Annika Catharina’s EP, You and Me — “… is really about the universal feeling of love-how it lifts us up, breaks us down, and changes us.”
From Deroche, Canada, in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia. Started singing country covers and classics along with entering competitions like Variety’s Got Talent. You grew up in a family that loved to entertain. How did that upbringing foster your love for performing?
For as long as I can remember, performing was something I knew I wanted to do.
Entertaining and putting on shows for my family brought immense joy and creativity into my life at a young age. No matter how silly it was, it was a way to express myself and I loved that this was something I could share with my family. My family is extremely close, and I can’t help but think it’s because we would do things like dance, sing, lip-sync, and act out silly stories together. Entertaining also gave us some confidence, which is super important! I was always the shy sibling, but entertainment was a way to push some of that shyness aside.
Patsy Cline. Her songs changed your career path from pop and rock to country. What did you hear in “Walking After Midnight” and “Crazy” that drew you to the genre? Are there other artists who have significantly impacted your sound or songwriting?
When I heard “Walking After Midnight,” I instantly fell in love. I loved how Patsy addressed each lyric with her raw and soulful vocals. I adore and look up to artists who can take a song and turn it into magic, a type of song that makes you feel something.
Another artist who inspires me and has significantly impacted my songwriting is Noah Cyrus. She is a talented songwriter who is often overlooked. Noah Cyrus writes about real emotions and uses her experiences and the ones of those around her to create these beautiful, deep and emotional songs. I love that she makes me feel like I’ve experienced what she’s gone through in her songs; I’ve always felt super connected to her lyrics — this is something I want to do as an artist. I also love how she has experimented with different sounds and vibes, which is another thing I appreciate when artists do.
Serious accident in 2017. Surgeries followed, including a reconstructive facial one, which made singing challenging. Could you share how that experience shaped you as an artist and influenced your music?
When I crashed in Thailand, it was a blessing in disguise. It taught me that life is unpredictable and that we never know what’s in store for us.
Before Thailand, I had always used music to express myself, but I never believed it could be more. The thought of putting out music was terrifying, even though it was something I always wanted to try and do. Thailand made me stop in my tracks and think about what was truly important to me in life and how I wanted to live it.
I strive to create music that evokes a range of emotions in others, as music played a crucial role in my healing process; I wanted to share with others the feelings and connections that music has to offer. It also taught me to be patient and give myself grace when it comes to creating music, yet always give every opportunity my best effort because you never know how many chances you will get.
You released a collaborative cover, “Sweet Child of Mine,” with Sad Puppy and DuoViolins, in 2021.
Two years later, came your first solo artist single, “Better” and the follow-up, “Broke It.” How has working with the producing duo The Renaissance (Garrett Ward and Dan Botch) influenced your creative process?
Working with Dan and Garrett has been a life-changing experience. I never knew that creating music with others could be life-giving and fun. They are incredibly talented and have amazing insights into everything related to music and production. They taught me never to give up on my ideas or songs; they also helped me see potential in myself during periods of self-doubt. When we work together, I always feel encouraged, supported and challenged, which is super important when it comes to creating music.
You’ve had some major milestones recently, including being a semi-finalist in the SiriusXM Top of the Country Competition and a BC Country Music Association award nomination. What do these recognitions mean to you at this stage in your career?
These recognitions mean a great deal to me. These are things that I dream about, and I feel so grateful for the recognition. I still can’t believe they happened. They are huge milestones to hit as an independent artist.
Being independent means a lot of navigating on your own, so it is super cool to know that some of the hard work is paying off. I always have goals and things I want to achieve with my music, and to see these things start to unfold is unreal. They are also signifiers that my music matters to people. I have always wanted others to connect with the songs the way I do, and seeing these recognitions feels like it is.
Debut EP, You and Me. The singles, “Bandit,” “Love and Hate,” and “Dishonest,” have seen considerable success, including #1 spots on SiriusXM. Now releasing the title track, “These songs are snapshots from past relationships that I never fully resolved. At its core, ‘You and Me’ is really about the universal feeling of love — how it lifts us up, breaks us down, and changes us. Bringing it to life let me leave the lingering memories behind and open my eyes just enough to see how far I’ve come.” How has writing about these very personal life stories helped you heal?
I can hardly put into words how healing it has been. These are feelings and experiences from my past that I didn’t realize were still affecting me. Creating these songs helped me open up about things and have another perspective on the experience. The process has made me look at love and life in a new way and who I want to be as an artist moving forward. Putting these songs out there makes my younger and current self feel less alone. Some of the songs on the EP are very personal, and I didn’t know how people would react to them. However, seeing the response has been heartwarming and memorable. I know now that I won’t shy away from saying things that might be too deep, risky or personal.
Supporting the EP, at the City of Hope’s Canada Day Celebration (July 1st), the Bow Valley Boot Stomp Country Music Festival (July 19th) and the Abbotsford Agrifair (August 1st). What can fans look forward to hearing at these shows?
Fans can look forward to hearing all the songs off of my EP You and Me, some older releases of mine, unreleased tunes, songs I have written and may or may not record one day and some classic country and rock covers that have inspired me as an artist.
What’s ahead?
You can look forward to more music as I am heading into the studio this month! I am also making it my priority to create more shows this year and next! I am also looking forward to heading to the CCMAs in Kelowna, BC, Canada. This will be my first-ever CCMA experience, and I’m looking forward to participating in it.