ANNIE THE SONGWRITER:

When I'm not trying to live my life like a normal person, I'm a songwriter.  I started this endeavor over a dozen years ago, in an effort to deal with my mid-life crisis.  I mostly write, record and occasionally perform my songs where I now live, in the NYC Tri-State area (NY/CT/NJ) – it's quite a change from growing up in Southern California, where to get out-of-state meant a full day's drive.

Currently, I feel most comfortable songwriting and recording in the Indie Folk/Singer-Songwriter genre of music, sometimes also known as Folk-Pop (though I doubt if it's "pop" anymore).  I ,personally, am a life-long fan of Classic Rock, Folk Rock and Classical music (thank you, childhood piano lessons). Growing up in SoCal, I listened to AM/FM radio 24/7– even while doing my homework – and was lucky to be subconsciously influenced by great writers like Dylan, Wilson, McCartney, Simon, Young, Stevens and Newman, as well as all the wonderful Motown writers, especially Smokie Robinson..

Fast forward to when I started songwriting, I was a fan of Punk, Alternative and Alt-Pop, thus inspired further by Robert Smith, Elliott Smith, Regina Spektor and Feist. My current listening favs are John Prine, Loudon Wainwright, Lori McKenna, Sarah Jarosz and Lyle Lovett.

I do hope some or all of the above influences rubbed off.  Either way, I plan to continue writing, recording and playing, from sunrise to sunset and all hours in-between, until I can play no more. 

BTW, I took music lessons, studied the craft of songwriting extensively, won a few honors and awards, signed a few song pub deals, got a few licensing placements. But so have lots of other really talented singer-songwriters out there, and actually, I think they're lots better than me. Just sayin'…

ANNIE  THE FAIRLY NORMAL PERSON:

A few(?) facts about me you probably didn't know:

  • My singing voice doesn't sound like anyone famous, though  I often wish it did
  • Best holiday CD ever is TOOLBOX CHRISTMAS (Woody Phillips) – a lucky impulse purchase while checking out at Home Depot
  • I'm quite shy, which is why I talk (and write) alot
  • My best song ideas come to me while brushing my teeth
  • Grew up in So Cal, attended college in Indiana, live nowadays near NYC. I like that no one can ever really tell where I'm from
  • At age 7, won a watermelon-eating contest; at age 18, won a White Castle eating contest. No more eating contests for me, thank you very much
  • Been single - then married - then single - now what?
  • Changed my legal name to Annie, inspired by both Annie Lennox & Annie's Mac 'n Cheese (and NOT by the musical)
  • Former nicknames I did NOT choose for myself: Ant, Mouse, Rooster
  • I hated being hugged by my old relatives when I was a little kid -- now I hug everyone I meet
  • I may be a bit older than you think
  • I love everything BRITISH - their movies, TV shows, cars, books, scones, music, BBC news, their accents, lil fishing villages… Hence my song (coming out soon)
  • and finally, I can't stop smiling – I blame this on having worked at Disneyland.

Finally, I can't stop smiling -- I blame this on having worked at Disneyland