Rising Stars: Meet Anna Mae of East

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Mae .

Hi Anna Mae, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up on a farm in a small town in Minnesota and moved to Nashville after high school to pursue music. Before moving here, I did every coffee shop/bar gig I could find. Once I got to town, I studied the music business at Belmont and spent a few years learning what I could about the industry while also pushing forward with my craft in any way I could find. My first few years in town were filled with co-writes with any and everyone and playing round after round. In the last few years, I’ve been able to do music full-time, which has been a dream! Now you can hear many of my songs on TV and in movies, and I just released my debut full-length album, For The Romantics, back in May.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but it’s been a good one! Since there are so many paths that can lead to “success” in music, I’ve often found it hard to know the next step in pursuing my dream. And up until the last couple of years, I had always struggled to know what “my sound” was. In figuring these out, I would’ve often loved to fast-forward past the tough parts. But on the other side, I feel like you can always see the benefit of how those struggles made you stronger and more equipped for what you have ahead.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a singer/songwriter and mainly write in the alternative pop genre. My music has been used in over 150 TV placements, including a Toyota Super Bowl commercial, The Bachelorette, and Orange Is The New Black. While not everyone knows my name, because of the different things on TV that have featured my vocals, it’s really special to think that most people who watch TV have heard my voice. I’m proud of that because it’s something I never imagined happening! I think my voice is the main thing that sets me apart – it’s always been my unique factor 🙂

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love how supportive and collaborative Nashville is! As soon as I moved here, I realized that, for the most part, everyone here cheers each other on. I feel that’s definitely unique to our city, and I’m thankful to live and work somewhere built on people bringing others up with them. What do I like least about our city? That’s a tough one because I honestly do love it here! I sometimes envy people living in other cities/towns with “normal” jobs because sometimes I wish my life had that simplicity. So maybe the fact that most of us in town are constantly “hustling”? But I know there’s a beauty to that too.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.annamaemusic.com
• Instagram: @annamaemusic
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/AnnaMaeMusic
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1LqshAgbw4iC1QlZSSR4qv?si=wAfy8WfHRG6sA9KCsxxM4A

Image Credits
Bethany R. Reed Fadwa Ward