Back in action in 2020, Anna Dellaria continues to shed down to the soul and embraces her bare bones throughout her songwriting style that naturally tugs at the hearts of listeners. I caught up with Anna for a chat about the recent release of her new single, “Sorry Doesn’t Work”, finding passion through her philanthropic contributions, gratitude for the things that are often overlooked, dreams of playing Outside Lands and more.
Congrats on the release of your new single, “Sorry Doesn’t Work”. Tell us about the message that you intended to portray throughout the track.
Thank you! Honestly, the message with this one is more of a question. What can I say or how do I fix/take back the pain that someone I love is feeling? For me, it was following a fight with someone I loved and I had said words that I didn’t ultimately mean but knew would sting in the heat of the moment. Afterward, I was left with this desperation to take back those words or just console the person and make it better but ultimately knew that it would be out of my control.
You have worked with foundations such as Beyond Differences in the past. Tell us about your philanthropic contributions and what they personally mean to you.
I’m really looking forward to doing more work with organizations like Beyond Differences to bring awareness to causes I think all of us can relate to and unite around. Beyond Differences was special because it focuses on giving young teens tools to be kinder towards one another and feel less alone. Programs like “No One Eats Alone” Day where literally every student is paired up with a new friend at lunch or tools on how to handle cyberbullying. I think it’s important to take care of our youth right now – they are the future.
Showcasing the human in you, what is a challenging thought that you recently had and were able to overcome over time?
I love this question! I’d say the overall question of “am I good enough?” or the thought of “you’re not doing enough” comes to mind frequently. Often that’s initiated by social media, or having a day of feeling “off”. What I’ve found to be helpful for me is to physically get out of my head/house. Often I’ll force myself out for a walk with only the expectation of “just go to the corner and back” and 95% of the time I end up walking a few miles with a fresh perspective and sense of gratitude cause I’m not huddled over on my screen watching everyone “do better” than me. Dogs are the same thing – find an animal if you can to just literally remind you that the world is so much bigger than yourself and you’re doing the best you can.
What is your perception of the digital world that we live in and social media culture?
I have a really mixed opinion on it. Frankly, I think social media is particularly toxic because it’s become a platform for us to usually post a “highlight reel” of our lives that inevitably makes others feel inadequate or alone. At the same time, I think the digital world, in general, have allowed friends and family to connect, and as an artist, it’s allowed me to share my music without having to go through the big pearly gates of a major label like it used to be. I guess a good way of putting it is it can be used for evil as much as it can be used for good haha.
No career path or amount of followers negates the fact that you are a human being that has feelings. Tell us about some parts of you beyond being a musician that you take pride in.
I take pride in being an active family member and trying to find gratitude in the things around me even when it’s hard to accept. There’s always been this weird guilt inside for feeling bad while having a roof over my head & pursuing my dream when so many around the world are in worse places. However, I try to utilize that guilt to be kinder to those around me and do little things to raise awareness for those who need it.
As you are exposed to tons of stimulus, how do you proactively take care of your mental and emotional health when you’re out on the road?
I’ve found writing to be really helpful, even if it’s just like a single paragraph. Other times I’ll make sure to stay in touch with loved ones or try to find a routine someway that creates a sense of stability.
If you could jump on any festival roster that’s been released already for 2020 and play a set which festival would you choose and why?
A little tricky now with the ongoing virus, but Outside Lands is a dream festival of mine. It’s 20 minutes from where I grew up and was one of the first music festivals I ever attended in high school, so it’d be surreal to be on stage one of these days looking back.
Photo Credit: Lilly Duran
Last but certainly not least, any closing messages for your fans?
Thank you for your support and love and stay safe. <3
Photo: Max Baker
Photo Credit: Lilly Duran