Anniee - Let Her Hair Down (Interview)
Foreword and Interview by Vero Kitsuné
New Jersey-based electronic and synth artist-producer and theater composer, Anne Eisendrath, also known as Anniee, unveils haunting synthpop track, “Let Her Hair Down” - a psychological thriller, accompanied by a David Lynch-inspired music video directed by Brad A. Kinnan. The track and visuals are a poetic kaleidoscope of the deep underpinnings of yearnings, suppressed wishes and hidden desires - both unsettling and beautiful in delivery, aimed to disturb the calm.
“Let Her Hair Down” is part of Anniee’s upcoming LP, slated for release Spring of 2025.
We sat down with Anniee to discuss her creative process, influences and what to expect.
With a background as a professional songwriter and composer in theater and musicals, and now reveling in the realms of underground electronic and synth music, tell us about how your musical journey started.
Anniee: I have early memories of my dad teaching me songs while he played guitar. When I was three I was supposed to sing with him at church, but when he called me to the stage, I refused. I wanted to color instead. That’s how it began!
Luckily I was able to get over my stage fright and I spent a substantial part of my childhood singing at church, in choirs, studying and pursuing classical music. As a teenager, 3 major musical influences took me over and made me the musician l am today: The movie AMADEUS, which introduced me to dark choral music, my Dad’s BEATLES collection, which introduced me to great pop songwriting, and the music I heard at the clubs in Germany - I was in an exchange program in 1997- so a very exciting time to be in that part of the world experiencing that music.
What drew you to producing synthpop and electropop, and what was it like to shift gears from theater and musicals to working with electronic and synths?
Anniee: I would say LIBERATING! I have such a nostalgia for electronic music because of how it captured me as a teenager, so when I rediscovered that in my music production studies, I was instantly hooked. Suddenly by learning synthesis, mixing, and mastering I had the tools to begin making this music I loved so much. I quickly began integrating it into the songwriting process I’d already built at the piano.
How would you say your theater background has shaped your music?
Anniee: I think that my theatrical writing has infused my Anniee songs with a “story first” mentality. In theatre music every element of the song must support the story, and that goal finds its way into my personal songs. For each of my songs, I have a vivid story in my head, a unique character with an archetype, and a world/backdrop for them to inhabit. However, I approach the lyric writing for a theatre song differently than with an Anniee song. The character and story driven elements of a theatre song demand an extreme specificity and clarity to the lyric. I feel the freedom with my Anniee lyrics to lean more into the symbolic, abstract and mysterious realms.
Who would you say are your top influences?
Anniee: It’s ALWAYS changing. Lately it’s been John Summit, Sohodolls, Saint Etienne. I crush really hard on one song every year it seems, and it’s usually an EDM banger. I listen to a wide range of styles, mostly electronic, but also alt rock and classical. I find I can solve my musical and creative problems by the ideas I get from other songs: Hearing a catchy groove, a smart structure, a fresh lyric, an arousing vocal, unique instrumentation, creative production—I get so inspired by what other people create.
“Let Her Hair Down” is accompanied by a music video by the synthwave scene’s favorite filmmaker, Brad A. Kinnan, and the video carries quite a Lynchian vibe. What inspired the concept for the visuals and what was it like to work on the production?
Anniee: The collaboration with Brad was a dream! I met him one year ago when Ollie Wride and Parallels came to Brooklyn. I’d seen his visual work online, and really wanted to work with him. I knew he was based in LA and I had a trip planned, so I reached out about planning a photo shoot. After taking some time with the songs on my album and some of my visual inspirations, he encouraged me to think about doing a whole music video. I’d just watched “Twin Peaks” for the first time, so that visual world was fresh in my mind. Meanwhile, he found this amazing space - the abandoned church/ “Black lodge-esque” set which really got us both thinking about how we could use it for “Let Her Hair Down.” We were both really excited about going in that direction. The day of the shoot was a whirlwind - I had created a loose script, brought my own wardrobe and props, and Brad brought his entire set up and some props as well. It was just the two of us and a makeup artist, McKenna. We filmed for the entire 5 hours, and as we were barely finishing the shot in the sanctuary, we were literally kicked to the curb by the person in charge of the space. I remember running back and forth out of the space carrying my clothes and Brad’s equipment still in costume and stiletto boots. We made it though, and the filming was a blast. He’s an amazing director and he accomplished SO much in that short time that we had. I’m very grateful he took this project on with me.
“Let Her Hair Down” takes on a slightly darker vibe than your previous single, “Captured.” Where do you draw your inspiration usually from when writing lyrics and music?
Anniee: “Let Her Hair Down” is definitely a darker vibe, and that was intentional. We have these parts of who we are that become repressed and silenced because they don’t always fit with who we are expected to be in the outer world. But they still very much exist within ourselves and need a voice. I think the darker vibes in this song are about the intensity of this longing and feeling, the urgency of expressing that voice before it’s too late.
Often I draw my Inspiration for songs from specific feelings and emotions that linger and haunt me. This is true of both “Let Her Hair Down” and “Captured.” “Captured” started with the ache of knowing I could never get a certain moment back. “Let Her Hair Down” started with the feeling of having something inside my soul that was trapped and unexpressed.
As both tracks were mixed, mastered and co-produced by Von Hertzog (VH x RR), and both tracks are appearing in your upcoming record, can you give us a glimpse of the vibe and spectrum of what we can expect from the new LP?
Anniee: In addition to “Captured” and “Let Her Hair Down” the album will include 4 previously released singles, and two brand new tracks. I may release one more single before the album.
These songs are the journal entries of my mind over the last 3 years. Are they my actual story or are they make believe? Both. By design, the details are fuzzy, there’s lots of room for interpretation, and definitely straight up make believe. Even so - these songs are about real things that happened to me and they represent my journey into the night, wishing on stars, chasing city lights, moments lost and found.
I could have only found my voice as an artist with the help of Von Hertzog who always brings his best to our collaborations. He is always in service of the artist and the song, and never lets anything else get in the way. I’m so proud of the music we’ve made together, and each song has had a beautiful process.
Will we see more music videos, and when shall we expect your new record to drop?
Anniee: I’m hoping to drop the album in the spring! I’m keeping the release plans loose for now as I gauge the rest of my year - I’m writing a musical with a production on the horizon and it’s my daughter’s senior year, so I need to be careful with the timing. I’m trusting that it will come out when it’s supposed to come out!
Any show or tour plans? What’s next for Anniee?
Anniee: I would love to perform LIVE! I’ve done a couple shows as Anniee, and it’s an absolute blast. My dream is to create album release show where I would perform the whole album as a show with a script and story line. That might be a little ambitious with what’s going on in my life at the moment, but I’ll just put that out into the universe and see what happens. You never know!
For More Anniee - visit anniee1.bandcamp.com
