Anna Shoemaker on Her Latest Album, Growing Pains, and Getting Back to Her Roots

Anna Shoemaker is fascinated by heartache—namely, her own. Her forthcoming album, Back to Pennsylvania, traces the steps she took to find herself after a particularly trying time. The songwriter left Brooklyn for her hometown in Pennsylvania after a breakup to pick up the pieces. It proved to be a cathartic period for music making. “‘I didn’t plan on losing everything, you’re never planning for the ship to sink’” is one of my favorite lines,” she says of the forthcoming record. “The album is about what happens after the wreck—when you’re left gathering the pieces and trying to find your way back to yourself.”

Anna is known for her clever social presence and quippy lyrics (“He’s dating a model who DJs as well.” is a personal favorite.) She gets girlhood and her internet footprint proves it. She's mastered the ritual of post-breakup posting. But her greatest talents extend beyond the grid. She might have picked up her quirked-up pop-star persona in Brooklyn, but Back to Pennsylvania is evidence that sometimes, a girl has to go home to remember who she is outside of the vortex. Below, Anna Shoemaker takes us back to her roots.

MO: How did your career begin? What is your first memory of making music?

AS: When I think of the beginning of my career, I think of being 14/15 writing songs in my room and just practicing over and over. My dad would always come to my room after work pretty much everyday and ask me to play him what I was working on, and my mom would take me to open mics so I could try things out. I knew I wanted to make music ever since I started doing it.

MO: What's your songwriting process and how do you weave your personal experiences into your music?

AS: Ideally it all comes very naturally! I don’t necessarily try to weave anything in consciously, it’s just whatever comes out. Usually it’s something that’s been on my mind; sometimes it’s something I didn’t know I was still upset about or having feelings about. My favorite songs are the ones that sort of tell me what they are, rather than me trying to shape them.

MO: What is one personal experience you drew upon for or wrote about in this album? Or one that largely inspired it?

AS: “Pissin’” was definitely inspired by a rock bottom moment for me. I was so hungover and sad and driving to Palm Springs. I had to pull over at one point to pee on the side of the road, and I just sat there for a second and was like, what the fuck am I doing with my life? I was homesick and heartbroken and overwhelmed and it all bubbled up right at that moment. I knew my life was changing—I just didn’t know if it was for the better or worse.

MO: How does this album feel different from what you've done before?

AS: I think every album feels a little bit closer to where I’m at in my life. My first album, in my mind, was more of a mixtape, I don’t think I’d fully found my sound yet. With my second album I started to hone that in a little more, and this album to me feels very much like home to me, which I guess makes sense because it’s ultimately about going home. There’s something full circle about it! Writing-wise, I feel like I’m always exploring similar concepts. I’ve just always been really fascinated by heartbreak and messiness. I love being dramatic, I love getting to write the things I wish I could say and I always have! That’s a constant throughout all of my albums.

MO: You're famously (historically? currently?) a Brooklyn girl. How does Brooklyn or New York show up in your music?

AS: I’M ACTUALLY a traitor, I moved to LA a little bit ago! But I feel like I’ve learned everything I know from being an artist in New York. I feel like you’re confronted with all of your demons at all times, that can be really good for an artist’s creative journey (and oftentimes bad for a personal life).

MO: Who are you listening to right now? What artists are inspiring you most?

AS: Angela Autumn, who is also from PA!

MO: What do you hope people feel while listening to or glean from this album?

AS: I hope people can realize the value in starting over, the importance of feeling uncomfortable to get to where you need to go. Love will find you, you just need to be in your best place for it to reach you.

MO: How do you balance social media as an artist? What role does it play in your work and how do you find balance with it? (Do you ever Brick...)?

AS: It’s really unglamorous and I should probably come up with a cooler answer but, for me it’s about keeping a schedule. I’m at my best with social media when my managers and I have an outline for what should be posted when. That way I’m never anxious about posting or feeling like I should do more or less because it’s already set in stone. I WANT TO TRY BRICKING! Also getting a kindle helps—a somewhat better screen to distract from the bad screen.

MO: What's coming next for you?

AS: Tour! I’m really excited about my first ever headline tour next year. It’s going to be so fun to play this album live, also to play some of the older songs!!

MO: What does Back to Pennsylvania mean to you? What does it mark in your life/career?

AS: When I started writing Back to Pennsylvania, I had moved back into my parents' house in Philly. I was really in this in-between space in my life. To me, the album title is a metaphor for emotional reset— returning not just to a physical place, but to a state of mind. I grew up writing songs on my guitar in my childhood bedroom and there was something really meaningful about getting back to that place and reconnecting with that part of myself. Sound-wise, I think some of the folk and Americana elements had already started to peek through on my last record and I really loved getting to lean into that side of my songwriting more on this album. It felt truly like a natural evolution, but also like a return to something really foundational for me. It was a dream to get to work with Gab Strum and Aaron Kennedy; they’re two of my favorite people.