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S9: E9: Annika Catharina - Finding A Voice After The Fall
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Date: November 5, 2025
Name of podcast: Backstage Pass Radio
S9: E9: Annika Catharina - Finding A Voice After The Fall
SHOW SUMMARY:
The high you chase onstage feels different after you’ve had to fight for your voice. That’s where our conversation with Canadian country artist Annika Catharina begins: a moped crash in Southeast Asia, a shattered jaw, months of silence, and a slow, stubborn climb back to singing. What could have ended a dream turned into perspective that colors every line she writes and every chorus she belts.
We walk through Annika’s roots on a BC farm—sports teams, family skits, and a house filled with Elton John and classic rock—then hit the turning point: discovering Patsy Cline’s delivery before she even called it “country.” From there, the sound evolved. Indie and alt-rock influences blend with modern Nashville polish, giving her debut EP, You and Me, a clean, hook-forward lift. She breaks down her hybrid writing process—ideas alone, voice memos and simple chords, then co-writes that unlock angles she’d never find solo. And we go deep on Love and Hate: the reality-TV spark, the teenage push-pull energy, the producers who heard a hit in a bare demo, and the radio momentum that followed.
Annika also shares how national recognition changed the game. As a Top 8 artist in SiriusXM’s Top of the Country, she recorded at Bryan Adams’ Vancouver studio, shot a pro performance video, and saw doors swing open across Canada. She lights up describing the first time a friend texted “You’re on the radio,” and the community pride that came with it. Then we look ahead: Undercovers, the new single Better Hands that finally lets her sing about the love she’s living, and the next era of confident, sassy, stage-ready tracks. There’s a dream stage, too—Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on February 14—proof that the grind, the gut checks, and the gratitude are paying off.
If you love country storytelling with a modern edge, honest lyrics, and choruses that land clean, you’ll connect with Annika’s journey. Hit play, save your favorite song, and tell us which lyric hit hardest. And if you’re feeling the show, subscribe, leave a rating, and share this episode with someone who needs a reminder to keep going.
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Your Host,
Randy Hulsey
Welcome back to another episode of Backstage Past Radio. I'm your host, Randy Hulsey, and today we're heading north to talk with one of Canada's brightest rising stars in country music. My guest today is a singer-songwriter from British Columbia whose sound blends emotional storytelling with a modern country adge. She's charted nationally, earned editorial playlist features, and her new EP entitled You and Me is Already Making an Impact. We will welcome Annika Katharina to the show, and we will do so right after this.
SPEAKER_02:This is Backstage Fast Radio. Backstage Fast Radio, a podcast by an artist for the artist. Each week we take you behind the scenes of some of your favorite musicians and the music they created. From chart-topping hits to underground gems, we explore the sounds that move us and the people who make it all happen. Remember to please subscribe, rate, and leave reviews on your favorite podcast platform. So whether you're a casual listener or a die hard music fan, tune in and discover the magic behind the melodies. Here is your host of Backstage Pass Radio, Randy Holsey.
SPEAKER_03:Annika, it's great to see you and welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for handing me, Randy. Yeah. Happy to be. Yes. I'm a little jealous though, because I prefer the heat. And we get a nice summer, but when the fall and winter comes, it's very rainy.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Well, and cold too, right? I'm sure cold has a lot to do with it. So I've uh, you know, I spent 17 years in professional hockey uh as an official. And I just had a friend of mine who played in Houston. And when the I I think the arrows were still, yeah, they were in the International Hockey League at the time, but Paul Dick is his name, and he is the head coach of the Steinbeck Pistons in Manitoba. And uh he, you know, the the Canadians always loved playing in Houston because even in December and January they could get out and play golf, right? And those guys up there, you know, you know well that in January and February time frame, not many people are playing golf up in Canada, right?
SPEAKER_00:Definitely not. Only the brave ones.
SPEAKER_03:That's right. That's right. Well, if we go back just a little bit, and you can correct my pronunciation, but you grew up in DeRoche. Is is that correct? Is that and did I pronounce it correctly for a Texas boy?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, spot on, DeRoche.
SPEAKER_03:Right? Okay, well, the well, talk a little bit to the listeners about what the early days were like, you know, for Annika in British Columbia. Were you a sports kid? Were you a music kid? What was the upbringing there in BC?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, uh I think it was everything. My parents encouraged us to try everything. And yeah, I grew up playing every single sport that the school offered, even if I wasn't the all-star. I just wanted to be a part of a team and I wanted to play sports. It was like some of my greatest memories is being on teens with other people. Lots of outside time.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um I grew up on a farm. So playing around the farm, just adventuring and being with my siblings and cousins. That was um that was kind of what we did. We go to school, play sports, go play outside, make skits um for our families, make theatrical performances. And and you know, back then we were filming them on one of those handhelds and watching them later. Just just a really good childhood and so many fond memories. And I thank my parents for that.
SPEAKER_03:That's great that you you had that kind of upbringing. And I, you, you know, you kind of sparked a nostalgic memory of mine. I grew up, uh, my brother and I, who my brother is six years younger than I am, but we grew up around, you know, in our neighborhood, there were like three or four families that were really close. And these families each had three girls in the family. So my brother and I grew up playing with girls. That's all, I mean, that's all we knew. And we always would do, um, we would always do like create singing groups and stuff where we would perform for our parents. And I'm still pissed off to this day because those girls never let me be the lead singer, right? Even though I sing, even though I sing professionally now, it's like I I wanted to go live on this podcast and tell them I'm still mad at them after all these years that I didn't ever get the spotlight, right? I'm kidding, but it's it's cool to hear that we weren't the only ones doing those kind of things. We were using our imaginations, and you talk about you know, kids going out and playing. You don't see that much anymore with the internet and technology. It's just a a different time. And I was watching a show with my wife last night, and it was one of the parts of the show, all these kids were out in the street playing basketball and football, and it's like I looked at her and I said, you know, you don't see that anymore at all. It's just so rare. And I don't know how it is up in BC. I mean, I'm I'm assuming that it's a lot the same, right?
SPEAKER_00:It's yeah, it's definitely, you know, from when I was in school and from seeing what I see just locally, it's just not, yeah, it's not the same. And I'm sure if I, you know, my parents, their childhood was probably different than mine, but I just noticed that seeing kids outside it's you know, not as frequent as I it used to be. Like, you know, we didn't have any iPhones or comp and there was computers when I was a kid, but they're they weren't as cool and addictive as they are now. So we went outside. And it was and I just I am so grateful that iPhones were not a thing when I was a child because I I like I just am so grateful for those memories. And I feel I feel really sad that not everyone, you know, could get that because I don't know, we're just so we're so addicted.
SPEAKER_03:Well, and you know, we're the we're the last of that breed. You're not anywhere near the age that I am, but if you've never if you've never played outside and been thirsty and turned on a water hose and drank from a water hose, you have not lived as far as I'm concerned, right? There was no bottled water back then. Like, you know, you see kids walking around with bottled water. It's like we drank from we we drank from the outside garden hose. That's that's how we did it. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00:You got you were thirsty because you needed to drink water because you were having such a good time playing and what's closest, uh, the hose.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and it meant you were always per petrified that if you went inside, you were never gonna get to come back outside again. Right, so you you're never yes, don't ever go in the house, right? You might have to stay. What you know, what a what a concept these days. Like kids want to be in the house all day. I don't, yeah, I I totally don't, I totally don't get it. Well, BC is a beautiful area. I've I've been up in BC um a a few times during my days in hockey, uh Vancouver specifically. I had a friend of mine, Doug Johnson, on my show um probably a couple of years back now, but Doug is the keyboard player for the rock band Loverboy, right? And lives up in um lives up in Surrey, uh, British Columbia. As does I'm not sure where the lead singer, Mike Reno, I think, I think all the guys are up in BC. Uh, I know Matthew Fournette, the drummer, is out in the Carolinas here in the US. But um, yeah, all of those are your neighbors up in uh British Columbia. So great, great Canadian rock band. I'm sure you've heard of those guys, right?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah. You know, when someone's Canadian and they've you know had success, we're all proud. Like, you know, so proud of any icon. And we have a lot, like it's just there's so many, yeah. Like, yeah, Shania Twain is Canadian.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, well, Brian Adams, Rush, you know, Triumph, like all of these bands are like a lot of Celine, you know. Oh, don't forget Justin Bieber, right? He's Canadian, right?
SPEAKER_00:So many, and yeah, I just think sometimes Canada, you know, we're not looked at the same as maybe the US, but we have we have some talent here.
SPEAKER_03:You you definitely do, and you know what's interesting about that is this show has afforded me to talk to people all over the world. My show is now heard in 94 countries globally, and the amazing thing is I've had bands from Germany, Norway, Sweden, and I've fallen in love. Like these bands, like you, if you didn't know any better, you'd say, oh, American rock and roll, right? You you just or North America rock and roll. Like you don't, the it's it's so great. And it it's great to see the different cultures and they're playing the same type of music that I myself love. I'm a rock and roll guy at the end of the day. I love the country and the American and the all of the things, right? But uh rock and roll has always been it for me. And when you hear it from, you just don't when you think of Norway, you don't think of rock and roll. I don't know what you think of, but you just it doesn't come to mind, right? And it's just really cool to hear that music from those parts of the world for sure. A lot of talent all over the world.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my goodness, yeah. Like um, what's that band name? Kaleo. I don't know where they're from, but I think they're from one of those countries. Um, I don't want to say Iceland, Denmark. I don't know. They're really rocking and um he's amazing, him and his band. And yeah, there's I have some of my favorite bands are actually from the UK. I listen to a lot of indie rock, okay, pop rock, um, rock.
SPEAKER_03:Is it isn't it funny how we kind of um we think about places like that, Denmark or Iceland. You think of these places as just being desolate places that have nothing or no music, and it's so far from the truth. It's you you stereotype it, I guess, a little bit. And it's uh like always, you know, we've heard the adage forever you can't judge a book by its cover because there's talented people in every crevice of the world, right? Even the the fourth and fifth world countries have talented people that we'll never get exposed to just because they're not fortunate enough to have technology like we do, right? So that's a big part of it now.
SPEAKER_00:It's the unless you yeah, unless you learn about the artists, a lot of people write off other places, but I mean, like Max Martin, yeah, 100% and he's probably responsible for some of our favorite hits that people won't even know. And it's he's all the way on the other side of the world. Well, from where I am, yep. But yeah, unless you don't dive into the artist, a lot of it easy, it's just to like write off it it really is, and and for the listeners, you shouldn't do that.
SPEAKER_03:And yeah, it's amazing because I've talked to so many artists on my show that historically, you know, I wouldn't have probably listened to that genre of music, uh, so to speak. But the podcast, you know, I started it in 2021, and it's just opened my mind to Randy. Don't be don't be so closed-minded. You you love rock and roll, we get it, we get it, but listen to pop. I've had a a couple of rap artists on. I'm not, you know, I I love all kinds of music, but I think people like myself as a host of a podcast might stray away from the genres that they're not really like no. Like, you know, you stay away from conversations that you don't want to look dumb, right? And um, I'm such a rock aficionado and could talk like the you know, just the craziest of things, remembering trivia about rock and roll. But if you go into this rap conversation, it's it's very shallow, right? I'm not that good with it. So I think we I think we all stay in our lanes, uh, but it but it's been nice to branch out and be exposed to music like like yours. Who would have ever thought that I would have heard you on the internet and said, wow, what great music that I would love to have her on the show, right? So it's really cool how we discover people, right? When did when when did music like for you, when did music enter the picture for for Annika, right? Were you young? Were you was it later? Talk to the listeners about that.
SPEAKER_00:It was definitely young, like my family um very much music appreciators, like music was always on, and it was always on, and we would always um my family's very funny, so we would put like we did skits because I grew up watching my mom do skits for family reunions, so we always were like around performancing for fun, though it was always for like jokes. And when I was in elementary school, that's when you get introduced to choir, and you know, growing up listening to music, I'm like, well, choir sounds fun, and and it was somewhere along doing those skits where a lot of the times it was just lip syncing, and then I just started singing the lyrics and thought, wow, it's actually way more fun to sing and perform. Maybe I could sing, and then I just started singing. I remember from that day on I didn't want to lip sync things anymore. I wanted to hear my myself, and then yeah, went in musical theater, I went in choir, jazz band, and I don't know, music has always been very special to me as a listener, but as a singer and singing music is something I don't know, it's hard to explain. It's it it's where I don't want to sound cheesy, but singing feels at home. Like I feel like myself in a world where there's so many different things to compare yourself to, and there's so many things that you don't want to try to be, but when you're singing on stage, or for me, when I'm on stage, it's like I feel like myself. And for that feeling is I'm so grateful for music because I don't know, it's hard to it's hard to find yourself in a world full of questions and I I get it, I get it totally.
SPEAKER_03:And isn't it cool like from one musician to another, how the the the stage like delivering a song to an audience, like there's no there's not a better high in the world than to do that type of thing, the to deliver, right? Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_00:It's like a you know, I always explain to yeah, it's like a drug. It's like you know, you you are you're just you feel so good. And unless you experience that kind of thing and some other like you know, everyone has their thing, and I'm sure when someone's writing a book, that's what they feel like, like they feel like this is them, you know, they're delivering something and it feels good, and or if it's like you're an artist or painting, everyone has their thing. And for me, it was singing on stage, and yeah, uh you know the feeling, and it's I think everyone has that. They just they need the opportunity to to do it, and then you know, they can experience this joy. I don't know, it's pure joy.
SPEAKER_03:It it really is. Well, would you agree with this also? Like, I've had a lot of people ask me. Well, I shouldn't say a lot, that that makes it sound like I've had millions of people ask me, and that's not true, right? But but over time, there there has been quite a few people that have asked, do you do you ever get nervous on stage? And and I'm gonna let you answer this, but I wanted to share my thought with you. My thought was, you know what? I think I'm more nervous. Like if if Annika, if you and I sat in my studio here and you said, play a song for me, I think I would probably be amped up about that, right? But if I go out and I play for 400 people, it it doesn't bother me at all. Like there's no, you know what I'm saying? Like it, it the crowd, like whether there's 50, uh, you know, 60 eyes on me or there's 6,000 eyes, it doesn't affect me one way or another. But playing for, you know, like you, I'm like, oh my god, I'm nervous. Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_00:Everyone, and when someone says, like, oh, you're a singer, sing for me. And it's just like, oh, uh, right in front of you, like me, like what always gets me nervous. But when you're on stage, it's like the stage, or when you know it's like a performance opportunity, you I feel like I kind of like I go into this role of being myself. And if it's in a room just one-on-one, I feel like you know music is you say music's where you feel yourself, but looking at you, you look terrified, and you it's easier to point out every little flaw when someone's like right next to you. But I feel like the stage, like, I don't know, yeah, eases that angsty feeling. But I there's been times when I've been nervous on stage, depending on what it is. Like I've I've gone into competitions where it was very like watching, and it's you know, they're judging you on everything, and those are nerve-wracking. And you know, yeah, you have to go on after all these amazing people, and it that's like sure, those are the terrifying things. And I I had that experience this summer, and but after the first song, it's like you settle in, yeah. Settle in, and you're like, you know what? I don't, it's not about anything other than just being here, and then it goes away. But yeah, that competition type style thing is very gets you nervous, but it it does, and that's a different thing, right?
SPEAKER_03:Because like you, I sang in the choir all through like sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, like from sixth grade all the way through my senior year of high school, I sang in the choir. And singing in front of an audience never bothered me, but you go to, I don't know what they call them in um in Canada, but UIL competitions here. It's basically where you go. Um, I think it's UIL is university interscholastic league. And it's basically where you go compete against other schools, right? Yeah, but but you go in front of judges and you either sing a solo or you sing in a madrigal or whatever, and it's it's just different. I it's hard to explain, probably like you're like, how do I explain this? But it's weird when somebody's judging you because music should never be judged at the end of the day. That's just odd because music is not a competition. Now, of course, American Idol and The Voice, they've all made, they've all made it a competition, which is great TV. But at the end of the day, if you came in to my studio and you were just learning to play the guitar, I would never judge you for that. I would like, yeah, play me a song. I want to hear it. You know, like we just don't judge as musicians or we shouldn't. And I know some people do, but we shouldn't, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I think as an artist, like I I anytime someone's putting themselves out there, especially with something they've written, it's just you know, that it takes a lot of guts, and no matter what comes out of your mouth, it's cool because it came from you. Of course, and but yeah, judging competitions, yeah, those are something else. And yeah, but they're good. It you know, to me, it builds, you know, when I went through all that, I'm like, okay, how do I like not make myself nervous like that? I want to be better and just go out and of course not care if someone's judging me. But you know, deep down you're like, I still care, I still care that these judges, but I want to not.
SPEAKER_03:I I hear what you're saying. Like, and for the listeners that are not musicians and have never performed, they may not quite get that, but I totally get where you're coming from, uh, for sure. You know, I I I think I don't know if it was an maybe another interview if I or if I read something somewhere about you. I think you had mentioned being drawn to um pop and rock, you know, before discovering country. Was there an artist in general for you that that pulled you into that genre or did you stumble into it? Can you speak to that a little bit?
SPEAKER_00:Uh growing up, I so when I decided I wanted to be a singer, I, you know, I grew up listening to like Elton John and classic rock. That's what my parents had. We didn't have country playing. And when I was starting to pick songs for myself to sing, I was always drawn to more of like the older songs, so a lot of Edda James. And when I was looking, or me and my mom, because I didn't really, we weren't really like using Spotify back then. It was YouTube. You know, we'd go through all these classics, and there I don't know, I I was like 11 or 12, but I felt like I connected to these songs that are so deep, even though I was 12, 11, young. And then I came across Patsy Klein, and I thought, oh, this this has this like emotion and soul. And I didn't really know it was country music. Like, I just thought she has a beautiful voice and the way she delivers her songs. As a young person, I knew that was gold, yeah, and I wanted to sing her songs. And someone's like, Well, that's country. I was like, is it? Because you know what at the time, country, there was a lot of rascal flats, and I was like, that doesn't really sound like the same thing I'm listening to right now, but that was country, and then I started like giving country a chance because I didn't really know anything about country, and then country music became like the soundtrack of my high school experience. Like everyone started listening to country music. So Brad Paisley, like all his music's very nostalgic to me. He's actually coming to Abbasford in like two and a half weeks. And I'm stoked because for me, it just brings back all these memories. Eric Church was another one that was really involved in my high school time, and I became a fan of country music. Um, kind of like, yeah, by accident, by getting introduced to Patsy Klein. And then because all my friends listened to country music, I just never I would we, you know, back then we'd drive around together as a family, so we would listen to what everyone collectively liked to listen to. And we listened to CDs, so we didn't have any country CDs. Um, minus um Shania Twain, but I I don't know, I don't know why I just never categorize it as country.
SPEAKER_03:Well, you think when you when you think of uh Patsy Klein, that's kind of like traditional country, right? That's what we would call traditional country, and and and Brad Paisley is is definitely not traditional country, but a phenomenon in and of himself. Like what a great guitar picker that guy is, and a great songwriter, and uh like that that guy's on another planet uh from a from a playing perspective.
SPEAKER_01:But um he's so good.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, but it's interesting because where you know, kind of where you grew up in, you know, on a farm or around the farm, and you know, not in the city, right? So to speak, in in in BC, that that you were a rock and roll girl, right? Like that's where your kind of your love started because you mentioned Elton John. So usually it's the other way around. If you're if you live in the country, you you follow country music, right? So you kind of you kind of broke the mold a little bit there, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I and then I I think uh giving all these genres a chance, I just like I love me all music. I really if it makes me feel something, I love it. Rap, um, hard rock. There's some pretty heavier metal, almost metal y type songs that I'm like I don't really know what's going on here, but I love it. Yeah, and yeah, I don't know. I I also grew up on uh oh evanescence.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, sure. Um they're more I don't really know what to categorize them, but would would that be alternative, more more alternative ranking, maybe?
SPEAKER_00:There's so many stupid genres like you know, like if you listen to I I think if you you know if you love music, you'd love their stuff because uh there's this one song called My Immortal, and I I don't know, it just still one of my favorite songs today because it was just beautiful melodies, beautiful voice, beautiful lyrics. That's a great song. I don't really know what genre that is, but you know, it's amazing. And yeah, everyone out here out in the farmland was listening to country. I remember them saying, like, oh, you should listen to Carrie Underwood. And I was like, I knew who Carrie Underwood was from American Idol because I grew up watching all those shows, and I remember liking like her hits. But if someone was to say, name a song off her album, I wouldn't really know because yeah, we had CDs back then.
SPEAKER_03:Of course.
SPEAKER_00:And if I didn't have a CD of an artist, I'd or the radio, but you know, the radio is always like the three stations, which was either classic rock and the pop station. So yeah, now uh, you know, any kind of music is right at our fingertips.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, well, you can't you can't be um a resident of Canada and any of the provinces without paying homage to Gordon Lightfoot, right? Like I'm a huge uh Gordon Lightfoot fan, so and I'm older than you are too, but uh what a great what a great storyteller he was. Oh yeah, right. Amazing. Well, you mentioned some of the past of you know who was like nostalgic for you, like Brad Paisley and you you mentioned Elton John Evan Essence. Who who influences or who do you feel like you vibe with today, right? Who's who's the today vibe for you? Can you can you throw out a couple of names there of people that you've said, wow, I really like this stuff. This is cool stuff, right?
SPEAKER_00:Oh my goodness, I vibe with so many artists. Um there is this young artist from my home province. His name is Cameron Whitcomb, and he's you know, I love everything he puts out. It's very like raw, honest, beautiful vocals, and he's a wicked performer. So he is just like I mean, he's he's he has taken off. He is he's he's huge. Um and he's I just love his stuff. I love um another Canadian artist who goes by the name JJ Wilde. She is kind of an alternative rock female Canadian rock singer. I've been a big fan for many years. And I man, these are always the hard questions.
SPEAKER_03:I I get it. You could go on like for days and days.
SPEAKER_00:Like I also, you know, I love the trues. A lot, I love a lot of Canadian bands. I love my favorite bands are from the UK. That they're kind of like artists that I will go back through like constantly because I love listening to their albums. But I also, you know, every Friday I'll go through like the new music country and see what's going on in the country world. And I love what's going on in the country. It's very there's so much going in country music. There's like it's rock stuff. Like there's this band from Texas, I think. They're from Texas, Treaty Oak Revival.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, sure, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I love them. Like to me, it blends my love for uh rock music and country storytelling, and it's just it's amazing. There's this other artist that I fell in love with. His name's Charles Wesley Godwin.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, I've heard that name.
SPEAKER_00:I don't, I don't, I'm not familiar with the stuff, but like their music is just like I don't know, it it does something to me, and I'd just like I'd become very obsessed. Uh yeah, the the list could go on and on. There's so many, you know. I also love what's going on in the pop world. Like, what's new in pop? Like, you know, I love Taylor Swift. Like, I just there's so many, so many different ones.
SPEAKER_03:But it's great to have a an eclectic taste in music though, because I think if you didn't, you would get kind of burnt out. Like Saturday mornings, there's no telling what's going to come out of the speakers in the studio, right? It could be it could be gangster rap to the heaviest stuff on the planet, and then it could be You know, Gordon Lightfoot, right? Or Dan Fogelberg, it can shift. But you mentioned uh Treaty Oak Revival, and I've I've been kind of picking around and trying to learn a couple of songs. I think one of them was um Missed Call was one of the songs, and then um No Vacancy was one as well. Yeah, I I I I stump and I do that. Like I will literally just do a playlist and I'll I'll tag those on Spotify like when they when they catch, right? Like when the hook catches me, I'm like, like, like. So I put all the likes in a playlist and then I go back through them. And depending on who I'm listening to, it's like, oh, I I'd like to get that person on my show and and have them talk about their music, right? That's kind of how I come up with stuff like you, for example, right? I'm listening to to stuff and something strikes a chord. Um, I think love and hate, you know, struck the chord, and I said, Oh, well, I let me reach out to Annika. I better get her on the show, right? Before she gets too big for britches, and uh, here we are. Here we are. Well, um, I guess let's see. Yeah, I kind of we talked about that, but you I mean, from a songwriter perspective, do you approach songwriting um melody first, or are you kind of a music first girl and then the lyrics come later, or is it a hybrid of the two for you as a songwriter?
SPEAKER_00:It's kind of a hybrid of the two. I you know, like I the songwriting for me, it's like I like to take time with it by myself. And I've recently actually this past year, I've been really focusing on co-writing because you know, coming up with ideas with other people is just like so many, like if I did it by myself, like I wouldn't have gone that direction. And I just love the way that others can go and the sharing that happens. But for me, it was very much like I just started by my started on my own. Uh, and then I would take a song that I'm proud about and bring it to my producers and we'd finish it together. But to get to that step, it would take me a while to be by myself, mainly because I learned the guitar during COVID, and I really don't, you know, I don't practice any scales, I kind of just know the basic chords, and it takes me a while to try to create the different melodies with the few chords that I know. So I never want to like be the slow person in a co-write to bring a melody. So I try to figure out on my own. And then I always try to write it, has to like it has to be something that I've somewhat experienced. Okay. And then I can, you know, take an idea. Like I I just wrote wrote a song the other day, and it it's I was just by myself, just it was it was more more about like grief in a way, but I wrote it from like a heartbreak situation, like not you know, it's not necessarily about one person and the other, but it could be like the way it's written, but it came from dealing with grief, but which I feel like heartbreak. Yeah, a lot of the same things, but you know, sometimes you know, I'll start with just like the feeling of being like, and it's easier, it's so much easier for me when I'm feeling it. Um it's hard to sometimes just make stuff up because I don't know, I'm my brain doesn't work that way, but I've written with people where they can just, you know, they just know what to say and have all these lines, and I'm like, holy, there's just some talented people, but I'm like a slow snail.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, but you I mean you seem to be getting the job done, and it's interesting that you brought that up because about um well, I kind of lost my train of thought. We were talking about the the co-writes, but well, I mean, two brains are better than one or three brains or four brains, right? So you can certainly expedite um the writing when you have multiple people providing input. That's why they call it collaboration, right? Because you have a lot of great great ideas, right? Do you do you have a process in which you decide which personal experience or experiences make it into the songs that you write?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, sometimes it it could just be like a certain experience that sparked my creativity. Sometimes it's you know, the whole song was just actual real events, and this all did happen. And sometimes I feel a little bad because in a small town, it's kind of obvious who most of the songs were written about. If you if you know me and you know, so I for a while I was like, oh, I feel bad, but we all knew who they're about, but you know, we're all grown up now where it's like of course, you know, a lot of people will take the song and put their own personal attachment to it anyway. So they, you know, and most of the people that listen to my music are outside of you know my close area, so they don't really know who they're about, but it just kind of depends if I want to talk about the whole specifics, or oh, maybe we can just rearrange some, make some stuff up. We don't have to say that exactly, right?
SPEAKER_03:Well, I was wondering this. I I remember what I was thinking about earlier uh because I had this conversation as well today, and I wanted to ask you about it. Like when I play, it seems like I gravitate to the the melancholy song or the sad song, or are you anything like that? Or do you have to have upbeat positive songs? Like, I don't know why I gravitate to the the depressing stuff. Like, is that a songwriter or is that a performer's what just what we do? Or can can you speak to that?
SPEAKER_00:I absolutely love depressing, slow that make me want to cry. Yes. But for me, it's like I love listening to those. But when I'm performing, it's like I want to be performing to high energy, sassy, like it's so so now it's like it's like I'll write the sad ones by myself because it feels so good like to write a song and then listen back to it. Um, but in the reality, like what I want to be as a performer is like a high energy upbeat, and uh but I do always like a tinge of like heartbreak in like an upbeat or like a little bit of a subtle, I don't give a a dang kind of thing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:But do I necessarily listen to all those songs all the time? No, I I actually listen to a lot of like, yeah, sad stuff that like makes you want to cry.
SPEAKER_03:I don't I don't know what the pull is for that to for me. Like, I mean, if you you know, I I don't know, like I could go down a whole rabbit hole and just dwell on this for for a long time because I don't get it. Um, but I'll take a sappy song that you I mean I I think it I think it's just the raw emotion that I'm drawn to, and that's what I love about being I I own I don't play in a band. I I'm an acoustic duo, so I have a lead guitarist that plays with me, but he plays he plays electric, but I I played the I'm I'm an acoustic guy, but there's there's something about the rawness of an artist with an acoustic guitar.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I mean, your your heart is just it, it's all right there, right? There's no hiding behind electronics and and fancy whatever, right? It's it's just like a uh six strings and the truth is is what it is, right? And I love that.
SPEAKER_00:It's so true. And this year is like I really put my I usually would play with like another accompany guitarist because like my you know, I just always thought like, well, I can't do anything fancy, like I can strum, yeah, but now I've like gotten obsessed with just doing shows by myself because I really feel like I can control and get real into things way more than I used to be able to because I wasn't, you know, I didn't really know too much about guitar, but I've slowly built some confidence where it's like now it's like you know, when I do those sad songs, they hit more when it's just stripped down. And um, but if I want, you know, more energy, definitely bring another guitar player. But if you know, if you some spaces where they just kind of want that chill vibe, I love those moments. And before I didn't love them as much because I was struggling like to accompany myself, and I'm focusing on like these chords, but you know, now as time's gone on, it's like it's so fun. And I I feel a little jealous of all those people who can rip away solos. Like, how fun would that be? Because I I have strumming.
SPEAKER_03:You you know what though? Um, I'll go on record to say, like, you don't, if you have a nice voice, uh, an appealing voice, I'm and I'm not even talking a soaring vocalist like you hear on American Idol, though, those people are on on another planet, most of them, right? Um I and I don't have I have a nice voice, right? Uh, and I'll I'll give myself those kudos, but I'm I'm not gonna go win American Idol, and I know that, but I believe if you have a nice voice that can hold pitch, right? And you're not a flashy guitar player, like you just know your basic cowboy chords, you can so pull off a show like that, right? Because they're not coming to really hear the guitar. They want you're a storyteller, right? That's what Annika Katharina is, is a storyteller, and you're delivering a story in a three and a half minute format, right? The guitar is a byproduct of the message that you're given, right? So uh I would rather have a nice voice and not be so flashy, and that's exactly what I am. I'm not a flashy player. I don't I know more than just the basic cowboy chords, but I am not a lead shredder guy either, right? Like I don't profess to be that guy. Uh at 59 years old, I don't want to be that guy. Like I let Chris just do his thing, right? And he does it very, very well. And and for me, it's like, you know, playing with a an accompanying guitarist or a lead guitarist, it it fills holes, which is really nice, right? It's it's it's appealing to the ear, but I believe that just a solo artist certainly has their place in a lot of cases as well. Right.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Well, this year, exciting. You know, you released your first EP called You and Me, right? Congratulations on that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it was exciting. I was it was the goal that I had, and I, you know, I always shocked myself. I'm like, oh, I, you know, I actually did it, you know. That that's one of the things I said I wanted to do. And, you know, you always dream of things, and they definitely do not happen all the time. So when you know you hit a little milestone, it's it feels good.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, is this and it you it's probably a little surreal because I'm sure you've been a practicing musician for a long time. And was there ever a time that you you ever said and said, Man, I would love to just say that I released an album and then it it finally came true? Is that kind of how it played out for you?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and it, you know, I never thought I would I always wanted to put music out, and I just never I hadn't you know when I started putting out music for in 2023, I had no idea what I was doing, and I was just like beyond out of my element, and I've just learned over these past couple years, you know, what to do and try things and you know, failing and trying again, and you know, I I I have just my small little group that you know helps me out. My I hire PR, but other than that, it's you know, do it on my own and I'm I'm pretty proud of myself. And sometimes it's hard to say that, like, oh, you're proud, but you know, if you would have seen what I was doing, you know, release week in 2023, it's a lot different than now, or what I was to expect, or just even like how much music has changed my life in the past few years of just like anything like a lot to do with like where I see myself in the music world. I never really saw myself in it. I I wanted to be in it, I just could not see it because the music world were for people that have made it and have you know, just like it's just like I grew up on a farm, like there no one was no one was trying to be an artist around me in life. Like you just didn't, you know, that wasn't like a thing.
SPEAKER_03:Like I get it. No, I totally get it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like no one was, you know, if there was someone I was I knew that was close to me, it probably would have saved me some hassle, but like there was nothing, like I didn't really know what to do. So I just never saw myself there. I was like, oh, that'd be cool. It's like something you you dream of, just putting out music under your name. Yeah, was something I always wanted to do, but just yeah, just didn't really think, didn't really think it could happen.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Well, good for you. Look where you are, and and I have to assume you branded yourself uh Annika Katharina. I'm I'm assuming that's your middle name. Is that is that a fair assumption? Okay, yeah, and and and it seems like a lot of artists are going that route. A lot of the female artists or the artists they're just using, they're not using last name. It seems to be uh uh either a nickname or or a middle name, which is which is really cool. And the the EP is I I think I I listened to all of your songs, and if I remember the count, I think there's five on the EP. Am I correct there? Does that sound right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, there's five songs. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, stumped you on your own music.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I was like, hell yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Uh well, where was the record recorded? I mean, I'm I say record like I'm an old school guy, right? What where was the where was the content recorded? Um, I I'm assuming they're in BC. Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, in Vancouver. So just in a little studio, no bigger than a room, like a one little room, is these two fabulous producers. They're called the Renaissance, and I always tell them, I'm like, I know you're gonna win Grammys one day. Like they're just, I mean, they're they're so in, they're so talented and so good at what they do, and you know, they're they're making a name in Canada, like they're people know who they are, and it's because of the work they do. And I'm just so glad that I met them when I did.
SPEAKER_03:Before they got too big for their britches, too, right?
SPEAKER_01:I said you better not forget me.
SPEAKER_03:Right, right. Well, you you you have a you have a song off the EP call, and I mentioned it earlier, uh Love and Hate, uh, which is done extremely well. And I pulled up the official video before we got on this call, and I I sent it to my guitarist, and I I have to look at his text and tell you this this is a music producer guy, right? Like this guy's like I'm a dumb musician, right? Compared to him, and he's on another planet, but he still I have a few of those friends. Sometimes it's like it's like sometimes you're too smart for your own good. He's the guy that when I'm playing, he'll say, Um, I I think your B strings a little out of tune. It's like, how do you hear that? God dang it. I hate I hate that you have an ear like that that you can pick up on these nuances. But he said, um, I said, I have an interview to do. And he said, with who? I said, an artist out of uh Vancouver, the Vancouver, BC area. Um, and I sent him the link to your official music video for Love and Hate. And I'll I'll just quote him. He said, the production on that song is fucking excellent, right? Is what he said. Um, and then um I said, Yeah, the song has a great hook. And he says, Yes, it really does. And the sonics are superb. Now, I I mean I'd have to go look up what sonics even mean. Like, I don't want to get all technical on my show and stuff, even though like I'm uh, you know, I love that kind of stuff. But I I think what what he's trying to say is he likes the song, right? How about that? Yeah, so so I wanted to share those kudos because I think you um you deserve them. But what I wanted to ask you about uh Love and Hate was for you to maybe share with the listeners how how that song idea came about. Was this a co-write also? And talk a little bit about the forming of the song.
SPEAKER_00:Uh so this song um I I remember so I put out this one song called Bandit, and it's one of my favorites. Uh, my friend wrote it, and I remember thinking, like, I don't how am I ever gonna put out something better than that song? Like, I'm obsessed with that song. And you know, I just spent like a good two weeks thinking of things, and I'm like, I got nothing. Like I I got nothing. So I you know, I was watching reality TV, and I love I love reality TV by the way, and I was just watching these people on TV, and I'm like, my goodness, they have the most toxic relationship.
SPEAKER_02:Sure.
SPEAKER_00:So much back and forth, and I was like, they are just chaotic. And I'm like, this reminds me of when I was like 17 and like being in a relationship that you think is like very like this is gonna be the one, yeah, and you do really silly stuff, like you you it's very dramatic. And I remember watching, I'm like, oh, this reminds me of like this love-hate relationship that I had when I was young. So I was like, Oh, I like the idea. I didn't really know how it was gonna land in my head, but I just kind of just started going off, like, you know, I'm I'm a mess, like, you know, I'm a bit of a handle, but he's equally to blame. And I was going on the idea, and this was around the time that actually um Dasha, that song Austin just came out, like it was a viral hit, and I thought, oh, I wanna do something catchy and sassy. Like I just I was so inspired by her music and that song Shabuzy, the the Bar song. Bar song, yeah. Those two songs are in my head, and I'm like, I just feel like I wanna do, I wanna write this love and hate song, and these songs have inspired me. And that day I just I kind of had a verse and a pre-chorus and a chorus, and I sent it to my producers. And looking back at that just demo thing, I'm like, I cannot believe they saw what they did in the song. Because when we all finished it together and we demoed it, I instantly was like, this song is so sick, in my opinion. And I love all the songs I do, but when you get this like little gut feeling, I'm like, there's something about this song, I don't know what it is. I don't just from the demo, like the demo had the original like cool guitar hook in it, and I don't know, I just couldn't stop thinking about it. And then I took that feeling and I was like, I want to produce it. And and when I produced it, I loved it and I was up, I became obsessed with it, and I showed it to many people. And it's interesting, a lot of people, their comments were like, cool, it's really upbeat. It's just, I really like that song, Bandit. And I thought, oh gosh, like, you know, I I I had a fear that love and hate was never gonna be enough. And it's crazy because love and hate is the song that has done the most for me. And I just feel like, you know, sharing your songs with people is good, but having your gut feeling is good as well. And I'm just like, I remember telling my friend, I was like, I like I don't understand. Like, I've shown this to a lot of people, and I just decided I'm gonna stop sharing it because I'm confused. Like, am I wrong to think that this song feels is good? Like it was like such a mind trap. And I was like, I got to the point where I'm like, it doesn't matter. I'm putting this out for me because I believe, you know, sure.
SPEAKER_03:I believe, you know, it's just like it's yeah, I get it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, but it's hard because like there was so much love for the song before, and that's always hard, is like, you know, is it is it you know, gonna compare it to the last one? Everyone's gonna compare it to the last one, but I've come to realize that each song is very different, and each song is gonna relate to a someone else that the other one didn't. And I've for all my releases, that's what's happened. I've had so many people tell me their favorite song is you and me. And I thought, really? Like, you know, that's you know, I I like that song for personal reasons, but the fact that you love that song is like thank you, because you know, it's you always you're always comparing your own songs, and you you listen to them so many times before they actually come out, where you start to be like, maybe I don't know, maybe I don't know anymore.
SPEAKER_03:Well, in in all fairness, though, like like where you know, you and I can listen to the same song. Pick a song, any song, right? You and I can listen to it, and it sits somewhere different with me than it does with you. It's it's almost like um saying, just because I like strawberry ice cream, that should be everybody else's favorite, too, right? We all have eclectic tastes, and um what what one song of yours means to one person, another one means totally something different. And you could say, yeah, love and hate is that song. That's my flagship song so far, right? Like just for the sake of conversation. But that song may not be my favorite song on your EP, right? Because there's another one that just sits with me better, right? And it it could be a timing thing, it could be a taste thing. Like, so I think overanalyzing all that is probably like you'll drive yourself crazy trying to overanalyze that. But I when you were telling me about the song, it made me think like when you first wrote it, I'm sure you you you did it on an acoustic guitar. Is that fair to say? So you did that. How cool is it for an artist to hear something as raw on the six-string acoustic guitar and then hearing the production of the song, how it's come to life. How cool is that?
SPEAKER_00:It was it, yeah. It especially, you know, when you you work with people you enjoy, like my producers. Like, I just every I'm always amazed that you know they can take just this. Sometimes it's honestly just a cappella because you know, I just gave, you know, gave up trying to like find courts, and it could just be a voice memo, and they you know, they pull something out of it, and it just it it's wild. It's it's creating, it's sure. That's the fun part. It's like that didn't exist before, and now it did, and you know, this is how I thought it was gonna be, and this is what you made it, and you just nailed it. Like those are such good feelings.
SPEAKER_03:I oh, I think it's like it can be like a a piece of like a clay on a spinning wheel. I don't know what that's called because I'm not a clay sculptor, but it starts with just some, yeah, with some lunk of clay, and it's amazing to see what comes out of that. Like I'm I'm tatted up, right? And I have tattoos, and you you they're they're all custom to me, right? It's not like I went and picked something off the wall. I had an artist draw everything up, but it but it's so cool to see the idea come to life, and then when you see the finished result, how many people say, Oh my god, who did those? Who I mean, like it's it's cool to see it go from just a sketch to something that's alive, right? It it it kind of somebody breathes life into something that is not even living, which I think is just cool. So I I thought about that and I said, that has to be such a cool thing to to strum some chords to a song called Love and Hate. You don't know where it's gonna wind up, and then it's out on Spotify. I it I think last time I looked, quarter of a million, at least a quarter of a million spends on Spotify alone, right? That's that's the life that this thing has taken on, and that that's a huge accolade. Yeah, there's there's some artists out there that have millions and billions of streams, but you should, I mean, I would be so proud of myself. That's so cool. For I'm happy for you. I really am. It's so awesome.
SPEAKER_00:It it really, you know, I'll just my friend actually, the one who I had the conversation with about being very like, you know, driving yourself wild. And she's like, remember when you told me that you like were unsure because of everyone's input? Like, look at what the song did for you. I was like, I know, like that was that's what I'm most proud of. Because yeah, when when you have so much music and so many different opinions, it's it gets hard. Like, because you know, you you know, I've just I listened to a the Ed Sheeran documentary, and he said, you know what? Someone asked me why I don't get tired singing the A Team anymore, which was his huge hit. He's like, you know, I I record songs I love, and well, I'm paraphrasing, but he pretty much says, if I'm not gonna sing this song for the rest of my life and love the song, I'm not gonna record it. So despite what anyone thinks of it, as long as you love it, obviously you're putting your heart and soul into something and you're putting it out there. And if you can love and stand behind that song, then that's success.
SPEAKER_03:So I agree. And and I mean, if the artist is not happy or in love with their music, who in the hell is gonna be in love with it, right? It's kind of like you've got to love yourself before other people love you, right? I mean, this is something we've been taught all of our lives, right? Well, I wanted to shift gears with you for just a second. I wanted to talk with you a little bit about, let's see, resilience and reinvention for just a minute. And and what I mean by that is if we go back to 2017, you were in a I I think it was a an automobile or a motorcycle moped accident somewhere in is it was it in Asia? Is that is that correct?
SPEAKER_01:Southeast Asia.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so I guess you know that experience, I would guess, changed a lot of things for you, did it not?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, it changed, it changed my whole life. Like I how old was I then? 20, I think. I was 20 when it happened, and I I initially went on that trip because I was halfway through university, and you know, I grew up doing music all through high school, but from 18 and 19, I was just kind of like in a gig band, and I just I wanted more of music, but did not know how to get myself more involved, just because in high school you have all these opportunities. And I remember feeling like a little down, and I said, you know what? I'm gonna go travel, and then I probably am not gonna go back to school. I think I'm going to try this music thing. And I started before I left for Thailand, I got in touch with um an artist who was starting to do producing. So we were kind of working on music, and he was we were writing together, and this was my first experience, like trying to write songs with someone. And I thought, oh, this is so great. When I come back from town, Thailand, I'm gonna, I don't I won't feel guilty about not going back to school. I don't know. I had I just I needed a break from I just I was going to university because that that's what I thought you did. And anyways, I was on a moped crash and it was only like a week into our trip, so I didn't really get the whole find yourself experience. But the day of the crash, I did. Definitely found myself. It was the most life-changing thing I've ever experienced. I before I left for Thailand, I was a very, I don't know, anxiety-ridden person. I worried a lot about stuff. Death scared me. All this stuff. And I remember being like, you know, taken to the hospital in the back of a local's pickup truck because the ambulance wasn't going to come for like another 45 minutes. And I remember feeling so at peace with, you know, a lot of things in my life. And that peace was something that something I would have just wished for on my daily life. Like I was, I just had such terrible anxiety. And I ever since that day, it's, you know, I have my anxious moments, but beyond that, that day like changed it for me because I realized like it doesn't matter how much I worry. It doesn't matter, you know, I can do the best I can, but at in the end, we really don't know when it's our time. And that was like something that hit me really hard. And then I thought, well, when we don't know when our time is, what you do with your time, like do what you love. Like, you know, what's the point if it was just like all these things are happening to me. So I can't I broke my jaw and was pretty messed up for a couple years because of it, because it was such a constantly getting work done. Like it like wrecked my jaw completely during that trip. But like, you know, I didn't wreck any of the vital parts, like my brain, which was so glad. But you know, through I didn't when I was healing, I actually couldn't sing, like it was all in my mouth. And that was another thing that I had a voice before, and it was just kind of like taken away temporarily because I couldn't sing. And I remember thinking, like, how did I ever take that for granted? Like it was something I just thought I could always do. And then when you get injured, you're like, whoa, like you can always sing. And you know, for me, the music was so much joy, and I didn't realize what I had, like, I didn't realize what I had at the time, and then healing kind of taught me like all these life lessons that I learned at 21, 22, 23. And and I remember thinking, like, I'm I'm glad it happened. Like, I just I feel really lucky that I was spared because it could have gone so so the other way. And I've heard absolute horror stories ever since of young people traveling, and I just can't believe I got so lucky. And I was, you know, grateful for that, but also grateful for like this perspective. Like, I never had this before, and I wouldn't have had it if I didn't bust a couple, you know, totally busts in my face, and it, you know, I don't think I really ever cared about because uh looking back now physically, like it was horrendous. Yeah, I didn't it was not a pretty sight, but I never felt like I was I never felt like I cared about any of that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, well, it's not the most important thing, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it didn't matter to me, and and I just was yeah, I would think I was just like really grateful.
SPEAKER_03:I think you do, I think you do like I I like you, mine was in 2013 where I was on my way to teach um a hockey clinic, had my two boys in a car, um got got T-boned in an intersection. I think the truck they said was probably going 50 or 60 miles an hour when it hit me, but I had to get cut out of the car with the jaws of life. I broke my neck in the wreck, and like what what but why was I spared? I mean, when you think about when you think about that, I got hit in the door, like in my driver's side door, and there is a thin layer of metal protecting me from a 3,000-pound vehicle coming at 60 miles an hour. How do you survive that? Right and it and it literally, it's it's mind blowing. I and I really, it's been a long time now. I really, I don't really think or contemplate too much about the wreck, but I like you, it's like, I mean, I I know somebody that was in a five mile an hour collision in my neighborhood some years back, and they they walked away from it, and three days later they were dead from a brain bleed, right? And it's a five mile an hour wreck. So it it really you know, you could sit and try to analyze it to death, but I mean, you the what you have to do is just move on and say, you know, I've I've got to live life to the fullest because you never know when your ticket's gonna get punched at the end of the day, right?
SPEAKER_00:Honestly, and that was for me, it's like, you know, we're everyone is kind of in the same boat, you know, we're all gonna face something, and we don't know when when that is. Like, no one can really give you a fine date dateline or whatever. And I just remember thinking, like, well, then why am I doing things that make me unhappy? Or you know, you just kind of switch your life, and yes, uh it just it it really it did good things for me. And I know, like I know that that's not the case, and I've I always tread lightly because I know what it's like to to have something happen, and people just you know it's hard to see a positive side because of what happened, but for me, it's like you know, mine mine was temporary, everything could have been fixed. And so like I'm like why did I get so lucky? Like, why wasn't it like a brain? Like if I like my brain, if it was like damaged, like that has so much more repercussions and a busted face, like your your body will heal, and yeah, so many, like so many questions, like why, why me?
SPEAKER_03:Like, you know, well, I don't I I know it's scary, like the the voice thing is scary too. Um a year a year ago, I was going through this bronchitis thing, and I was like, you know, you get bronchitis, you just cough and cough and cough, and it was like like violent, violent coughing, like where I'm like, oh my god, I'm gonna break a rib. And I I I remember my voice went away and it and it went away and it went away, and it never like I'm like, it's been a week and I have no voice, and then it was two weeks I had no voice, then it was a month I had no voice, and I'm like, oh my god, what happened? So I went to uh uh an ENT specialist and they said, You literally have um hemorrhaging vocal cords, like they're there, it's gonna take probably a in uh a year, right, to get it back. Luckily, I didn't have to have surgery, but it's it's amazing when you have used your voice to sing all of your life, it's been such an uh important part of my life, much like yours, and that and that tool goes away, and you don't ever know if it's actually gonna come back fully. And in even to this day, a year later, there are certain notes and songs that um to be honest, I I just leave out or let the audience sing because I can't, I don't, I still don't have the full range, like the higher range back. Uh, but luckily the voice is back 98%. But there are still those certain notes that it sounds like I'm going through puberty, literally, like my voice will crack. And uh, but but thank goodness like it it's back where at least where it is. If even if I miss a few notes here and there, um I I'm I'm so blessed because but for a while I didn't think it was ever gonna come back, and that's really scary, especially when you're a vocalist, right?
SPEAKER_00:No, I just I always think like if my hearing and my voice went, I'm screwed.
SPEAKER_03:Right. I get it. Well, do you remember the the first song you wrote post accident?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it was actually called 2017. Um, it was the same year uh before I went to Thailand. I actually had a breakup. So I wrote about like the breakup while kind of like reminiscing about that year. Like that year, that year was so it changed a lot of things for me. So I still I think I have it somewhere.
SPEAKER_03:So you never you never produced it and released it then? Oh okay.
SPEAKER_00:I I I you know that was the first song I ever like wrote. Um I didn't start writing songs till after Thailand because okay, I wasn't I don't know. I remember someone telling me when I was like 14, like if you want to be a serious artist, write songs and I should have listened because they were right. Um but I mean there's a reason why I like came to songwriting later in life. I always, you know, I was probably playing outside, and that was probably all I thought about. Um, but yeah, I started writing songs super late. Like when someone says, you know, I wrote this song 10 years ago, I'm like, whoa, that's wild. Like I wish I had songs, but you know, I'm I'm proud of where I've come in this short time. But yeah, I have it somewhere, and I actually made a demo of it with my guitar player. So I I actually have a few demos, like I play in a cover band. Yeah. So he has like a little home studio, and I I've written quite a few rock songs actually just cuz, and uh, I'm sure one day I don't know. I don't know what to do with there's a bunch.
SPEAKER_03:Right. Are are you active in the cover band right now?
SPEAKER_00:Yep, I still do um like we do a lot of corporate cover band stuff, so less like public gigs, but I I I love playing with the band and it's fun. Like, you know, I've I've learned so much about music through doing covers. Like that's how I got started. So yeah, the cover thing is still active and I just don't usually post about it, but yeah, we do lots lots of events and it's fun.
SPEAKER_03:That's super awesome. Well, you supplement your income a little bit like that too, right? So it's uh that's important for indie artists like yourself to you know to to buy yourself a cheeseburger and put gas in the tank to get to the next gig, right?
SPEAKER_00:You know, I I always look at my corporate shows, kind of help me fund my original shows because you know, if I want to do a full band thing and I mean, I'm not we all know what it's like. So I always do the you know, I save up the corporate stuff, and then I'm able to do these original shows and just have fun and not stress about like money being like it's like I want to just put on a good show that costs money, save up here's here's the show. Yep.
SPEAKER_03:Like that's that's how I view it. Well, I think you're doing it the right way. Um you know, you you've experienced several big milestones, and I wanted to talk just briefly uh uh about one or two of them, if that's okay with you. I know that you have had charting success. Yeah, there's been streaming traction, and you are also a semi-finalist in the Sirius XM Top of the Country competition. Share this experience with the listeners. What is the competition? How did you get involved? Uh, give us the rundown there.
SPEAKER_00:Uh so the Sirius XM Top of the Eight is it's a huge contest in Canada. Um, and it's it's something that, you know, as an independent, we, you know, you you strive every year for it because it it is like it life-changing, even if you get uh you don't win. Just being in the top eight has opened so many doors for me. So they pick eight people from across Canada. Um just it, you know, it doesn't have to necessarily be country. There's traditional alternative and more edgy rock. Like there's always been there's been a very diverse range, but it is somewhat under the country umbrella, but it's not limited. Anyway, so they pick it, they it's all funded. They, you know, I got to record Love and Hate again in Brian Adams studio. Um, that was amazing in Vancouver, and they you do a performance video after recording the song, and you know, you get this wonderful video and experience from Sirius XM. And then there's a voting period, so you know, you try to get people to vote online, and if you get top three, then the top three, you know, go to Nashville, they play festivals, and then the winners, like top three, get like some financial um prizes, and yeah, the top three got to play at CMA fests. So, like for us Canadians, it's you know, if you top eight was amazing, like I had such a great experience. But if you do get top three, it's like you get to go to these amazing events that Canadians don't necessarily always get to play at. And you get to go down to Nashville and it, you know, it's supported by Sirius XM. So it's like there's no financial burden, you can just go down, make music, connect with people that you would have never connected with before, and you know, talk to people that yeah, like it's just a really good way to share who you are. And I had the most incredible experience they they give you a team when you're there. So when you're making you're doing the video, you're getting your hair done, your makeup done, all the things like you're treated like a full-on rock star. And Queen B.
SPEAKER_03:Queen B, right?
SPEAKER_00:I really do. I was like, oh, this is like I could get used to.
SPEAKER_03:That's super cool.
SPEAKER_00:Um, and I I'm excited to see who's gonna be in the top eight this year. I have a few friends that I I'm really hoping they get to have this experience and um yeah, hopefully change their lives. Like it's so wild. And you know, for us Canadians, it's a really big deal, especially independence. Um, you know, how many opportunities do you really get? Um, there's you know, there's not not a whole lot, but when you when you're you know applying for these things, it's always like a dream. And I was super that was like that was something I've been saying for years. Like I want to one day be in there, and I I just never really saw myself. And then when you you get a call, like you get a phone call, and it's like I was at work when I got in, I was like out of my mind.
SPEAKER_03:That's so cool. A real moment for you. That's so cool. Yeah, well, I'm uh, you know, we we talked about it a little bit. I'm a um, I guess a local artist here in Cyprus, Texas, like greater South Texas, so to speak. I play, you know, Chris and I play all over, but um I I've never I've never tried to make music a living, right? I have a full-time day job, right, uh in a leadership role with an IT consulting firm, but um, that's what pays my mortgage. But how does it feel like and I and I don't know this, like I know what it's like to play 130 shows a year because I've done that over you know the past 10 years, but how does it feel to hear your music or your song coming through the speakers of a car uh for the first time, like coming on the radio? Like, how does that feel?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, it you know, I I'll never like take that first listen out of the car feeling for granted because you know, to me, it's just like it's still like I can't believe I get to do this. Like I just feel so lucky and grateful that I've you know organized my life where like I said, I have a job. So, you know, it's it's like I this isn't just all I do, but like just knowing that I've I'm able to do this and keep doing this and hear myself come to the car, it's just such an incredible experience. And I actually, you know, I had some of my songs playing on the radio, and you know, having people text me who live in Ontario be like, whoa, I just heard your song. It's like that's crazy to me. And like our local fiction in Vancouver, like they're playing a song that I never even thought would be on the radio, and the fact that they love the song just makes me so feel so happy because I, you know, I don't expect songs to be on the radio, and it's hard to get a song to radio. Like it's not just like, oh, put it to radio. Like, there's so much that goes behind it, and it's really, really hard. And when it happens and it kind of happens naturally, it just feels really cool. And it's amazing how many people I went to high school with who know that I've been putting out music, but haven't really reached out until the local radio station played the stuff. And there's still such an impact of radio, and it's it's really cool because I I don't know, I just this this whole thing has been a whirlwind, huh? A whirlwind, and they're just to me, they're everything. And you know, this might not mean much to someone else, but to me, I'm like to have people in my hometown like proud of me is like the biggest thing.
SPEAKER_03:You know, you know what's interesting is because the uh, you know, some might say for a musician the pinnacle or the summit um of a musician's career would be getting inducted to the rock and roll hall of fame or becoming a grand old Opry member or or something along those lines, but let's not discount for one minute. And I don't have a song on the radio, but I think I could say um that that has to be a pinnacle for a lot of people. That has to be like when you're driving down the road, and this is I'm not talking about streaming music from Spotify, right? I'm talking about you're tuned into a radio station like we listened to radio back in '85 or '86, right? That kind of listening, and your song comes through the speakers on a radio station. That has to be a super highlight. Like it has to be, right?
SPEAKER_00:It's it is like I just like because this has all happened so recently. I've, you know, Love and Hate was first to get on like radio stations more outside of my province, but as of recently, it's on my local station. I have a song called Under Undercovers that gets played a lot on my local station. And I every time someone sends me a video of them filming it, I'm like just over the moon. Because A, like last year, this time, I would have been like, no, I'm not. The radio thing is just it's too hard. Like I, you know, I could not imagine it getting there. And B, it's just like, man, they took the time to share this with me. This is like, this is so cool because to me it means the world, and they don't really know that that means so much to me. But I'm like, fact that you care, I'm just like, thank you. Keep sending them. Yeah, keep telling me I'll never get fired.
SPEAKER_03:No, it's so cool. And uh, I guess the equivalent for me is I've got uh 25, I think 25, maybe more now, but there's like 25 billboards on state highways in Texas and Louisiana for my podcast, right? And I I constantly I wouldn't say constantly, but once a week I get somebody that will text me and say, Oh my God, I just drove past your billboard. And it's like, that's so cool, right? And I know it's not hearing a song on the radio, but but when you have people like text you and say, you know, your podcast must be doing really great because I see your stuff all over the place. And it's like, it's cool, right? You know, it's it's like you know, it's like, okay, I worked hard at the podcast, like you worked hard with the music. And to to hear that is just it's kind of it solidifies why we do what we do, it it puts a smile on people's face, right? Um, what's what's coming up for you from a from a new project standpoint that you would like to share or that you can even talk about with the with the listeners of Backstage Pass Radio? What's new and exciting? And I and I know you just released your EP, but is there other stuff in the work that you would like to talk about with the listeners?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, I got another, I released another song in August. Uh, that one is super fun. It was called Undercovers, and I I have a song coming out this Friday um called Better Hands. And this is like the first song I've ever written written and put out that's very current.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:Um, I like I'm married and I've been married for a couple years now, and most of my songs have been heartbreak and like you know, very like I don't know, we've we've all experienced heartbreak, and I'll still write about heartbreak all the time, but this is kind of like um a message to everyone. This is how I actually feel, like I'm in really good hands. Like, you know, I've found the one, and I want people to know that like I'm not just a sad heartbroken girl. I love writing sad songs, but I am in really good hands, and it makes me so happy that I'm in this place in life. And that one comes out, yeah, October 24th. And then I have some Christmas covers coming out. Um, I'm really pumped about. I did those with my producers out of like a big project, and the whole project comes out before Christmas, and then I have new music on the horizon for 2026. I just finished recording that song. I don't know when I'm gonna put it out yet, but there'll be new music coming out in 2026, and this music is kind of more on the sassier side.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Kind of just being a confident woman in country music. That's you know, that's kind of what I'm going for. And a little less on the heartbreak song. I mean, there's still gonna be some heartbreak, but more of the more from the point of view that I'm like not, I'm gonna be okay. Like I'm just like I'm tapping into how I feel. You know, how I feel on stage, I feel like a confident person, and I wanted people to hear that in the songs. Like I, you know, I can I can go to the bar, I can be this person, um, but I also can be heartbroken. But next season of music is kind of less, a little less of that, a little more confident edge. I don't really know how to explain it.
SPEAKER_03:Well, maybe, maybe by by the time that comes out, you can you can text me and uh maybe come back on the show and talk about the new stuff. And we we won't go down a rabbit hole like we did tonight, right? We can just talk about the new stuff and then go on with our lives, right? But uh this is all my fault taking you down the rabbit holes. But I love the the stories like I love the stories. And um is there is there a message you hope people um maybe associate your name with when they think of Annika Katharina, like what what do you want people to associate your name with?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I mean to with my name. I think for me, every time I think of because Annika Katharina is my middle name, whenever when anyone talks about Annika Katharina, to me, it's a reminder that I you know I I tried and I am trying and I will try forever to do music, and this is coming from someone who really had low confidence in putting out music, and I just think every time I hear that, I'm just so proud of myself. And I think if you have those, I don't know, negative thoughts, and you know, we all do, we all have those like doubts to put those doubts aside and just go for it because I you know my success, though maybe small to me, it it feels really huge because some of the stuff that I've done in music just was are things I never ever ever would think would happen. And if you believe you have a purpose and a passion, work really hard at that because like I said, my little successes mean the world to me. And every time I hear Annika Katharina, again, because it's not like not really how I address myself, it just reminds me that I'm doing what I love and I'm not giving up.
SPEAKER_03:So well, I believe you you're right, you you put it all out there, and as long as you have a love for it, you know, that's all that really matters. And there's an old adage, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? So I mean, there's a lot of truth to that. From you know, what about any information you can share? I know you're playing a lot in the BC, uh, you know, in the BC province. Um anything that either local people there um in BC can look forward to uh as it relates to shows, um, tour that you want to talk about, anything outside of BC coming up that you want to share? If not, no big deal. But I wanted to give you, you know, that that podium to speak about, you know, anything exciting from a show perspective, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, actually today I, you know, they announced on the radio station every year. Um JR Country, the radio station in Vancouver, puts on this event called Boots and Babes Ball. And they always have three artists. Usually the main act is the headliner, and you know, they're very established. And then they'll choose like some up and comers. And I'm grateful that I'm a part of the show that's happening February 14th, 2026 at the Commodore Ballroom. And that's very significant to me because that that actually is a bucket list stage. It is like a standing room-only type event um venue, and it's iconic to Vancouver. And I always said, like, you know, everyone talks about their dream venue. That is my dream venue, and I can't believe I get to be a part of this, and that's February 14th, and it's gonna be really fun. The headliner's name is Brett Kissle, and my good friend Morgan Griffith, who's gonna be playing the opener after me. And um, yeah, it's gonna be a really good time. I'm this is like the most exciting thing I've probably done performance-wise, just because of where the venue is, and this is an event that happens every year, and I've always been like, Oh, I wonder how you get there. You know, you always wonder how you get on stage. It, you know, for me, I don't have a booking agent, and I I can't believe I get to play there. And I have some summer shows that just like not 100% confirmed yet, but unfortunately, mainly in the BC area. I would love to branch out. Um, so if you know anyone who's looking for up-and-comers, I'd love to play.
SPEAKER_03:I have some good spots here in uh in Houston. If you're ever down my way and you give me enough heads up, I can get you set up with some shows at some places. Like I can I can commit that. So I had an awesome artist out of Stonington, Connecticut. His name is Nick Bossey, B-O-S-S-E. Uh, he he was on my show. Um just, you know, it's funny. I've talked to a lot of musicians, whether they're local, regional, some Hall of Fame musicians. You know, I spoke of Loverboy, the Goo Goo Dolls, like all of these guys have been on my show, right? And it's and it's so interesting because a lot of them, a lot of them, you'll carry on a relationship, even still to this day. I mean, I'm still talking to some of these people. Some of them, you know, it's like they do the interview and there's really no connection after that. But he was one of those that we just hit it off and we stayed in touch, and him and his uh mom and dad and the band came and they toured through. Um, I think they went out to the Texas Hill Country and were playing some shows there. And I said, you know what? You know, we could probably set up like three or four dates right here in the area. And sure enough, you know, they came here to the house and we put food on the grill. And Nick played three or four shows here in Houston to kind of put gas in the car to get back to Connecticut. So yeah, if you're ever down in the Texas area and want to uh song swap or just do your own show, just give me enough heads up and we can certainly arrange something at some of the venues that I play. Yeah, get your name out there down in Texas, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I've always wanted to go hang out in Texas.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Well, you the time to come is in the in January, right? When it's when it's cold up in Canada. But break from the cold. Exactly. What about uh last thing here? What about anything from a merch perspective you can or want to talk about? Like, is there a do you have a merch site that you would like to point people out to and tell them about?
SPEAKER_00:I don't yet, but that's actually my goal over the winter is to have this set up by February. Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Well coming.
SPEAKER_00:I just, you know, I need to put I need to put in the the work.
SPEAKER_03:Yep. Yep.
SPEAKER_00:Get it all up and running.
SPEAKER_03:Yep. Well, it's it's uh it takes time, right? For sure. But uh I'm sure once you um once you put that up, if you want to email me or text me or whatever and let me know, I'll be happy to help share the links and help you out there as much as I can. Thank you. Yeah, well, Annika, this has been a fantastic conversation. I I appreciate, I mean, what we're an hour and a half. I I lied to you, I said it was gonna be 45 minutes, but but but good conversations, why cut off good conversations, right? So, you know, your your story of resilience and um you know it it I think it shines through in your music, and I think that that's what listeners, you know, and why that can you know the listeners connect with you because of that resilience? It it shows in the music. And before we uh you know, is there like from a I guess a uh a platform perspective, can the listeners find you on all of the major streams?
SPEAKER_00:Yes. Every from my knowledge, it can anywhere, whatever apps you use for any kind of music, it's on there. Soundcloud too, and any anything really, it's it's out there.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Um Annika Katharina and then whatever song.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and is there it? I know you don't have the merch site set up, so I I'm assuming that there's no way to buy physical copies of the stuff right now. Okay, but but that's coming. Okay, gotcha. Um, well, you guys uh be sure to check out Annika's debut EP called You and Me, wherever you stream your digital music. And Annika, thanks again for being on the show and sharing your journey with myself and all the listeners globally here at Backstage Pass Radio. I really appreciate the time.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for having me, Randy. This is awesome.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's my pleasure. And you guys make sure you go out and follow uh Annika on all of her social media platforms and on the website at Annika Katharina.com. And I'll spell that for you guys, A-N-N-I-K-A Katharina C A T H A R I N A dot com, Annika Katharina.com. I also ask the listeners to like, share, and subscribe to the podcast on Facebook at BackstagePass Radio Podcast, on Instagram at Backstage Pass Radio, and on the website at BackstagePassradio.com. You guys remember to take care of yourselves and each other, and we'll see you right back here on the next episode of Backstage Pass Radio.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you for tuning into this episode of Backstage Pass Radio. Backstage Pass Radio. We hope you enjoyed this episode and gained some new insights into the world of music. Backstage Pass Radio is heard in over 80 countries, and the streams continue to grow each week. If you loved what you heard, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave reviews on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback means the world to us and helps us bring you even more amazing content. So join us next time for another deep dive into the stories and sounds that shape our musical landscape. Until then, keep listening, keep exploring, and keep the passion of music alive.
