Ananya was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. In her young age, she was given the gift of a karaoke set, a gift that set a spark in heart. A spark for music. Now, she sings, as she plays along on her guitar or piano.
Right after high school in Europe, Ananya travelled to New York City to study the art of fashion design while following her music passion simultaneously. Ananya draws inspiration for her songs from her life experiences, interpreting her underlying emotions in her songwriting, production and music.
After the release of Where’s The Love in 2021, Ananya went through a sonic silence until recently when she announced the release of gone (forever) on Friday, March 24th this year.
Since gone forever, Ananya has released bad for you and macy gray. She has also announced the pre-release of her forthcoming EP, i woke up one night.
You’ve recently released bad for you. Can you shed a little light on what was going through your mind when you created it?
yes, sure. i often ask people “have you ever felt betrayed or been betrayed, then end up feeling bad for the person that betrayed you?”
the song is kind of just the whole idea of sometimes the betrayal you feel after finding out the truth. an experience, as hurtful as can be, is also a catalyst for growth. and everything does make us stronger. no matter how painful it feels at the moment. so it’s just that empowerment of ‘sometimes finding out the truth is better’.
gone (forever) was released much earlier this year. In it you also speak on the heartbreak of betrayal. Will the EP, i woke up one night, be a cohesive project with songs around this theme?
i think the ep is very much in line with gone (forever) and bad for you. overall it is a vulnerable and honest rendition of looking back and saying ‘okay, this has happened, but i’m strong and i’m confident and i’m brave.
I find that there is a penchant for raising awareness about mental health in the writing of your songs. Why is it important to you that your create around this important topic?
i’m definitely conscious of that. and i think the reason that i am conscious of it is because it is such an important thing. and people often are sometimes not confident enough to admit or acknowledge our own mental health.
so i’m just speaking from experience or just being a voice that allows people to understand that it’s okay to seek help. so it is a big part of my life to kind of highlight and also share how important it is to take care of one’s mental wellbeing.
You were raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, you have also had to live in New York and London for various purposes. How do your experiences in these new places help shape your work?
i think it’s always thrilling and exciting to be in a new environment because you learn so much about so many different things and i think both New York and London are melting pots for everything. so it’s been a good experience.
my experiences have always taught me to really appreciate where i come from because we get homesick all the time. but in a general sense, i feel so lucky.
We see the lines of your knowledge of fashion constantly intertwining with the expressions of your music. In what ways are you able to fuse your knowledge of fashion with your music?
i think both fashion and music are arts that everyone in the whole world can understand without there being a language. They both make us feel something. It’s almost like music is the sound and fashion is the visuals. it’s always kind of like a security blanket, you know, you feel your bravest and your strongest when you feel good with what you’re wearing.
it’s forever tied into my music.
You were raised in Zimbabwe. How did growing up in the City of Harare shape your growth into who you are now?
growing up in Zimbabwe was the most beautiful time of my life. every day i wake up, i’m grateful for the childhood that I had, and it shaped my creativity in every way possible.
we were always encouraged to be outside and appreciate what we have when we have it, and it allowed me and my siblings and all the people around me also to kind of be in the moment and find beauty in what we can do ourselves.
Right now, what matters to you the most and why?
my family. my family matters to me the most because I just think there’s no better friend in life than your family. and being away from home has really highlighted how much I miss my family. i am always homesick.
that’s what matters to me the most.
this has been a great interview. what matters to you the most?
Oh, thank you. What matters to me the most?
At this moment, just being free with the times. Moving with the times, moving with how things are going and not imposing my own timeline on how things should move.
That’s what matters to me the most now.
that’s a great one. thank you
