ANIKA

Hi Anika, thanks for chatting today! So tell us a little bit about your debut single, ‘Are You Down’?

Hey! Thank you so much for having me! I chose Are You Down to be my first single because it really represents me as an artist not only vocally, but stylistically as well. I feel like it captures what I can do as a singer, while still having lyrics that are relatable to many people. It’s really about that feeling of hopefulness and excitement when a new relationship is growing into something more, and I tried to show those emotions through my writing.

Tell us about your team, who supported you in the making of this single?

Everyone around me has seriously been so supportive of my dream, whether that be my family, friends, producer (Mark Vogel), or publicist company (IFP). I have just gotten so much positive feedback, and that makes me more excited than ever to have “Are You Down” be out in the world. I know that these people will always have my back no matter what, and it is such a good feeling to know that I have that support system backing me up at any time.

Was there a moment where you doubted your ability to make music that sticks out in your mind? How did you overcome it?

When I was starting out, I really thought that everything was just going to automatically click and fall into place. After writing my first song, I felt that it really didn’t represent me or the vision that I had in mind for my music, and that was a really discouraging realization. I had to take a step back and reassess my whole writing process and what I wanted my sound to be. I never lost my confidence in my ability to create, because I know big projects like this take time and multiple tries to get right. I kept working at it, and now I have multiple songs done that I am extremely proud of.

Who or what inspires you in your day-to-day life?

I want everything that I create to be as authentic as possible, so I just try to take my own real experiences within my relationships and write about that. Even something as small as one conversation can be a source of inspiration for me. It really has felt like I am documenting the different phases of life that I am going through as they happen, which is really cool to look back on.

As a musician who has come up in the time of Covid, have you ever done live performances? Is that something you’re interested in?

Because my career started during the time of Covid, I have done everything virtually. The only thing that I have been able to do in person is go to the studio to record. My upbringing, as you might say, in the music industry is completely different from anything any other new artist has had to go through. Even though we are in this situation now, growing up, I did many yearly recitals where I performed covers of songs. I even placed second in my first (and only) professional opera competition. I have not performed any of my own songs live, yet, but I am hoping that performing them will be in the near future for me. It will seriously be such an amazing experience to get to perform something that I created myself for an audience! Definitely would be a “pinch-me” moment!

What are your plans for the future as far as music goes?

I am planning to release a few more singles and my first EP this year which is really exciting! I can’t wait to share more of my work with the world. I have put so much time and effort into my music, and I am so proud of “Are You Down” and my upcoming projects for 2022.

Thanks for answering our questions today Anika! Where can we find your music online?

You can find my music on Spotify and Apple Music under the name “Anika,” and for more updates on my music career you can follow me on instagram @anika__nielsen and on tik tok @anikanielsen11

End of Interview