An Interview With The Indie-Folk Artist, ANNACHRISTIE SAPPHIRE!

Photo Credit- Carly Valentine

Meet the indie folk artist, Annachristie Sapphire. Annachristie has shared the stage with the likes of First Aid Kit, Amos Lee, and Langhorn Slim, and continues to make a name for herself alongside Grammy Award- winning producer Tim Sonnefeld.

Annachristie Sapphire has a soulful huskiness and power that could break glass. Her compelling songwriting style lends itself to an emotionally evocative experience for her listeners time and time again. Annachristie explores new measures of folk and americana by marrying the genres with styles more grunge, dreamlike, and enduring- reminiscent to the rawness brought to light by the music rebels of the 90’s. With this, Annachristie Sapphire welcomes a sense of nostalgia even for those who might be hearing her music for the first time.

“Cut The Line,” the first single from Annachristie Sapphire’s upcoming LP “Desert Car”, was produced by the Grammy Award- winning Tim Sonnefeld. The song is about fishing for love. The melody reels you in and then sets you free with it’s 1950’s inspired backup vocals, in contrast to an atmospheric landscape of sounds that allow the listener to live inside of the melody.

Annachristie Sapphire’s EP was recorded at Chaparral Bottom Studio and Red Star Studios. With many exciting involvements headed her way, follow Annachristie Sapphire for updates.

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Learn more about Annachristie Sapphire in the following All Access interview:

Happy New Year! Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find you?

I am in Nashville, TN.

Overall, how do you think 2017 was for you and your career? What are you most excited about for this year? Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? Care to share them with us?

2017…what a year! What a tear of a year:) As for my career I would say 2017 was a very empowering journey. I basically shattered illusions of overnight success. I have been a hard working musician since day 1 for the past 15 years, and always having an idea that a label, manager and agent, would come along and make me an overnight success. Which left me feeling sad to be “undiscovered” and feeling helpless, I thought I just needed to play shows and have someone hear me and sweep me off my feet. 2017 was the year that I started the continuos journey of taking my career in my own hands. Going to bad ass events like “Play like a girl” that host educational  industry meet ups for for gender identifying woman!  And cd baby DIY music conference and youbloom summit. Basically soaking in the knowledge to help Make my music available for all to find easily.

Also it was a year of questioning my own desires as to why I am an artist. It’s such a wild ride to chase your ambition around…and it can lead to some dark places if you don’t protect the sacredness of your art…

Resolutions-

Drink less coffee.

Raise money to Release my Record/ find support.

Make an online vintage business

Tour

Write REALLY good songs

Do more benefit shows.

Have a POSITIVE attitude:)

I am most excited to release my record!

Growing up, did you always want to be a musician? Can you recall your earliest musical memory?

Haha! Yes and yes! Me and my sisters started a band out of our empty bottom bunk bed.  we hung curtains and made into a stage. We had shows for our family! Wrote songs:) called “im living in a dream world” and “dream on dream on” I was 5 years old my sisters were 3 and 7…we were called the ABC sisters and then Later the Sapphires, and then later as adults we were in the band Sisters3 ( recording records and tourin) so I suppose yes I have always wanted to be a musician/songwriter /story teller and performer.

I always like to ask artists about where they came from and how that city or town has influenced them as an artist now. So how do you think your home has affected

Photo Credit- Carly Valentine

you and your music today? 

Wow! Good questions!

So I am from a suburb area of Philadelphia, called downingtown Pa. I have 0 hometown pride. ( I have big Philly hometown pride, which I lived in philly as an adult for 8 years) I have always seen my hometown as everywhere suburban America….people live very comfortable lives and are scared of the city because of diversity in culture. Downingtown is very middle to upper class and if you are there and lower class it is painfully obvious…

My father is an antique dealer. So I have always had the idea that is better to be your own boss! I was homeschooled and from a family of 8 children and we were always the freaks in town, this gave me an outside perspective on the world really. To be living somewhere where I never felt excepted, which led me to want to find a home where I do. With others Pursuing their passion not suppressing it to make money but because it is what makes you happy:)

Let’s talk about your first single, “Cut The Line.” What was the inspiration for this track? How do you think it welcomes listeners to the kind of music that you make and are all about and your upcoming EP, “Desert Car”?

Ok so this song is the absolute idea of never giving up on something good:) and asking for help when you need it!  I started writing this song when I was 21, and finished it at 31. with the help of two songwriters, My co producer Tim Sonnefeld and friend Victoria Williams. it was first inspired by the heartache from a clown who I was dating that didn’t believe in monogamy. So the idea of the song is about wanting something that you can’t have…just wanting to see it through till the end, in all of its beauty even if you know that it is going to leave you. It about  Being present in the moment. It’s also about the delusion and insanity of love. Every song on this record came to be by being present in the moment. And not being afraid of failure. Going for what you want no matter how scary it is. Following your heart wherever it leads you. And learning from where it leads you.

What are other songs on this EP that you are excited for people to hear? 

Stick and poke tattoo! Desert car! Bonsai! Full moon! Bag of bones! Cut the line! Can you feel what I feel! Wait that’s all of them…

As a huge fan of First Aid Kit, I must ask you about sharing the stage with them! What was that like?

So me and my sisters were asked to open for them at venue in Philadelphia called johnny brendas:) it was right on the tip of their first album release and it was such a cool night! It was fun to play with another sister group that knows the sister harmony magic connection!

It’s actually pretty strange, I have since then completely randomly cross paths with those girls in Ann Arbor Michigan, Joshua Tree, CA and then in Echo Park in LA….maybe someday we will tour together:) I do love their new record!

I would also love to know what it was like working of the founder of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, Victoria Williams? How did she come to be featured on your new single and upcoming EP?

Honestly I don’t know what brought me to the Mojave desert from Philadelphia. I suppose the beauty of the landscape.  We both live there and it’s a small community, I count the lucky stars that connected me to meeting Vic, who is a dear friend Who has taught me so much about living well, and embracing all that life throws at you. And she is one of the most unique people and profound songwriters maybe that ever will live! I recorded most of the tracking at her home studio and she wondered in and lent her unique voice to the 3 part harmony as if i wrote it just for her to sing!

Where can people see you perform live next? Do you have any tour dates scheduled for 2018?

I will be playing a lot of shows in Los Angeles, Joshua Tree, San Fransisco and San Diego. I will be playing A lot in Nashville TN. ( I am moving here in a couple months!)

As I set official release dates I will be booking a full US tour and going to the U.K. Also! See you in Ireland for sure!

I am currently on a wait-list for a SXSW showcase so I plan on going regardless if I get an official showcase or not:)

Feb 27th at the satellite in Los Angeles.

Feb 23rd at Taylor junction art gallery in joshua tree CA

March 4th sofar sounds show in Los Angeles!

Where do you find that you at your happiest- on stage performing, in the studio recording music, writing songs or elsewhere?

Huh I think I like all of the above. If I had to choose it would be on stage.  Also I’m so happy when I tour and travel to other counties:)

We are living in a crazy and at times rough world right now so I am curious how you think being a musician gives you the most joy in life today? How do you think that your new music is going to reflect these difficult times?

Me and a dear friend and fellow songwriter Chris Kasper (check out his music!) were literally just talking about this over coffee this morning:)

I would say at this point in time as a human and as an artist I am dealing with escapism.

The song “Desert Car” is  meant to take you on a ride away from what ails you. Where as “Stick and poke tattoo”  is about traveling from one ocean to another, meant to encourage the listeners to live free! To follow your bliss. To pursue your dreams especially in this dark political time! Stay informed but also turn it off and find peace.

I would like to write more political songs once I can actually wrap my head around what’s happening:)

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What musicians would you absolutely still love to work with in the future?

Some of my all time faves are-

Jeff Buckley 

Joni Mitchell 

Aretha Franklin 

The Beach Boys

The Flamingos

The Ravens 

The Prisonaires 

David Deporis 

X 

Cleaners from Venus

Lucinda Williams

Victoria Williams

Stevie Wonder 

The Slits 

Sharon Little 

Tom PETTY 

David Bowie

Nirvana 

The Clash 

The stooges 

RADIOHEAD 

Black Sabbath 

Patty Smyth 

Patsy Cline 

Sonic Youth 

Johnny Cash

Photo Credit- Carly Valentine

Artists I would love to work with…all of the above and Feist, Frank Ocean, Beach House, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson.

What do you hope your fans take away from your music? Do you find that a lot of your music has a greater meaning behind it? 

I hope they have a sense of personal freedom.

I hope they feel my sincerity in my songs.

I hope they find humor in my writing.

And that it eases the pain of life a little bit…I want my songs to be a shoulder to cry on or a dance party in the kitchen.

I think the greater meaning behind my music is how I choose to live my life. Hence my music reflects being free.

Is there anything else that you would like to share about yourself or your music with our readers?

Turtle beats hare stuns crowd.

Support your local farmers market and businesses!  Use less plastic and save the the ocean. 🙂

You can choose your own reality with your attitude and perspective on your life.

And please subscribe, follow, share, buy my music if you like it! Be kind to yourself and to others:) and thank you so much for listening and reading all this!!

I thinks that’s it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️