Artist Profile: Anna Vogelzang
On October 4th at Hot Shot Muffler will be the “Beacon” EP Release show with a performance by Anna Vogelzang and support from Kibi Dango and Sofia Wolfson. We had a chance to chat with Anna about her new album. Get tickets to the show on Eventbrite!
01. Tell us all about your new album!
I’m so excited for this album, Beacon, to be out in the world (on 10/4!) It is my first true Los Angeles record, through and through - it’s also been my longest project from start to finish. I co-produced the whole album with my friend Tyler Chester, and it really touched on a sonic landscape I’ve never delved into before. We recorded the songs live in the room with drummer Jay Bellerose, which caught a huge amount of magic, and all of the songs have gorgeous textures on top of their bones - almost all of which I owe to Tyler’s ear. It’s also thanks to Adam Levy on guitar and Mai Bloomfield on cello, who added their musicianship so beautifully. I ALSO owe so much to Todd Sickafoose, who mixed the album, and Eric Boulanger at The Bakery in LA, who mastered it. Tyler, Todd, and Eric are like the dudes-with-great-taste trifecta. I was so happy to create these sounds with them in my corner.
02. What was the inspiration behind it?
A bit after I moved to LA, I discovered I was pregnant with my first kid. I had a new, super strong sense of community thanks to the songwriting group Adam Levy and I had formed - Song Salon - where a bunch of us got together, brought a new song every single week, and workshopped with each other, encouraged each other, stretched each other. So musically, I felt so supported. And I was in this new place, locally, I was learning this new city. And then suddenly I also had this approaching huge life change of being pregnant… so I decided to record an album through the very transitional process, despite - and because of - the uncertainty of what the other side was gonna look like. I figured if I made something while I was pregnant, I’d still have a project to work on waiting for me on the other side. So much of the process of pregnancy and acclimating to LA made their way onto the record - both of those transient states created the foundation for Beacon. It’s about fearing and trusting all states of the unknown. The songs were born from that place, following - and sometimes waiting for - the light through the dark.
03. Who are some musicians you aspire to? Any specific genres?
There are people across all genres that I look up to - the mastery of classical music is something that I want to achieve in this medium. A friend of mine, who I studied opera with lifetimes ago, is now a professional classical singer traveling the world. She told me that she ultimately decided to return to the art form because it’s “the most beautiful thing (she) can create with (her) body”. I want to do that for songs, just create the most beautiful thing I’m able to. I want to become a more proficient player like my friends Courtney Hartman, Mason Stoops, Rich Hinman - all of whom are so musical in their interpretations, and the skill and proficiency are the foundation for the craftsmanship. I want to build songs like Joni Mitchell that are wild and unexpected and also timeless, archival in a sense. It’s so easy to sway towards trends in songwriting, but my goal for myself is not to hit what’s hot right now, just to create songs that live beyond me. I want to delve even further into the stretches of my own voice, which I feel like so many of my friends - Madison Cunningham, Jamie Drake, Emily Hope Price, Anais Mitchell - are brilliant at. There are so many musicians I look up to, and I feel lucky to call a lot of them my friends.
03. What is your favorite part about Los Angeles? Any specific spots you love going to or hanging out in?
I’m so excited for this album, Beacon, to be out in the world (on 10/4!) It is my first true Los Angeles record, through and through - it’s also been my longest project from start to finish. I co-produced the whole album with my friend Tyler Chester, and it really touched on a sonic landscape I’ve never delved into before. We recorded the songs live in the room with drummer Jay Bellerose, which caught a huge amount of magic, and all of the songs have gorgeous textures on top of their bones - almost all of which I owe to Tyler’s ear. It’s also thanks to Adam Levy on guitar and Mai Bloomfield on cello, who added their musicianship so beautifully. I ALSO owe so much to Todd Sickafoose, who mixed the album, and Eric Boulanger at The Bakery in LA, who mastered it. Tyler, Todd, and Eric are like the dudes-with-great-taste trifecta. I was so happy to create these sounds with them in my corner.
