Music Interview: Anøma Lee delves on her creative tastes, musical influences & new single “Far From Home”
Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself.
Hi! Thank you for inviting me. My name is Anøma Lee and I am originally from Brussels, Belgium but I am based in London at the moment.
What got you into music and made you realise that it was your chosen path?
I’ve been into music for as long as I can remember… I started playing the piano very early on and never really stopped. When I was 15, I joined a band at the Brussels Rock School back home. We used to play some shows and that is where I started to properly sing as a lead vocalist. That was the moment I realised I wanted to make music my career.
Tell us about your new music? And what’s the story behind it?
“Far From Home” is a song that means a lot to me because it talks about the struggle of moving far from home, being away from the people closest to you and the struggle of maintaining long distance relationships/friendships. I wrote it at a time where I felt very lonely, I was missing out on what was happening back home and couldn’t always be there for my friends so I got the sense I was losing them and couldn’t do anything about it.
What makes your music unique? How would you describe it?
I would say that my music is a mix of Ambient-Pop and Neo-Soul.
As a listener I believe an artist’s music becomes unique when they are not afraid to be their true, authentic self and you can almost feel their personality shine through what they create. I think people can hear that in my music – I don’t try to be someone I am not, I speak from the heart and composing my songs gives me the added advantage of being fully in control of the musical outcome and therefore allows for my vision to be entirely realised and my own.
Who are your biggest musical influences? And any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?
My biggest musical influences include Ry X, Tash Sultana, Selah Sue, Tom Misch & Loyle Carner. I would say I listen to genres like Rock, Metal & Punk the least but to be honest I take inspiration from so many styles, anything I listen to can spark an idea for my own music – the artists I listed are just my main inspirations.
Which is the best moment in your musical career that you’re most proud of?
To date I have released two singles which I am very proud of. I shot a music video for my first single “Part Ways” about two years ago and that was really fun to do, it was probably one of my favourite moments project wise. In terms of live performances I had the chance to play a song at “The Garage” in Islington last year as part of an annual showcase held by my university, which was a blast.
How do you balance your music with other obligations – family, friends or work?
Music is part of my daily life so it does take up a lot of space in my diary. I used to play for a lot of bands before the pandemic and at times I felt quite overwhelmed having to juggle numerous rehearsals as well as my job, my mental health and my classes. I’m sure people reading this can relate to me when I say the first lockdown was a blessing in disguise – I was able to take some time to re-focus on my music and projects and I’ve now found a healthy balance between the work I do for myself and the work I do for others, I think we all needed to take a step back and recharge. I’m aware that not all of us have had the privilege to do so, frontline NHS & essential workers have had the toughest year and we can’t thank them enough for their endless hard work, day & night. Hopefully with the vaccine rollout, things will continue to look up for everyone so we can slowly return to normal & get to play live music for a real crowd again!
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Be nice! Kindness is so important and appreciated in general and sometimes it’s all you need to set yourself apart and open a door towards opportunity, people will always remember how you made them feel. Also, don’t take rejection too personally. I used to get very affected by all the rejection I inevitably faced in this industry but at some point you just have to tell yourself that not everybody is going to like your music and that’s okay because there are plenty others that will! They just haven’t found you yet.
If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
First of all, thank you! Thank you to those who have supported me and still are, thank you to the newcomers and thank you for believing in my project and my songs.
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?
So as you know my single “Far From Home” will be out on all streaming platforms on the 2nd of April. I am also rehearsing for a live video recording that I’m planning to shoot with my producer in a couple weeks, so that will also be coming your way soon… and then hopefully some gigs when venues can reopen!
Follow Anøma Lee: Facebook Instagram YouTube
