Interview with Anna Ingwardo

Hello everyone!

Today we have the first of what I hope to be many interviews for After Midnight.

Today’s interview is with super talented artist Anna Ingwardo who has been kind enough to answer some questions for me about her debut EP Millennial Tears and life in lockdown.

Make sure you go and listen to the EP as it is well worth your time.

Hi Anna, could you describe your musical style to the readers?

Hi Elin! I would say indie rock is a solid description. Although my upcoming singles will be less rock, but with more inspirations from soul/jazz and motown.

How's lockdown been for you? (generally)

It’s been different, before lockdown I was always out and about doing something. I’m glad I’ve had exams and musical projects to work on though, so I’ve managed to keep myself busy at home. I am so grateful that the situation is improving here in Norway now, so that I can start working and make money to afford studio time.

Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations?

There’s so many! Some of the biggest has to be Amy Winehouse, Lauren Ruth Ward, The Doors, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Radiohead, Sarah Vaughan and Heart. I get inspiration from every musical genre, even if it’s something completely different from what I do. I learn from anything, really.

Where did the title Millennial Tears come from?

Basically, it’s tears aka pain and frustration from my generations’ point of view. It’s not meant to be solely pointed towards millennials, more like youth and young adolescents in general. I just figured “Millennial Tears” has a cool punch to it. From a personal perspective, the title and all the songs really stems from my frustrations in the relationship I was in at the time.

I've been lucky enough to see you perform a few times, and the atmosphere you create is magical. What do you enjoy most about playing live? Is there anything in particular you're trying to convey with your performance?

Thank you! I really enjoy playing live, it’s such a cathartic feeling. My favourite thing is when I connect with someone in the audience, and can see that they’re feeling it too. I have a lot to say! It’s very fulfilling when people tell me they connect to my performances, because music has saved me so many times. If I can help someone too through my words and melodies, then… I’m happy. What I wish to convey with my performances is to make people feel less alone, and that they for a few minutes can forget their struggles and just be. I also want to give them a blast and a rad musical experience, of course!

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The song that really hits me on the EP is Frankly, every time I hear it I am left speechless. Can you explain your writing process for that song?

Thank you- that’s so cool. I wrote “Frankly” when me and my boyfriend at the time were going through some stuff, and I wrote the lyrics during the time we were on- and off dating.

The line “saw you today on your balcony, but you smoked so much that I don’t think you saw it was me”, is about that even though you’re still together, you feel invisible and alone in the relationship. When we recorded it we had to re-take my vocals a few times because it was so shaky from my emotions tied to it. I still get that feeling whenever I hear it and do it live. I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving that person, but some things just don’t work out.

The imagery you create within your songs is something I admire a lot. It really lets the listeners into your shoes. Where do you find the inspiration for your lyrics?

I find lyrical inspiration through interpersonal relationships. I always write about human connections because it fascinates me and there’s always something new to say about it. For instance, there are millions of love songs out there, yet there’s still so much more to say about love. You can always find different ways to put it, and new angles to look at it from. I think that’s so cool.

I tend to write lyrics whenever I’m frustrated with myself or with others, or just when I’m sad or mad or when I feel helpless. I always feel better after I’ve written down what’s on my mind to get it off my chest, so it’s kind of self-therapeutic for me in a way, I guess.

Can you explain what the artwork for your EP means to you?

I painted the artwork with watercolour about a year ago while I was in the process of writing the EP. I sent the painting to drawer Katie Mullender, and she made it look more fancy and professional.

It sounds really cliché, but the meaning of it is that the tears you cry will eventually turn into something beautiful. Which can be interpreted for life experiences in general, but also that the pain I went through at the time turned out like a piece of art in the end, aka this EP. The tears created a flower! Ha ha ha, I’m so cringe, but it’s true.

And lastly, what are your plans for the future of your music career?

I’m planning to continue what I’m doing now, really. My main focus is always to make good tunes, that’s number one priority for me as a musician. I’m also learning more about the production side of things through the bachelor course I’m doing at Winchester uni, which is interesting, but also challenging as I’m not naturally a tech-person. But I think it’s so important to know it, especially since I’m very specific in how I want to sound and also because I always have the last say.

I’m going to keep doing more gigs because it’s one of my favourite things. Making contacts is also fun and really important, so I’m going to keep doing that as well. I meet so many interesting, humble and talented people as long as I put myself out there and reach out. I need to work harder on promoting myself as well. Honestly, I’m so bad at that part, ironically that’s the most important thing in many ways, besides from the music itself, of course.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for me Anna, it is really appreciated.

Millenial Tears is out now, you can find it linked below as well as Anna’s Instagram so you can stay up to date with what music she is releasing.

Thanks for reading.