But, you know, my brain's good. They're just pretty much going to put my jaw and face back together. I was in such great care, so I really wanted, like, to. Meanwhile, I'm like, you know, physically looked a mess, but I wanted to make sure everyone was not freaking out because there really wasn't anything they could do. Like, my mom was like, I'm going to come over there and it's like, well, why? You know, I'll get this surgery and I'll come home like I'm going to come home. And coming home was such a chaotic experience. That was probably one of the most frightening experiences of my life. I there was such a minimal the language barrier was really hard. So when I left the hospital, they gave me this little paper with all these pills and scissors and because I was all wired shut and on this piece of paper, I thought it said like I could fly alone and I don't know what I was thinking. I just came out of surgery and I that whole experience coming home was like kind of a blur because I was so heavily drugged up from what just happened. But I thought, like, I'm going to go home by myself so my friends can go on traveling. I don't want to ruin their trip. We all saved up months for this. I don't want to be a burden, but the doctor in Thailand said like, I got to go home and see a specialist. But the paper that I brought to the airport pretty much said, like it's very unsafe for me to be flying alone, you need to go with a person. So my friend dropped me off at the airport and brought me to the counter and they're like, well, where's your plane ticket? And I was like, oh, he's not coming. I'm going myself. Don't know why. It's just such a young brain thought to do. And yeah, so I had to buy us again, full on new flights back home, just like calling my mom in the airport because my visa was. I didn't have that big of a budget on my visa. And right then and there, he's coming with me. And he didn't plan to do that. And I'm so glad he did, because by the time we had a layover in the Philippines, it was like so chaotic, like you had to get on like a bus to get to the other side of the airport. And I was, I was so. I don't know why I would have probably, I probably would have not made it. I like just it was scary for me, just like being disoriented and not like minimal English. And I was just so grateful that my friend was like, well, I guess I'm coming. And you know that this whole situation stressed him out so much that when we finally got on a plane to go to Vancouver, he was like sick to the world, like he was not well, like this whole he had he was he's also 20 and he had to witness, you know, hit me and my friend crash and just he was so sick and I think I once I got on that plane to Vancouver, I took one of the pills they gave me and I woke up and where Vancouver. And I just felt like, we'll be okay. We made it, and my family picked me up on the air from the airport. And yeah, so I spent the holidays, you know? Well, everyone's eating and drinking and I'm sipping stuff out of a straw. But it was okay. I got really good at making soup and smoothies like, I got, I got, I got really creative in what I could put that wasn't disgusting. Like, I'm not going to be I'm not going to be blending up a cheeseburger, but I'm going to try to make things somewhat filling like I was. I just remember being hungry all the time because smoothies just don't. They don't fill you up. 00:38:58:08 - 00:39:06:12 Efe Mike-Ifeta I just that's such a good sense of humor. I just I'm thinking about the title of this episode and like, I got really good at 00:39:06:14 - 00:39:15:04 Annika Catharina Yeah, I still love soup today. Like I do love soup. 00:39:15:06 - 00:39:22:15 Efe Mike-Ifeta that's funny. Yeah, that's a wild story. You said it was you and your friend that had the 00:39:22:16 - 00:41:26:11 Annika Catharina Yeah. So it was like, you know, the reason why we were doubling is because I was so scared of the scooters. Because the traffic over there is just it's it's not like here. So it was like, so frightening to me, like people coming at you and it was like a lot. So I was so uncomfortable. I'm like, you know what? It's probably safer if I just double with you and it's, you know, that was not true. But when she crashed, she I kind of slammed into her. So she punctured her lung and, like, couldn't breathe properly. And when we got to the hospital, they're like, well, you can't go home anywhere. Like, if you were to fly, you'd have to fly with a doctor like your lungs could. I don't know, it was just very unsafe to fly with, like her lungs being punctured like that. So she had to stay there, I think, in the hospital for like a week or two. And I was just worried that, like, it would be so lonely for her to stay here. I know that we're going to be. We were supposed to be there for seven weeks. So once she was healed, like, I know she wants to continue on this journey traveling. So I really didn't want I didn't want to ruin people's trip. So that's why I thought I could just hop on the plane and go back home by myself. And so what I was thinking. Oh, yeah, we're you know, we are all such great friends. And it's wild because we don't live in the same area at all. And I, you know, my one friend, I probably get to see her twice a year, but we still it's like we never left. And same with my other friend. He he travels for work, so I'll see him maybe 4 or 5 times a year. But we have like such a I think that trip bonded us for life. So. Yeah, you know, he he saw us in a very, not great time. He was in the trenches with us in the. So yeah, it they're my lifelong besties. 00:41:26:13 - 00:41:56:14 Efe Mike-Ifeta It's. Yes. Again, such a such a wise thing to draw from all that you've said, you know, that the things that actually make friendship thick is such, such experiences. Right. Not often the case, but usually when people go through like like just you said, being in the trenches together, they usually come out stronger and better for it. Thank you so much, man, for telling me that story. I know it may not have been 00:41:56:16 - 00:43:35:23 Annika Catharina No. You know I never because the way I look at it is like it's it to me I just like because I'm older and I'm like, wow. That was you know, you're you're young, you're going to make a lot of mistakes. And I think it's good to try things and make mistakes in your 20s and I and sometimes it's just like bad stuff happens and it sucks. And you hear about I've heard about so many other stories where it did not end the way it did for me. And I just think, well, why? Why did I get so lucky like it was? It could have been so much worse. And yeah, it never there's been other things that have happened in my life where I when I think about them, it makes me anxious. But this isn't one of them. Like the whole Thailand story is just like it happened. It you know, the the best case scenario ended up happening and you know, it, it taught me a lot about myself. So it never is. It's never something that, you know, makes me like, got to go back to that place. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, no. Like, my family was so great. Like, we're all super close. And they were there for all the, all the things. So I'm again so grateful that I had 00:43:36:01 - 00:44:03:05 Efe Mike-Ifeta Oh yes. Yes. You did. 00:44:03:07 - 00:47:08:13 Annika Catharina Yeah. That, you know that one was. Again another experience of recording music and putting it out there. Like I actually took my first trip down to Nashville with that duo, and we recorded some stuff down there, did some writing, and it was really cool to see country music that way. And I just in my heart, I felt like, I think I have other things that I want to say as Anika in music, putting out original music, and I think I always had this little fire in me that probably it wasn't going to work out in the duo. And I think when you're in a duo, it's someone can take the role of figuring out everything, and it was a lot of that person doing a lot of the work, and I was very curious and I wanted to know more, and I felt like I wasn't I wasn't learning enough, and I wanted to, you know, go out there and kind of put myself in these scary, unknowing, uncomfortable kind of situations. So I yeah, I feel like I had this all in the back of my mind, and it was a lot of fun. Like, I really am proud of the songs that we did, but I think in the end we both knew that we we kind of had different directions of what our music was going to be. And I think to be in a very successful duo, you have to be one. And, you know, that's why duos are hard there. You know, you got to sound like one. You you got to be one. And those are like when I watch the duo's that I love, it's like they're in sync with each other and everything just feels like, yeah, like one kind of thing. And I think, yeah, we both knew that maybe this was probably not going to work out in the long run, but I yeah, it again made me realize like what I want to do. And it kind of introduced me to a few things. I would say I learned more when I kind of started putting out music, because there wasn't someone else doing it. For me. It's like, well, you have to do it kind of on your own. And that's where you learn. That's when when you're when you're forced to almost like, you're like, you gotta, you know, if someone else is doing it for you, then you'll never really know what what it was they were doing. And now I get to bring these skills and and then share them with other people. Like, you know, there's young people that I am seeing in the community that are into music. And I'm like, I would just love to tell you everything that I did because say these save you some time and, and make it feel less intimidating because it is less intimidating once you start doing it. 00:47:08:15 - 00:47:13:21 Efe Mike-Ifeta Yeah. There was. 00:47:13:23 - 00:47:32:12 Annika Catharina I know I think it's I want to say it's like a grain truck. I do live back on my family farm. So there's always like there's always these trucks and things going on. There's always someone around. 00:47:32:14 - 00:48:38:02 Efe Mike-Ifeta But yeah, yeah. Just to your point, oftentimes these, I don't know, experiences, relationships come, they do what they do for us. And we get to pick up what we can learn from them and put them into the future as we move how that how they experience. So my sense is that listening to some of your earlier stuff alongside Up All Night when I say earlier stuff. So there's a song from 2024, believe, I think so listen to some of you earlier stuff alongside Up All Night, I hear a recurring idea of taking the leap instead of staying I want to try and get at what what your identity is as an artist right now. And if that whole philosophy of, you know, pushing the envelope and pushing the edge has become part of your identity. 00:48:38:04 - 00:51:32:11 Annika Catharina That is that, you know, I it's funny every time I'll show my mom like a song that I'm like, kind of really in love with and I want to record. She always says she's like, you know what? That's pretty unique. And she's like, and I don't feel like it is. I feel like this is just stuff that I like, and I think I've always been drawn to artists that are a little more on the edgier side, and I've always loved that. And I feel like, you know, I'm not coming in here with any kind of idea of what's good and right. I just want to do things that make me feel good. And, you know, it started off with just being myself and honest and and. Yeah, and then using that passion for artists that I feel like watching them my whole life, they were always a little more on the edge of your side. And I've always really resonated with their music. So I feel like it's starting to come out more. And I think as time goes on, there's a sense I feel like for myself, I'm getting more confident as the years are going because, you know, it's been two years now of two and a bit, maybe three now of putting out music and learning. And as you learn, you get more confident. And I feel like I want that to come a come out in my music. And yeah, it's it's always learning and growing. No guitar. Guitar is something that I just learned out of necessity, like, oh, you know, it was I learned it because I wanted to write songs to the guitar and I, I before it was just kind of like into a phone. And I just watched people create stuff on the guitar, and I thought it was so cool. And it just it always sounded really nice to me. But, you know, I, I didn't have a guitar that I played when since I was like eight years old or, you know, no one, no one taught me. I still don't. I only know the basics when it comes to the guitar. And yeah, I actually just did a writing songwriting festival in Calgary and I just it was just me accompanying myself. And for me, that's like such a big step because I've always relied on playing with a guitarist, and it's still very foreign to me how everything works. But I'm like actively trying to get better at it because I love playing the guitar. And, you know, I just wish I started younger, but I had to, you know, I learned at a necessity. 00:51:32:12 - 00:51:59:21 Efe Mike-Ifeta Now. I think I was listening today and in such a I understand it's just such a a present part of your music and I love it. I'm a I'm a huge fan of singer songwriters, especially those who do do that on guitar. And yeah, some of my favorite artists ever, guitar players, from 00:51:59:23 - 00:52:05:10 Annika Catharina Yes. Yeah. 00:52:05:12 - 00:52:14:10 Efe Mike-Ifeta So yeah, whatever it is that you're doing, whether it was out of necessity and I think you're you're you've got it, you've got it going and. Yeah, 00:52:14:12 - 00:52:31:17 Annika Catharina Thank you. Yeah. You know, a lot of the songs are very simple chords, so, yeah, sometimes they get changed in production, but a lot of the time it's those basic ones because those are the ones that I know. 00:52:31:19 - 00:53:27:02 Efe Mike-Ifeta I know. So I want us to talk talk about up all night. Such a fun. At least until we get to cartwheel. But those three I think 2 or 3 songs that open up the project, they just right there, they're just, you know, going loving, just just just dancing. I want you to tell me about the process of creating this, this body of work. Now, folks might put you in the country, but of course, there's a very impressive melding with with rock and pop and all of those pieces coming together. How have you found making that amalgamation, let's say, of of all of those pieces of music that influence you and that you like? And how did it seep into this particular project, which I 00:53:27:04 - 00:55:04:16 Annika Catharina Yeah. I, you know, like they are very high energy because I love playing live, especially with a full band. And, you know, these songs live just hit another way to and I, you know, I really wanted to bring in elements that I love, like I grew up when it came to country music. I always love like El King and Gretchen Wilson and Miranda Lambert, and they just had this edgy, rocky, upbeat feeling to their songs. And I just loved it. And, you know, for me, I'm like, how do we mix that into the music? Because, you know, when it comes to musical terminology, it's like, I don't really know exactly how I would say this, you know, the musicians know, but for me, I would just be like, you know, I really love this kind of music. And my producers would just be like, all right, let's, let's follow that sound. And then we end up with the song. And I just love it. I'm so proud that, you know, music that I love is like, love to listen to is like making its way into my music. And that's the thing I want to make songs, music that I feel like it's maybe that song is not out there yet. And their need, there needs to be like a fresh take on, you know, something and I want to listen to this kind of stuff. So there's that too. It's I don't know if this is necessarily out there yet. It might be. I just haven't heard it. But you know, I want to put it out there. 00:55:04:18 - 00:55:27:08 Efe Mike-Ifeta Awesome, awesome. Okay, let's maybe just dive deeper into this. So where did this song come the songs they come from? Had you written them? Were they written specifically for this project? And I think the one single you started out with would Won't Be You Tonight. Was that like the first single off the project? 00:55:27:10 - 00:59:09:22 Annika Catharina It started when actually with the song undercovers. It was kind of the it was it was the song that was like right away. I was like, oh, I want this to be like. Thank you. That one was like, this is different. And I want to I want this to be like, it doesn't necessarily have to be country, actually. I just want it to be fun and energetic and add in like these, almost like 90s 2005. And I just loved that song and I loved how we produce it, and it really made me want to do more of that. Like more like every time I'm like, you know what? It needs to have this Chanukah edgy flare now. So every time I go in with a new song, it's like, I need that kind of flare to come across in the music because I loved it. Like I just loved what we were doing. And. And then after that song, I was, you know, in my mind, I'm like, it would be cool to do an EP where it's it's all these high energy, edgy, unique songs. And then, yeah, that's how the other ones came about in the way that I wanted them to be produced, like following that sound. So yeah. Yeah, pretty much they, I, you know, I did one song with another producer way back in the day, but they've been with me since the very beginning. Yeah. And we're like great friends and they do amazing stuff and I trust them. And yeah, they're kind of I hope to work with them forever if you know, if that's. You know, they're they're like, it's just two of them, you know. So when you record music you can do it so many different ways. And we just kind of do it in this small room. It's got no windows. It's just it's just a small room. It's you know Dan primarily playing most of the instruments there, right there in the room. And then Garret doing all the technical work and mixing and and yeah, it didn't the first time I recorded with them, it didn't feel like intimidating. It felt like if I want to tell them this is what I want to do, it felt like I could do it. And all producers are great. I just felt like really like I could just be myself with these guys. And I also have learned a lot from them. They've been in the they're they're also artists themselves. They don't really like, you know, they have a whole other identity when it comes to their original music. So they understand what it's like to put out music. So they know. They taught me so much about being in the industry just because they were also in it at such a young age. So I not only got to make music with these people, I got to learn from them and I still get to learn from them. And, you know, I trust them with, you know, when I take them a bunch of songs and like, you know, what should we do next? And they give honest feedback and, you know, sometimes they'll be like, I don't know if that's it. And I think that's really important because I don't have a manager or a label telling me yes or no. So sometimes what I think might be a good idea, it might not actually be. And they're not not one to hold back. So I really value them in that sense to. 00:59:10:00 - 00:59:43:16 Efe Mike-Ifeta Gotcha, gotcha. Okay, so seven songs on this EP. Why did we end at seven? And I want to put you on the spot, but I'm just looking at the list right now. What song jumps out at you? Like when you guys were done recording, you were like, that's the one. Besides undercovers that you said started this whole thing. But like, what song on this album is like your baby, baby, baby. 00:59:43:16 - 01:01:21:17 Annika Catharina I feel like it would be old habit that one felt like very I just I loved it from the demo stage. Just me, me and my friend and I just kind of loved the sass in the high energy of that one. And, you know, I just think they all have such a different, you know, kind of message and like, they, they all show a little bit of me that I didn't necessarily show in my first EP, like Dancing with the devil. Like, I love that one from the beginning too, because it really lets me lean into, like, my love for rock and like very evidence, Evanescence inspired by that song. But there are just all kind of their own thing and and just equally excited about all of them. And, you know, I, I had like an eighth song that could have gone on there too, because it's very in-your-face, but I kind of wanted that one to be a single that I would put out after the EP to be like, you know, we're still on this fiery, so I don't know when I'll put that one out, but it easily could have landed on the EP2. But I feel like I want it to be like, okay, after this EP, we're not slowing down on this energy. I have one more for you before. Who knows, maybe I will try something else, but I yeah, it could have been eight, but seven just felt felt like a nice number. 01:01:21:19 - 01:01:33:19 Efe Mike-Ifeta You know, it does get expensive to do to record. So. 01:01:33:21 - 01:03:07:07 Annika Catharina Yeah. No it's just, you know, I, I was always, you know, it's not one of those huge EPs where you got like 15, 20, 30 songs or like an album album. And I felt, you know, seven was kind of film, that EP range that if I was, if I was to do an album, I'd want it to be maybe like 12 plus songs and follow more of just like a very similar story throughout the songs. That's it's your dream to do an album, and I have so many ideas of like, if I could do an album, this is what it would be, and this is the story, but it's, you know, that would that would be like a time where I'm going to probably step back for a year and just work on that and hopefully find money to do it, because I have, you know, I have a few things. I'm like, it'd be so cool if this was the album and these are the stories and I have it all in my head. But right now, as an independent artist, it's just it's just better to do it this way for now, just because I want to be in the music industry as long as I can, and I don't want to just train everything and. And just. Yeah. So this is, as I think, most independent artists, this is what we're doing. So it's working and it keeps us it keeps us being able to keep doing it. And but obviously I think we all secretly wish we could just take off and write the album and follow this beautiful story and. Yeah. 01:03:07:09 - 01:03:14:20 Efe Mike-Ifeta Can I ask if this project was had any external funding at all, or. It was just all 01:03:14:22 - 01:04:00:18 Annika Catharina This was yeah, this was all self-funded. Yep, yep. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. It is. Yeah. You know, for me, like, I have a job that pays my living bills. But when it comes to music, everything that I've ever made, I just drain it right back into it. The minute I see kind of money, it's just, like, right back into it. That's why I have my day job, because I want to keep putting out music, but I can't live off that. I can't live off music money. So, yeah, everything I make, I just want it to go back into making more. 01:04:00:20 - 01:04:35:05 Efe Mike-Ifeta I want to assume that you wrote every song on this project when. So it would mean that some of the songs, or even all of them are close to your chest. What? How does that process go when you have to write songs like under, Undercovers. When you're writing those, like, again, I guess what I'm trying to ask how how close are the songs to personal experience and what you might envision and how you perceive romance and all of 01:04:35:06 - 01:07:39:22 Annika Catharina Like there's someone there that are like Uber personal, like cartwheels, like that's just straight from life and old habit is straight from a relationship, from my past that I always tap into if I want to feel like a little bitter and a little, you know, heartbreak got the best of me. Same with Up All Night. It's, you know, the thoughts of a past person. Like, those are very personal. Better hands is like a very good representation of my life. Currently, I'm married and I'm in, like, the best hands. And, you know, all the past relationship drama, like, it's just it it doesn't matter to me because I am such good hands now. But I still like pull from the past. Any time I need to write a bitter song and then, like, you know, won't be you tonight is I feel like I'm at this point where if you know, I have friends that come like they've had some, like, really bad experiences with people and, you know, being where I am at now, it's I always like think about like, well, how would I react if that would happen to me? I would like to think that I would not let it wreck me. And I, you know, I kind of put on this persona that I'm just like a sassy, savage, very confident. And that's how I want to be. That's who I feel like I am on stage with a band. Like, I'm just like this. I feel like I'm unstoppable and you're. You're mean and you're hurt won't get me down. And I really love I love to tap into, like, this more confident version of myself. And and that's what undercovers is to. It's just like being free, doing what you want. You know, I've always I've always felt like I lived my life being nice to everyone. So it really, you know, it really gets me down when people are just like, actively mean and like, you know, I would never do that to someone else. And if someone did it to me, I would like to believe that I'm not going to let it bug me. And that's just more on them. So it's just like how I perceive, you know, different versions of myself. But, you know, there's some one like cartwheels where it's just like, yeah, that's just like really, really personal. Like that one is just me talking about like my, my feelings towards, you know, losing your younger self. And I'm so happy that I've grown up to the person I am. But there's moments in time where it's like, I really do miss that mindset of what I had before, or I miss the carefree ness. I try not to let things bug me, but there's, you know, we all have days where it's like, oh, stuff hits you and you're right back to being knocked down. And, you know, pick yourself back up type moments. 01:07:40:00 - 01:08:29:03 Efe Mike-Ifeta just the choice of of of name of the song cartwheels. It's so like I said before, before we got going was just so symbolic. I feel it's such a strong title, the simplicity of it and just the things that you talked about in school and all of that stuff in the lyrics of the song and again where it was placed, it slows down the EP, and I think the intensity of those high songs is just as the inverse of that. On this, what you might call a ballad on the on the project is just as intense as those high songs, just because of the the topic and the and the theme of it. I really love it. It's my second favorite on the on the project, the next The Better Hands 01:08:29:05 - 01:12:52:19 Annika Catharina Yeah, yeah. You know, it's one of my favorites too. It's like a song that when I sing it live, like I, it chokes me up a little bit and it just feels really important to me. Especially like near the end of the song, I really just kind of let loose and, yeah, I it just like was a song that, I wrote. Yeah. You kind of write for yourself, just like your own thoughts on life and growing up, and you know, those. It's like a song where I feel like I could pull a Taylor Swift and write like a ten minute version because, you know, I talked about me growing up and, you know, my best friend, and she doesn't she doesn't know that. That's what I was thinking about. Like, I had this childhood best friend and we would just spend hours outside and, you know, and then I came. I came from a very small elementary school. And then when I went to high school, it was like, it's not cool to be this 40 girl. It's not cool to be a musical theater. It's cool to hang out and gossip about people. Like, that's what, you know, you're a teenager. So it's all those things that I like. I had a hard time getting into in high school because I at the same time you're like, I want to be like, liked, like everyone wants to be liked when they get to high school. But like, I came from like a small, small elementary school where everyone liked everybody. So it was like it was such a hard thing to like, transition into, And I just remember, like, not like kind of like just being, you know, I wasn't the popular one, but I wasn't, like, not popular. And I felt like I'm a musical theater kid and we have our own group here. But I also was on the sports teams and it was just like, you know, high school. It was like, yeah, everything felt like you had to grow. You grow up. And I was still like, even like probably later than, like I was still coming home and going outside and playing with my cousins and siblings, which like, we could do that out on the farm. But I feel like most kids were doing other things, and that's what the cool kids did. And I remember like not wanting to do them and but still wanting to fit in like you. Just like I think it's just in us to want to fit in with people. And yeah, I just remember thinking like, young Anika would be like, why? Why do you go? Why do you got to fit in? Like, what's so cool about this? But that's just I think the teenage brain works that way. And I feel like I could probably write about, you know, a verse dedicated to, you know, Thailand. I could write a verse dedicated to my late 20s. And I feel like it's like a song that like, I could have just kept going. Maybe one day they'll be like an extended version. You know, I, you know, it's it's always learning. And I want to give all these songs the chances they deserve. But we live in such a fast paced world where it's like, yeah, it's so cool that you just dedicated all this time to an EP, but like, when's the next one? Like, it's been two months now, and I feel like that was kind of how I was looking at things before. But I'm playing a lot of live shows. I want to just keep like reinforcing that, like, this is on an EP like this is, you know, putting those out there. And, you know, I think in my mind I was going to drop this single in September, but I'm like, you know, I, I want to maybe put it in October, but use it as a reminder that, like, this song was inspired by all these EP songs, like still using this next single as part of hey, these songs are out there and I put my heart and soul into it and then, yeah, keep pushing as much as I can. 01:12:52:21 - 01:13:59:12 Efe Mike-Ifeta Yeah, that, you know, that's when I think like, you know, what would a label or a manager say like I that's where I, that's where I wish I had a little more guidance because. Yeah. You don't want to you know, we live in such a big world where thousands and thousands of songs get released each week. Like you think that everyone's heard them. They have not. No one's heard these songs. So it's like you need to find ways to push them out before you. You get overexcited and release a new song, because then the people that were listening to your music are going to go listen to your new song now. So now these songs haven't really had the time for the people that actually have heard the songs. Meanwhile, the rest of the world, the rest of the world doesn't know who you are. So you know, let them find let them find your music. And that that might be just spending more time figuring out things digitally, how to reach. You know, I just had someone comment on one of my YouTube videos, and I had to translate it because it was in German, and they're like, well, like, why isn't this on the radio? 01:13:59:13 - 01:15:49:12 Annika Catharina Like, I just found this, this is great. And it's like, wow. Like, you know, it's slowly finding its way out there in the world. But yeah, it's you're right. Like no one is. No one has heard these songs in the grand scheme of things like how big the world is and and I think, you know, I'm looking at music differently because I these songs have been sitting in my car for way longer than they've been out in the world. So for me, it feels like, yeah, but these songs have been done so long ago. Like, I'm already thinking of the next thing. So you have to remind yourself like, no, no, they just just got their way into the world. Relax. Like I've had people even in my hometown be like, I really like that song you put out and they'll like, mention like love and hate. And I'm like, wait, I put that out almost two years ago. And, you know, that's just finding you now. Like maybe, you know, it's just there's, you know, it's good to just really give these songs the chance they deserve. 01:15:49:14 - 01:17:28:06 Efe Mike-Ifeta but there's just such incredible music that people promote for a short window. And because they have to move on and because they have to get a new funding for new stuff and all of it, I understand the Mechanix and the mechanism of how that works, but it breaks my heart that there's such good music that artists are writing and put their hearts and souls to, to, to them, just like you've spoken. But it breaks my heart because I have CDs and vinyls of a really great artist across the country I have spoken to and it's yeah, it's it's an ongoing conversation as to as to how people get to repurpose stuff from two EPs ago, And yeah, I just, I when we're ready to put this out and release it, I will encourage our audience and anyone I see to go listen to you and keep listening to your music, because it needs to be heard 01:17:28:08 - 01:18:56:20 Annika Catharina Yeah, I appreciate that. Yeah. You know, like, I'm hoping, you know, this next year or like, for the summer, I get on more festivals because, you know, these songs I like, they just hit so much different live. And I love playing these ones live. And they, you know, if I get more opportunities, you'll hear these ones because they, you know, I even back in the day when I would just play these acoustic at a writers round, like they just love them and, you know, they react to them in a certain way. And I just really hope I get more chances to do that, because that's one way to bring people in. But also, you know, there's like a few songs from my first EP that I'm like, you know what? I still feel like the song hasn't really had its moment yet, and maybe it will happen. You know, it's there's so many songs that I'm like, you know what? I don't really know in this digital world how things find people, but it just needs to find who it needs to find. And and that could be, you know, a month from now or a year from now. And to them, it's brand new and it could spark something and bring them back to all my other music or. Yeah, you never really know this just it's a wild thing the way music, music can reach anywhere and or get lost because there's so much. 01:18:56:22 - 01:19:32:09 Efe Mike-Ifeta Absolutely. And maybe this is a good segue to talk about. So all of this accomplishment about streams and all of the stuff that you've done on those platforms, how how does that register with you? How does it how does it register with you to to what extent do you place value and importance and all that stuff? And how does it seep into your music? Does it affect how you create? And maybe as well, we can just get into this whole idea, this whole hot button issue of 01:19:32:11 - 01:25:47:08 Annika Catharina I mean, it's it's always really cool to see the numbers. And I feel like streaming services, you know, all the different platforms have been really great to me. And I even like Spotify because I think I put out music consistently. The algorithm has been really good to me that way too. It's just I think, I think I'm slowly getting rewarded for them out, but at the same time it's like, that's not sustainable. But you know, it's always surprises me because, you know, nothing will take away the feeling that you feel personally about the song. So yes, when someone's like, you know, streaming the heck out of one song, it doesn't really change the feeling that I feel like when I get to sing them, because like, getting into singing was based off, like it felt. It made me feel something as a kid, and it makes me feel something now. And certain songs really tug on different parts of me, and it's just, you know, that's a really cool feeling to, you know, the, the numbers and all that are things that I think are measured by like industry people. When I go to my friends and, you know, they don't care about half the things that I've accomplished because they just think it's cool that I'm putting out music and now they get to listen to it in their car. Like to them, that is that is success. And I'm like, you're right. Like, they're not thinking the way most of us are in the terms of industry, industry like standards of like this. The song did well. So yeah, it's just I try not to get too much into it, though. I know it's important because I keep saying like, I want to play more. And a lot of that comes down to your how many times are people listening to your songs and do are they following you other places and do they want to see you? Or do they follow you on social or are you building a fan base? Those are really important and a lot of that comes from streaming. So I trying to build it where that's that's the, you know, that's going to lead me to more opportunities to play. That's that's the goal for me. And yeah AI like it's you know, it's everywhere. It's a tool. I just find. I mean I was never really good at production and all that stuff. So I never really got really into that because I don't, you know, I, you know, my favorite songs that I've ever done have started from, like these scrappy voice memos and just like my producers saw in heard something that is so human and, you know, a robot cannot. I don't think it can do it. The way that the way that we've done it together. And yeah, you know, I'm not I think it's a great for so many other reasons to. Yeah, I don't it's like maybe I should research more of what it's doing to the artist. Like I know it's like unfair and it's scary. AI used to freak me out before it got into the music world too, so I was always like trying to stay away from it because I was like, this is like, really? This is like really crazy to me. But you know, I use like, ChatGPT for like, questions that I feel like I have learned things about the music world industry by like asking ChatGPT like questions for things that have been really helpful. Like, it's all a tool. And I think how you use it matters. And luckily, like I grew up in an age where we didn't have that. So I, you know, you learn how to ask the right questions or do the right thing and know when something is just, oh, prompted into I think the the AI to create something is just like, well that's not that's not it. That's you know, there's I know there's ways to use it as a tool. And it's something that I think is it's it's here. Now I just read something that Suno has been around since 2022, and I was like, really? I had no idea. I thought it for me, it's like a newer thing. So I was like, what? What? I didn't know that was a thing. So yeah, it's just it's such a it's like, I don't know, know enough about it. I feel like comment on it. And I try not to let it take too much over to me, I think because I always like, really enjoy live music, you know, like can't quite be me on the stage yet. So. I'm good. Like, you know, and you know, I just, I really love I really love watching the song progress into when it does get produced like it just the first time you hear a demo that you made or you like, like for me, when I work with my producers, a lot of it is we just start working on it. Here's a song, I play them acoustic and let's start building the song right now. And just watching the whole song come alive is just I think everyone should, like, watch it at one point in their life, because they'll realize that this all takes a lot of time, and it's just so cool to watch people bounce ideas off of each other when in the AI production. Things that you can use, it can happen in 10s, and you just missed out on all of this cool stuff that happens, like some of my favorite moments are like when you make the song and someone's making a sound with like, their hands and you're like, every time I listen to the song, I'm like, that's actually him. Just like clapping on his knees. Like, you know, there's nothing really anything fancy there. So it's just like, you don't you don't get all that if it's just going straight to the no. 01:25:47:10 - 01:26:50:20 Efe Mike-Ifeta Yeah. Of course, of course. I was listening to some news yesterday about Spotify saying starting in September, I believe that they would have the AI label for artists who are, because that has become a plague Yeah. that. So I think they've made a decision starting in September to have some other stuff that they're doing. But to your point about this process of creating stuff from scratch, Mariah Carey has been putting out like just as demos from studio sessions. I don't know if you go on the page really cool 01:26:50:22 - 01:28:38:04 Annika Catharina Yeah. I it's, it's it's my faith. Watching those kind of things are my favorite because we hear the hit and and it's so when you're even like trying to create a song and in your mind you're like, why isn't this a hit? It's like, well, this is what this is what it originally sounded like. And I listened to even just I think Fleetwood Mac has like the demos of some other songs, and it's just like you can hear the song, but it's like, not what we were hearing, like all over the, you know, wasn't the hit. And it's it's kind of like, you know what, don't get too hard on yourself when you're creating that song. Like from it's like fresh stage because you don't, you don't know where it could end up. And a song can take on a life of its own once it gets into, like, the right hands, the right producers, and they can really just like fast track that vision. And yeah, I love what it's just to me it's like, yeah, we are not perfect and we cannot create perfect songs like Just like that. It takes time. And, yeah, it's it's just I love watching those kind of videos. Like, it really makes it be like, well, that's where it came from. Or just like he would just he would just humming on his phone like that. That's all it was. And then yeah, it's just. Yeah, that, that is so anyone can like kind of start do it. It's like it kind of makes you feel like, you know, I can I can do that. You know, that weird thought that I had and weird melody in my head maybe wasn't that weird. Maybe I should record it on my phone. You never know what's going to what's going to happen after that and that. Yeah, that's a lot of the lot of how those awesome songs come to be. Just. 01:28:38:05 - 01:28:54:03 Efe Mike-Ifeta Yeah. 01:28:54:05 - 01:30:39:23 Annika Catharina Edmonton. I am so excited. Like I said, I'll be playing lots of my songs off the EP that are very high energy, prepare for a lot of sass. You know, I'm so I'm just, you know, I don't have any kind of like booking representation. So anytime that I get a chance to be on the stage, like, I'm just like going to lay it all out for you all, because I am just so grateful that I get to be on the stage. And half the time I wonder why I get to be on this stage. There's so many incredible artists and so I, you know, I'm not taking any of these moments for granted. And yeah, I love talking to people too. So if you're coming to Edmonton, please come and say hi. Please come and hang out. Give me your honest thoughts. This is Alvey on the Saturday, August 29th. I can't remember the name of the stage, but I think they'll have two stages running for Boots and Hearts West, and I'll be on the smaller one at 530. So if you're around in the ice district where the festival takes place, come see me at 530, please. Yeah. 01:30:40:01 - 01:31:21:22 Efe Mike-Ifeta have to get on with it. But I think just at the core of of what we have spoken about today is this person who has constantly taken steps to, to better themselves and to live out a desire. And I think it's so inspirational for, for, for me. And I hope that translates to folks who get to listen to to to this episode. Okay, one last thing. Maybe before I let you go. So when someone listens to up All night from start to finish, what's driving this project? What what would you not what you want them to take away, but what are you trying to say in its entirety? 01:31:22:02 - 01:32:40:07 Annika Catharina You know a lot of it. Yeah. I keep coming back to like that. Live, energetic. A lot of these things came from just late night thoughts of. Yeah, keeping myself up all night thinking about what I want to say in music. But also I wanted them to be like little anthems for when you go out with your friends and have fun, shut the world off for a bit. It's it's all those things, you know, literally not being able to go to sleep and being up all night. And then, you know, those days where you're you don't want to be going to sleep early. You know, life is so short. Like if sometimes when I think I'm like, tired and friends want to do something, and in the back of my mind I'm like, oh, I hope they cancel. Because, like, I could sit here on the couch and be all alone. It's like every time that I go out and have fun with my friends and around people with good energy, it's like, wow, I'm so glad that I did that. Like, I so glad we just got to hang out for like the last couple hours. Like, I don't know what I was thinking, thinking that I would be more happy on the couch alone. Sometimes it's good to just recharge, but it's a lot of, you know, going out there having fun, letting your hair down. 01:32:40:09 - 01:33:15:02 Efe Mike-Ifeta think that's a great note to end this conversation. Thank you so much for. Yeah, just given given a lot of yourself in this conversation, I will wish you the very best, even in your performance here in Edmonton in a couple of weeks. And also just as you progress through your careers, we hope that all that is that you desire would come to fruition and will keep rooting for you. So thank you so much, Anika, for for your time today. And yeah, we wish you the very best of the best of success. 01:33:15:04 - 01:33:22:12 Annika Catharina Thank you. And thank you so much for having me and letting me chat. I'd love to talk. 01:33:22:14 - 01:33:56:22 Efe Mike-Ifeta Oh thank you, thank And that's my conversation with Anika Katharina. we talked about finding your way into the music industry. Learning to trust your own instincts and making music that you actually want to make. Anarchists latest EP, Up All Night, is out now, so if you enjoy the conversation, go check it out and support her music. And if you enjoyed this episode of Pop Up Conversations, make sure you subscribe, follow the show, subscribe to the channel, and share it with someone who might enjoy the conversation I may be. Thanks for listening and I'll see you next time.