By Brian Grimmett
With a passionate commitment to music that is unmatched, Anna Katarina has steadily developed a signature sound based around her diverse palette of skills. Whether it’s singing, writing, or playing an instrument, she has a hand and devoted interest in every level of music. With an album out and an intense schedule lined up, exciting new things are in store for us all with this artist.
“I’ve always loved it,” states Katarina. “There are videos of me performing from when I was two years old, singing The Sound Of Music and performing. It’s always been something at my core I’ve been very passionate about, and always wanted a career in.”
The learning began at an early age and never slowed down from there. “My family was always really musical on my moms side, so she put me in piano lessons,” she continues. “No matter what, even when we had little money, she always made sure I was in piano lessons. She would not let me quit, even when I was a teenager having to practice an hour and a half a day and would rather have been out with my friends.”
The joy of learning never fades with this artist, continuing on stronger than ever. “Later on, I got to take lessons from a lot of amazing people,” says Katarina. “I studied jazz as well as classical piano and voice, flute and violin, and spent some time at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston. I’m always learning. I even take lessons now, and always striving to grow – that’s the thing I love the most yet is also so frustrating about this job, the limitless ability to grow and learn, and it can be quite exhausting.”
Despite never ending obstacles and struggles, she always manages to find a way forward. “Something that is super challenging is clearly approaching it as a business as well as an art,” explains Katarina. “You have to choose when to be in the learning mode versus the professional mode. I feel it is very important and difficult to achieve, and impossible to get any success if you don’t treat it as a business and entrepreneur, especially if you’re looking to grow and expand.”
Even when playing basic corporate style gigs you have to treat it as a business; and then you have to shut that brain off and activate the creative side, and that back and forth is extremely challenging, especially when there is so much marketing and networking that is now involved. In today’s world, an artist really has to be good at everything from accounting to singer to multi-instrumentalist and more.”
“I always keep going because I love the music so much. Even at some of the more lackluster shows, nothing beats being told something like, ‘you’re the best show someone has seen in months or that they really liked a specific song’. Those moments truly make it worth it.”
The very manner in how she made her first album reveals her dedication to expanding her skillset as far as it can go. “The record I released last fall, Daisychain, was a big triumph for me, as it was my first solo record and I had recorded it during the pandemic,” elaborates Katerina. “One of my goals on that project was to play as many of the instruments as possible. I wrote all the songs and I co-produced it. I had also only been playing guitar for a year at that point and was able to record all the guitar parts on it, all the keys, all the vocals, so from a creative standpoint that was a really big accomplishment.”
Using all of this as a stepping stone, the future’s looking brighter than ever with a packed schedule on the horizon. “I’ve recorded another album with my project Rumor Mill along with planning a European tour, so that has been occupying a lot of my time in getting that ready,” she reveals. “I’ve also recorded a single, and been getting my band together to do some shows in Vancouver. Later in the year, I will be doing a tour of the West Coast of the US as well. Plus, I’m also working on behind the scenes on some content and recording a small EP which will lead into my next album I will be starting to work on this winter. “
Make sure you keep an eye on Anna Katarina, as she continues to carve a signature path through music you do not want to miss!
