7 From the Women with Ann Gray
Ann Gray is the rising indie folk and pop singer/songwriter, who has recently released a series of singles from her upcoming debut album. She already has a few successes under her belt as the winner of the 2021 TasteBreakers Music Contest. Ann Gray’s eclectic debut EP “Foolish,” received glowing reviews and regional acclaim, picking up a Veer Music Award nomination for “Best Acoustic/Folk.” Her songs pair the whimsy of youth with the complicated nature of growing up in the modern age.
We got the chance to speak with the impressive musician about her music and career in this edition of 7 From the Women. So, without further ado, let’s dive in:
What Have You Been Working To Promote Lately?
Some of the main things that I’ve been working to promote lately are my more recent singles, including “City of a Million,” “21st Century,” and “Teenage Rebel,” all of which are going to be featured on my debut album entitled The Half of It. This specific collection of work serves as a sort of poetic narration of my life over the course of about two or so years, with the name stemming from the idea that even despite the in-depth descriptions woven into the rhymes and harmonies of it, it barely even borders on fully encapsulating “the half of it.”
“21st Century”: https://open.spotify.com/track/7KVeAklogTAhH9SlSnaAfz?si=8cfc12c014af40a0
“City of a Million”: https://open.spotify.com/track/3yyEplEkQMbiNjgSkpxxaI?si=9f23a43f638e4a4a
“Teenage Rebel”: https://open.spotify.com/track/0D9POFLcSyqhF42Cz5K3DU?si=3fa4c8bb826941e8
Please tell us about your favorite song written, recorded, or produced by another woman and why it’s meaningful to you
I thought about this question for a good while, and I ultimately ended up scrolling through my “looks like I’m crying again” playlist in an attempt to find some sort of answer to such a notorious question for musicians, which I like to compare to asking a parent to name their favorite child and why. But me and the voices in my head eventually unanimously decided upon one of my favorite songs of all time: “First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes. I think there’s something so utterly special in a song that can make you both cry tears of joy or sadness depending on the day, and the truly honest narrative and lyrics never fail to hit a little too deeply. It’s one of those songs that I often catch myself listening to in a dark car on the way home from some sort of long night, often just kind of reminding me to slow down sometimes and really take in what’s presently going on around me, especially since I can often tend to get so engulfed by ambitions and external validation. This really hits close to home on the line “but I’d rather be working for a paycheck than waiting to win the lottery,” and on another note, I often find myself thinking of one of my best friends, Zoe, and just the way she makes life so much more of a beautiful, glistening, and hopeful thing to live. (haha she doesn’t know I’m writing this lol)
What does it mean to you to be a woman making music/in the music business today and do you feel a responsibility to other women to create messages and themes in your music?
Being a woman in the music industry, especially at such a young age, has definitely posed its challenges at points. I often tend to channel these emotions though, as I often do, through my music itself, especially in one of my more recent songs, 21st Century. I wrote this piece during a particularly strong rush of frustration with the constant and ever-changing ideals that we, as teenagers growing up in this specific time period, are expected to aspire to and achieve. Especially with the growing presence of social media and lifestyle influencers, we’re constantly given so-called answers to what the “ideal” person is supposed to look like, a standard that no matter how hard you try to mold to will always mutate and change depending on the newest definitions of trendy. We’re constantly running after these new and improved ideals, but more in the sense of the ideals being a sort of immortal golf cart and us running after it in the heels that Gigi Hadid just told us to buy.
What female artists have inspired you and influenced you?
Some of my main female inspirations in the past years when it comes to music include (I mean it’d be blasphemous if I didn’t mention the ensuing name) Taylor Swift (the icon herself), Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine, and Joni Mitchell. Ranging from the precision and complexity of their melodies and lyrics, to their impact on female representation and equality in the music industry, all of these incredible women have and continue to inspire me on a daily basis.
Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, why or why not?
When I saw this question I immediately knew I just had to answer it, because as pretty much every single one of my friends can attest, I’m not very shy when it comes to expressing my feminist frustrations. I once burst into a room this past year and when asked by a friend to describe how I was feeling, I confidently just said the words “feminine rage,” to which my teacher, whom I hadn’t known was there until then, burst out laughing just from the sheer audacity, randomness, and not to mention confidence of my response. I’ve also found myself advocating and denouncing such topics in my smaller school community such as the sexualizing of young girls through traditions such as the dress code, especially when it comes to excuses regarding that something as simple (and not to mention worn by almost half the world’s population) as a bra strap might “distract the boys.” Such statements as these continuously infuriate me, as the emphasis is always placed on the mere garments that a woman wears rather than the rooted sexualization and overlooked/inconsequential behavior of our male counterparts.
What was the most challenging thing you have had to face as a female artist?
One of the most challenging things I’ve had to face as a female artist is the constant expectation of my image. Like, if a male musician was to show up to a professional event with unbrushed hair and sweatpants, he would be praised for his “boldness” and “self confidence,” while if a woman of the same talent did the same, she would start trending alongside words such as “lazy” and “unkempt.” I’ve often felt pressured to manage my physical image when it comes to the industry, as there’s sort of this deeply rooted misogynistic belief that women will only be respected, or merely just taken as seriously, if we continue to look good while doing the same exact thing as a man.
If you could form an all woman super-group who would play in it?
Now that’s a tough one, but I think when it comes down to it, It’d probably consist of Taylor Swift, Lizzy McAlpine, Lana Del Ray, Phoebe Bridgers, and Brandi Carlile.
Finally – Where can we find you online?
https://anngraymusic.com
Instagram: @anngray_music
