The Musician Spotlight Series shines a light on up-and-coming bands and solo acts creating heartfelt and original work across genres, giving them an opportunity to talk about their music, their collaborators, and why they do what they do.
Click Here to follow the series as it progresses.
To submit an artist or band for consideration, email editors@myentertainmentworld.ca.
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“Anna Wiebe’s songwriting stands alone, supported only by her resonant vocals, rich harmonies and simplistic folk instrumentation. Wiebe deepened her songwriting and composition on her sophomore album, All I Do Is Move, using a full band to bring to life more complex arrangements and recurring lyrical concepts”.
When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
I remember singing with my dad when I was very little and thinking “I’m not bad at this”. I never remember making the decision to be a musician, but always being around music when I was young made it easy to learn and experiment.
Are you trained? How did you develop your skills?
I did take some guitar, piano, and vocal lessons when I was younger, but none of them lasted very long. I rarely practiced what I was suppose to, and my parents would take me out if I wasn’t committed. I developed my skills mostly by fooling around on the guitar or the piano by myself and trying to write songs as a kid. My dad (who is a guitar teacher) was always there for guidance and lessons whenever I asked questions and that was a huge benefit to my learning – I always had a teacher in the next room!
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Artists like Joni Mitchell, Sufjan Stevens, Sarah Harmer, and Joanna Newsom were all really important to me growing up, and continue to be. More recently, songwriters like Julia Jacklin, Adrianne Lenker, and Charlotte Cornfield are especially inspiring.
How would you describe your sound?
That’s a tough one… I still describe my music singer-songwriter folk at the root, but I hope it’s more than that at this point. I think my songwriting and arrangements have gotten more interesting in the last few years. I think I’ll keep describing it as folk music though, you can decide what else it might be!
What’s your favourite tune in your repertoire and why?
My favourite song on the new album is “Riddled”. It’s the most striped down track on the record, with a lil florish of flutes by Anh Phung, reminiscent of an early Sufjan vibe that I’m super excited about.
What can audiences expect from one of your live shows?
Usually I perform solo, and that’s where the “folk” really comes through because it’s super bare bones, just guitar and voice. I was able to do a release show with six other amazing musicians for my first full band experience (a drummer, bassist, lead guitarist, cellist, and two back up singers!) and I really hope to do that again soon.
Where can we find your music?
You can buy my music HERE or find it on any streaming platform.