Anna Wolf Interview- ‘failure isn’t failing oneself, it is time to reflect’
By Tania Chakraborti
With alt indie and rocky influences, Anna Wolf’s latest track ‘Helmets’ is an intriguing one; catchy, dark and ethereal. We sit down to have a chat with the South African artist as we talk all about her career.
Speaking of the track to Run That Again, Anna says that “Helmets speaks of truly manifesting why it is important to love oneself before being able to fully love another….Enjoying the journey of self-discovery without barriers is key. Placing your Helmet on your head is a sign of strength and finding power in being vulnerable and speaking one’s truth!”
“Helmets speaks of truly manifesting why it is important to love oneself before being able to fully love another.”
Last year, Anna won the Grand Prize at the Unsigned Only Competition. Not only is the winner awarded 20,000 dollars but the judging panel consists of editors of prestigious music magazines and notable musicians such as Robert Smith from The Cure. We ask Anna what winning the award was like.
“Winning the grand prize for Unsigned Only was super cool! I can definitely recommend it for any artist. It opened doors and really helped me get my music out there. Exposure for an independent artist is obviously all we really seek so it was definitely worth entering.”
“My journey is a unique one but at the same time can easily translate into anyone’s journey.”
Anna had a fairly unorthodox start in the music industry, getting signed to a record label at just 14 years old. We ask how that has positively or negatively impacted her and would she recommend getting into music at an early age to others?
“Well luckily in my case, my first record label screwed me over so badly that I stopped making music for a while. At the time, I was very confused and hated every element of what music meant to me.
“The middleman” had the power to make me feel like I wasn't good enough. At the time I remember asking myself, why something that saved my life at one time, was now my biggest enemy.
“I literally hid my guitar away and stopped all forms of being creative.”
“I literally hid my guitar away and stopped all forms of being creative.
In hindsight it was an absolute blessing, as I had to have periods of question and feelings of being lost in order to truly realise why I was perusing singing and playing shows.
“My journey is a unique one but at the same time can easily translate into anyone’s journey. You see, failure isn’t failing oneself, it is merely a situation or time for you to reflect and be steered into another direction. This might not make sense to you in the moment but it’s in these moments that we truly manifest why we are here and what our purpose is.”
Anna hasn’t let this stop her. Now, as an independent artist she has accomplished an impressive amount in a short time; having worked with Jamie Morrison and even performing at Hammersmith’s Apollo Theatre. We ask her what that was like.
“The Apollo is such an iconic venue, so that in itself was incredibly inspiring.
“Sharing the stage with someone like Johnny Clegg shaped me and taught me that music can truly bring a nation together.”
I was humbled to have been asked to open and share the stage with Johnny Clegg whom is an incredibly talented artist from South Africa sadly, however, Johnny did pass away from cancer this year.
Not only did the experience to be playing such an iconic venue become one for the books but sharing the stage with someone like Johnny Clegg shaped me and taught me that music can truly bring a nation together. Johnny Clegg was and will remain an iconic figure in South Africa and also across the globe.”
Stream Helmets here.