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Relatable lyrics, a catchy tune, and a nice life lesson to remember, who can ask for anything better in a song? Annabel Gutherz delivered just that with her out-of-this-world new single, ‘Retrograde!’ And we have an exclusive THP Premiere right here just for you!
With a different vibe than her ballad-filled debut album, Loose Ends, Annabel brings some rock influence into this new era! And we are loving the orbit it’s on! Want to explore the planet of Annabel Gutherz a little more? Well, you’re in luck because we have all the details on ‘Retrograde’ and what we can expect from this new era! So start your countdown for takeoff and keep reading below!
Congrats on your new single, ‘Retrograde’! This is the first single after the release of your debut album, Loose Ends, last year. What lessons did you learn during the process of your first album release that helped you prepare yourself to release this new era of music?
Thank you so much! I learned so many lessons during the process of my first album release that helped me prepare myself for this new era of music. Some of the most salient lessons I learned were the value of spontaneity, enjoying the process of sharing art, and not allowing my inner-perfectionist to get the better of me!
Where did you get the inspiration for ‘Retrograde,’ and what are you hoping your fans take from the track?
The song’s concept was spawned from an insightful conversation I had with my mom. I noticed a shared sentiment amongst my friends, family, and me in the wake of the pandemic, a feeling of stagnation, or worse, a sense of retrogression in our respective endeavors and pursuits. In that discussion, my mom, who seems to have a blueprint of life’s greatest lessons, expressed that we’re never stagnating because we are always learning. As such, we are always growing and moving forward. I conceptualized ‘Retrograde’ almost immediately and started writing the song shortly thereafter!
What’s your favorite lyric from ‘Retrograde’? Can you tell us about the writing process for the song?
I love the chorus lyrics in ‘Retrograde,’ but if I had to choose my absolute favorite lyric, it would likely be the opening two lines, “Am I flying or am I falling? Is it all just the same?” I feel these lyrics well encapsulate life’s journey of how we crusade into a relative unknown every day, unsure of whether our general efforts will be fruitful or not, and the anticipatory fear that may cause.
I wrote the entirety of ‘Retrograde’ in about fifteen minutes. However, producing the song and bringing it to fruition took almost a full year! For the longest time, I couldn’t determine in which direction I wanted to take ‘Retrograde’ sonically! We went through about six separate and “completed” versions of the song before I concretized my vision and finalized the song!
This track has a more rock sound compared to your earlier songs. What made you go this direction when making ‘Retrograde?’
I decided to go in this direction when making ‘Retrograde’ because it felt more emblematic of who I am! I have a tendency of being a tad ~dramatic~, and I was apt on capturing that essence in my sound to showcase more of myself sonically! Most of my new music is a blend between pop-rock and musical theatre, two genres from which I am heavily influenced and inspired by!
Who are some of your musical influences and inspirations?
There are a plethora of musical genres and artists that inspire me, and the sound of my music is quite contingent upon the songs I’m listening to at the moment. Some of my favorite artists include Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Queen, David Bowie, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Alicia Keys, and Justin Timberlake, just to name a few, and the two genres I listen to most frequently include pop-rock and musical theatre. As I continue to nurture my craft, I am becoming more intentional about my musical choices, from which sonic palette and semantic spaces I am pulling, and from which artists I am drawing inspiration.
So you have a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Music Studies from Berklee, and you’re completing your Master’s of Arts degree in Songwriting. That is amazing, congrats on that as well! It seems like music has been a part of your life for a long time. How did you get interested in it from the start?
Thank you so much for all your congratulatory wishes! I am filled with gratitude! Music has definitely been a part of my life for a long time. My foray into the arts and to music, in general, was through a local theatre production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat that my mom and sister took part in when I was five years old. I was captivated by the entirety of the production and felt a magnetic draw to the stage. Throughout my life, music has found me.
Did you go into college with the mindset of wanting to be a singer/songwriter, or did you happen to find yourself on that career path during university?
I had an inkling that I may want to be a singer/songwriter, but I didn’t go into college explicitly with that mindset. I enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Music Studies program at Berklee for my Bachelor’s because I wanted to learn about and explore the various facets of music and the music industry. The field is so dense, and I was introduced to many musical disciplines I came to love, like scoring to picture and music cognition. Whilst studying, however, my passion for songwriting and performing amplified (pun intended), and my desire to tread that career path intensified accordingly!
On the heels of this release, is there an EP or second album in the works you can tell us about?
Absolutely! I’m working on a new body of work that will be a loose concept album with a galactic theme! Words cannot begin to describe the depth of my excitement about sharing these songs with listeners!
With touring coming back full force, can we expect to see you on stage any time soon?
I surely hope so! Celebrating music and community in a shared space is truly unparalleled, and being able to do that this year would be such a gift!
What can fans expect from this next era?
The unexpected… Okay, just kidding! Fans can expect very maximalist songs that blend pop-rock and musical theatre genres. Every song is a story told in a manner that honors the dimensionality of emotions and the weight of our feelings.
Thank you so much for having me! 🙂
We can’t wait to embark on this otherworldly journey with Annabel! Especially after the banger she dropped today. Do you want to add ‘Retrograde’ to your playlists? You can listen to it on all streaming platforms right here!
What was your favorite lyric in ‘Retrograde?’ Let us know in the comments or send us a tweet @TheHoneyPop! You can also talk to us on Facebook and Instagram!
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