INTERVIEW: Annie Bass on her comeback single 'Hold On': "I was constantly comparing myself to what I saw on a screen and it controlled me."
Image: Morgan Sette
Singer-songwriter Annie Bass has returned with the evocative single ‘Hold On’. Her first new music since the release of her debut EP Control in early 2019, ‘Hold On’ is not only a return to music for Bass, but also the embracing of a new way of life after she spent most of 2019 fighting her own personal demons which saw her almost give up music altogether. Finding herself obsessed with achieving an unrealistic goal of perfection, she found herself in a dark downward spiral. “I was so focussed on fixing myself that I forgot how to live my life,” she says. “‘Hold On’ is a conversation between me, and the darkest part of myself.”
‘Hold On’ is very much a reflection of Bass’s state of mind, a dark, emotive track with distorted vocals with an insistent electro/techno beat that slips into a capella sections to ratchet up the tensions. “You don’t want the best for me / You only want the best of what the others see,” she sings at the beginning of the track. It is the kind of track that takes a visceral hold on you and takes you on a journey through both Bass’s and your own emotions. It is dark and moody but utterly captivating and does that thing that truly great music can do - it makes you feel. We recently caught up with Annie to find out more about her journey to the release of this track.
Hey Annie! Thanks for chatting to us. How has life in lockdown been for you?!
An absolute pleasure! I was supposed to move back to Sydney in April but thanks to Covid, I decided to stay in Adelaide to be with family. After a challenging 2019 I’ve been grateful to step back and take some time to reflect. I feel very lucky to be in a position where I can still make music, and take some much-needed time to regenerate.
Congratulations on the release of your new single ‘Hold On’, it is a really fantastic song! You have said the song is about ‘a conversation between me and the darkest part of myself’ Can you tell us some more about the inspiration behind the track?
Thank you! 2019 was full of high expectations that for whatever reason weren’t met. I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learnt but during that time it really felt like my world was falling apart. I seemed to always be fighting with myself. There was a voice telling me that I wasn’t meeting the goals I’d set because I wasn’t good enough. That voice started to take over, it started making the decisions, and it was in the drivers seat. After months of feeling like I had no control, I decided that instead of fighting with that voice I had to start a conversation, and learn to co-exist with it.
You have also said about the song that you became obsessed with information, ‘bettering’ and ‘fixing’ yourself. It does seem like at times society/the media/the internet bombards us with information on ‘how to live your best life’ and tries to persuade us we are not enough. What are your thoughts on this, and what tips do you have to navigate this so it doesn’t overwhelm us?
This is something I definitely still struggle with. I have spoken briefly in the past about my experience with an eating disorder and mental illness; unfortunately this is still linked to how I view success in the music industry. Escaping the Internet can at times feel impossible. While it is something that can ultimately be very positive, I think it still breeds so much negativity.
I got completely sucked into the idea that ‘self care’ or ‘wellness’ means we have to be the best, healthiest, most refined version of ourself 100% of the time. My house was filled to the absolute brim with adaptogens and supplements, and at the end of the day it was making me so stressed out. I was constantly comparing myself to what I saw on a screen and it controlled me. It took a lot of deprogramming to realise that I don’t have to spend money on the latest beauty and wellness trends to be happy. Distancing myself from those ideas is something I have to work on everyday, and I’m certainly not perfect at it.
For me being present, practicing gratitude, and honouring the relationships and friendships in my life, are the things that separate me from the ‘Internet world’ and help me to exist in the real world.
What was the creative process like for this track?
I was in a bit of a ‘slump’ when I caught up with friend and collaborator Christopher Port. At the time I felt isolated from music, and had lost motivation to keep working. He asked to hear what I’d been working on and his reaction to the music I showed him was really what inspired us to start working on an EP. ‘Hold On’ was one of a handful of demos I have been working on, and we started finishing it together late last year between our home studios in Melbourne. There were little bumps along the way - ahem global pandemic - but we managed to finish the track over Zoom while I was in Adelaide, thank goodness for technology. I really struggled with writing music last year, it had become quite arduous, but Chris helped me find the joy again and I’m so glad he did.
‘Hold On’ is your first music release since early 2019, how does it feel to be back?!
Honestly it feels amazing. I got caught in some, let’s say ‘drama’, that made putting out music or moving forward quite challenging. Sadly it’s a story that we hear way too often in the music industry, I became collateral damage. Once I was free to release music again it was the best feeling. I certainly won’t wait that long until the next release, and I’m really excited about this next phase in my career.
The music video is simple but intriguing and a little bit hypnotic! How did you go about making it, and what was it like to make?
This release was done completely independently, which at first was intimidating but is something I’m so grateful for. It gave me creative control over everything, including the video.
Initially I had planned to just have images of the ocean as I guess a place-holder for YouTube, but I got a bit carried away with the idea. We were in the midst of lockdown, and a lot of my close friends seemed to be as lost and bored as I was. I thought this could be a fun project / distraction and a way to include some of my favourite people. The idea stemmed from the concept of the voices inside our head, the good and the bad. I wanted to give those voices a visual representation. The waves represent constant movement; as part of the human condition we are always evolving, and have no choice but to keep moving.
If we can take it back the beginning, what role did music play in your life when you were growing up?
I wrote my first song on piano when I was 5 years old. Since then it didn’t seem possible to have a future without music in it. It took me a while to figure out what that would look like, and after pursuing music in high school I moved to Melbourne when I was 17 to study Musical Theatre at VCA. That wasn’t a great fit, so I decided to study a bachelor of Jazz Music Performance, which is where I really discovered my love for singing and writing music. Music is how I reconcile how I’m feeling, my therapy. It has become a way to decipher things I wouldn’t otherwise understand.
Who were the artists that inspired you, or who you looked up to, when you were a child?
I was definitely influenced by my family growing up. Despite being the only ‘musical’ person in my family my Dad was a big fan of The Doors, and my Mum a big Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd fan, so I was lucky to grow up around parents with good taste. When I was 13 or 14 I fell in love with jazz, especially female singers a la Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. The things they could do with the human voice amazed me, they could convey so much emotion, but also had incredible technical ability.
Was there a particular ‘thing’ or event that made you decide you wanted to have a career in music, or was it always a given for you?
I was very fortunate to grow up in an environment where my dreams were never questioned, and I was encouraged to follow my instincts. I suppose for me pursuing my love for music has been quite instinctual. Not to say that it’s been easy, there are hundreds of talented artists out here and not many seats at the table, so I believe it’s something you truly have to love.
The music industry has traditionally been very male-dominated, both front of stage and behind the scenes, with women generally not getting the same respect or exposure as their male peers. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
Such a big question, there’s a lot to unpack. In my personal experience yes I have been disrespected and taken advantage of, especially early on in my career. In more recent years I was lucky enough to work for a creative music agency with a male boss who was very respectful, and made it his business to champion female artists and employees. However outside of that, I have certainly been in situations where I have been treated differently to my male peers.
I do believe there is a change coming. For the first time in history womxn are demanding the space and the platform to call out sexist and abusive behaviour. We need to keep pushing the boundaries, keep asking what is acceptable, and keep asking what it is we need to put in place so that we are fairly representing womxn in the music industry.
What’s up next for Annie Bass?
I am currently working on an EP with Christopher Port that I hope to put out this year. I’m excited to keep finding new ways to collaborate in this current climate, and make as much music as possible. Without undermining anyones experience in this pandemic, I am trying to make the most of this time to create, to nurture myself, and to do what I can to stay positive about the future during these uncertain times.
‘Hold On’ is out now. You can download on iTunes and stream on Apple Music and Spotify
To keep up with all things Annie Bass, you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
