Salem, Massachusetts, best known for its witchy past, has an eerie energy that might ward some away.
Salem native Anne Bennett absorbed this dark mystery and found comfort in the daunting emotions,which she has channeled into the melancholic music she makes today.
Born into a family of esteemed musicians, Bennett’s passion for music began in childhood, in a household filled with song and a turntable spinning vinyl records endlessly. Her personal musical endeavors started in her dad’s home studio, where she worked to record her first songs with a simple set up: a Casio keyboard, an acoustic guitar, and rewritable CDs.
Over time though, Bennett’s interests shifted, and her music took a back seat to her college career where she studied biology and chemistry. However, she insists, “The passion [for music] never disappeared…Once I started working as a scientist full-time, I began to pour tons of my money into equipment, guitar lessons, vocal lessons.” In the midst of the pandemic, Anne made the courageous decision to join The Songwriting Academy, a one-year, virtual, UK-based commitment that connected her with her mentor, and now friend, Paul Statham.
Bennett’s time with notable mentors at The Songwriting Academy inspired her to create music that embodied her authentic, beguiling self. Her sound is raw and honest, a welcome change from current trends. She’s nostalgic, with western goth undertones that fill her art with character. She credits PJ Harvey as her ultimate influence but also finds inspiration in Mariah Carey’s fierce independence: these influences challenge Bennett to push her own limits, and encourage her to make music that personifies her true aesthetic and attitude.
Bennett’s upbringing and battles with mental health have impacted her musically as well. She beautifully intertwines the heaviness from growing up in Salem, MA, with a depression diagnosis to create music that sets a haunting scene. This ethereal mood is reflected in her single “Deep in the Shadows,” where the echoes of her voice ring out so brilliantly that they threaten to shatter the elegant soundscape she’s created to duet the handsome melancholy of her lyrics.
Bennett now resides north of Salem in a historic New England home, where she has recorded her upcoming singles in her own home studio, reminiscent of the place she began her musical journey as a child. “I wrote these 3 songs on my road trip down south,” Anne shares. “I wanted a gritty, dirty feel to the tracks.” Working alongside UK-based producer Rory Carlile, Anne worked diligently to transform her work into exactly what she had envisioned. “I’m defiant,” says Anne. “I want to be remembered as someone who refused to take no for an answer.”
This is her new single ‘Heavy Hand’.
For Fans Of: Blood Ceremony, PJ Harvey, Tori Amos
Follow Anne Bennett:
Facebook: facebook.com/iamannebennett
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theannebennett/?hl=en
High Violet PR
