Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Madsen
Hi Anna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Here is a good write up of my career accomplishments thus far :
Here is my personal bio that I have currently :
Anna Madsen is a former soldier, dancer, actress and alternative singer-songwriter. She crafts acapella songs by ear, recording her unique arrangements from the comfort of her apartment. As an 8th generation Mormon, she has deep ancestral ties to Mormon history, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints founder Joseph Smith and hymn writer William Clayton (“Come, Come, Ye Saints”). Raised across the Midwest, deep South, and West, she now calls the misty forests of New Hampshire home. Her sound, which she dubs ‘new age gothic,’ blends haunting melodies and hypnotic soundscapes to tell stories of loss and deep introspection.
She is currently working on a visual album called “Every Demon Is A Mirror” that she wrote, recorded and directed herself. It’s available to view on Youtube under Anna Madsen. You can view her visual art and photography on IG under a.j.madsen.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Here is my personal perspective of my musical journey.
I was signed to an independent record label 7 years ago that shook me to my core when I parted ways with them. My producer and manager at the time, opened my eyes to the horrors behind the curtain of show business. Between himself and other awful industry nightmares I was exposed to, my naivety left me poorly equipped to handle the landscape of the music business. I was isolated and divorcing a cheating husband, and self medicating some festering sexual trauma scars that were fresh from months and years prior. It was just too much all at once.
However, despite the emotional chaos, it was hard to part ways with him. Some of the biggest opportunities I’ve ever had came from that association. When I finally did leave, the departure was very sudden and dramatic. I don’t remember what jolted me out of my zombie stupor, but I snapped outside the BBC in London after a radio interview. I had a huge show the next day, but I was seeing red and sobbing in blue. I screamed at my manager for all his indecent exposures and his so called “well intentioned” maliciousness and stormed off into the night. I cancelled my show. I was raging and numb all at once. Shame and resentment filled every crevice within me. A few days later, he intercepted me at the train station that was taking me back to the states. He was not successful in convincing me to stay. Once I boarded the train, I never saw him again.
As for my career up until my cinematic departure, I sold out my CD release show when I released my second album, “Whisper”. I performed my rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” on national British television (iTV) for their Christmas special in 2017. I was on the radio, I was doing big budget music videos. I worked with the original Genesis guitar player Anthony Philips on my song, “Irena’s Lullaby”. I mean, it was insane. I felt like I was floating higher and higher to something big, but with each step closer to bigger opportunities, the demand for my soul became more aggressive. My dream wasn’t just mine anymore. I needed to succeed for everyone around me. Everything about me became an investment. I felt like I couldn’t have as much creative control anymore – but I was also so tired and sad, I wasn’t that inspired anyway. I started to hate music.
Long story short, I left that situation and was pretty heartbroken and angry. Despite choosing myself, which I was proud of, I still felt like a failure. I was angry at how much I had sacrificed for something that left me completely devastated and destroyed. I kept trying to restart my career independently, but I just couldn’t get it back off the ground. I felt like my artistic voice was dead. I hated everything I was releasing (except Scarlet Letter – that one was a cathartic release addressing my departure from my label). Things just weren’t clicking.
After spending some time in the Army, and aimlessly wandering into the abyss of imposter syndrome and another brutally emotional breakup, I realized over the course of these last few years, that my music hadn’t been working because I was trying too hard to fit a mold. I was subconsciously following a label release formula and comparing myself to bigger acts with budgets far greater than mine. I let too many people influence my creative decisions. It hit me how rigidly antithetical that is to art. It’s a structure that just doesn’t work for artists like me. I need to be left alone to expel and channel what I need to get out of me – and then I move on to the next thing. That’s just how I’ve always been.
I get bursts of energy and make art because I want to create.
After 7 long years of nothing but practice and introspection, I’m finally good enough at cinematography and photography to create visual landscapes for my music in a way I wasn’t able to before. It turns out, I’m a fantastic editor and director and I love making short films. I became a better dancer and actor. I’ve become the best vocalist I’ve ever been. I can create music on my own with just my voice. I realized I was placing my art too much in the hands of others, whether it was with their opinions or their own ego fueled projections. I needed to learn who I was to make the kind of art of I’ve always wanted to make – but it’s been a hell of a journey.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m going to do bullet list, if that’s alright!
Known for :
Musically, I’m mostly known for my Christmas performance, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” – which has over 218,000 views as of October 9, 2024.
For photography, I’m known globally for my analog film work and my viral photo shoot “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” that I based off my original song, “Golden Room”.
Most Proud of :
Musically, I’m most proud of my acapella piece “Hymn (Reclamation)” which I just released on Youtube. I filmed it in a church that was attended by my ancestor Lucy Mack Smith. It was a very emotional piece that I wrote while processing some of my emotional trauma. I recorded the arrangement in my apartment in GarageBand with no piano, no click track and no autotune. Everything is by ear.
As for photography, I’m most proud of my photography film project “MANIC/MELANCHOLIC” that I shot purely on 35mm Cinestill Film (it’s a unique film stock that is made out of movie film) and autobiographically depicts the highs and lows of feminine energy and sensuality.
What sets me apart :
My use of analog film, my background in film making and performing. My ability to hear music by ear.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of the places I grew up was Nauvoo, IL. My parents bought the Willard Richards home (one of the original members of the LDS church) and renovated it. We lived there while we restored the home and grounds, and shortly after my parents opened it as a bed and breakfast. All of my favorite childhood memories were in that town. I used to ride my bike in the historical outdoor. muesum we locals called, “the flats”. I would sometimes sneak into the visitor center’s garden and dance in the moonlight with the copper statues and the landscaping spotlights.
As a kid, I was very whimsical and would often pretend I was in a movie. Living in that town – both in the on and off season, was like out of storybook. The rest of my childhood was difficult, but that was a beautiful moment in time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://annamadsen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.j.madsen/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnnaMadsen
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/annamadsen
