Anna Graves: From Minnesota to London with the Soundtrack to Her Twenties

Written by Lauren Page | @LiveWithLP

Anna Graves chats with LiveWithLP ahead of State Fayre

Some interviews begin with a conversation about the new album. My chat with Anna Graves began with tongue twisters, doing makeup in the back of a van and both of us trying not to melt in a London heatwave.

"Red leather, yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather…" Anna laughed, running through her vocal warm-ups while balancing eyeliner after admitting she'd overslept by half an hour.

"I woke up 30 minutes before our first event today!" she smiled. "I was doing my makeup in the van while doing my vocal warm-ups. I felt so bad for the driver because I was just sat there going, 'Red leather, yellow leather!'"

Safe to say, before we'd even started talking music, I already knew this was going to be a fun interview.

Fast forward a few minutes (and after I'd apologised several times for dramatically fanning myself throughout the conversation), we got onto the real reason Anna had made the trip across the pond. Ahead of a headline show at London's The Social and an appearance at the inaugural State Fayre Festival, she's also just weeks away from releasing her long-awaited debut album.

After releasing a string of EPs over the years, this will be the first time fans get to hear Anna's story from beginning to end.

"I've probably listened to every song 200 times," she laughed. "I'm definitely taking a little break from listening to it now! But I'm so excited because it's really a memoir of the last ten years of my life.

"I feel like that's the cool thing about making a record. It's a timeline of your life. This album is my twenties. It's all the lessons I've learned, growing as an artist and growing as a person. I think a weight will be lifted once it's finally out in the world."

You can hear exactly what she means throughout the record. Rather than feeling like a collection of singles, every song adds another chapter to the story she's telling.

One that instantly stood out to me was Two-Faced. It's one of those songs that stops you in your tracks, and I couldn't help but ask where it came from.

"I think we've all had relationships where we trust somebody completely and then they turn their back on us," Anna explained. "That's just part of growing and learning which parts of yourself you give away too easily.

"Writing that song really helped me process everything. Songwriting is therapy for me. Every time I sing Two-Faced, I feel stronger. It helped me move on from that relationship and take my power back."

That's always been one of the things I love most about country music. Whatever life throws at you, somehow somebody manages to turn it into a three-minute story that makes complete sense. Listening through Anna's upcoming record, it's packed with those moments.

But even with such a personal debut album on the way, she doesn't think she's anywhere near finished discovering herself as a songwriter.

"I think you can always dig deeper," she reflected. "There's always more to learn about yourself.

"I experienced so much growth making this record. Your twenties are such a huge time of figuring out who you are. Now I feel like I'm stepping into a new chapter where I feel empowered. I feel like a woman now, and I'm excited to explore that on the next record."

It's funny because, listening to Anna's music, I could hear hints of artists like Joni Mitchell, but I was curious who she'd say had shaped her sound.

Growing up on a farm in Minnesota without television, music became the centre of family life.

"I remember hearing Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall for the first time," she recalled. "I was just a kid and I remember thinking, 'These lyrics don't even fully make sense to me, but they make me feel something.'

"My mum told me, 'That's songwriting.'"

That moment clearly stuck.

Alongside KT Tunstall, Anna also credits Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow and Joni Mitchell as some of her biggest influences.

"I'm really grateful I grew up in a house that appreciated good art."

Hearing that actually made perfect sense. You can hear little pieces of those artists throughout her songwriting, but it's still unmistakably Anna Graves.

The album itself doesn't sit in just one emotional lane either. There are songs full of heartbreak, moments of hope, reflections on growing up and plenty of resilience woven throughout.

"It was really hard picking the songs," she admitted. "If it were up to me it would've been a 30-song record!

"But I wanted this album to tell a story about resilience, grit and everything I've learned in my twenties. There are definitely songs I've saved for the next record."

Then came a moment I don't think Anna quite realised.

When we started talking about her headline London show, she admitted it still hadn't sunk in.

"It's still not sinking in," she smiled. "I'm just really grateful to be here, playing shows in a city that I love."

I couldn't let that comment pass without telling her something she's perhaps underestimated: she already has a seriously loyal UK fanbase.

The amount of times her name comes up when I ask people which artists they're listening to is incredible. Whether it's through Spotify playlists or recommendations between friends, Anna Graves is already finding her audience over here.

"I didn't know that!" she laughed, looking genuinely surprised.

Fans heading to The Social were also getting something brand new. Alongside favourites, Anna has been teaching herself piano for this run of shows.

"I've really been practising," she said. "The guitar will always be my soul instrument, but I feel so empowered when I play piano. It feels really spiritual for me, so I'm excited for people to hear some of the new songs that way."

Before wrapping up, there was one final question I had to ask. Who's an artist we should all have on our playlists right now?

Without hesitation, Anna recommended fellow Nashville singer-songwriter Delaney Ramsdell.

"She reminds me of a young Bonnie Raitt," Anna said. "She's an incredible singer, an incredible songwriter and an amazing person."

If Anna Graves' debut album is anything to go by, she'll soon be joining that same conversation herself.

Honest, vulnerable and beautifully written, this record feels less like an introduction and more like sitting down with a friend who's finally ready to tell you their story. Between the laughter, the songwriting and the excitement of finally bringing these songs to the UK, one thing became very clear: this feels like the beginning of something really special.

And if her London crowd and the growing number of UK fans are anything to go by, I don't think it'll be long before Anna Graves is back across the pond again.

Anna Graves album America's Greatest Burnout is out August 21st