Anna Hudson Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Anna Hudson is an fantastic singer whose debut single, "Scattered Showers" should be on all your playlists. I was so glad that she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Anna Hudson visits Section 36 Music!

I absolutely love your debut single, “Scattered Showers”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you! I wrote “Scattered Showers” roughly 2 years ago when I was in a really dark time in my life. Everything seemed to fall apart after the pandemic hit; I felt like my whole world had died and I was drowning in whatever mess remained. I needed to write about it, so I did, and some early versions of this song came into existence. Everything about this song, from its key to its meter, changed loads of times over the years. But I kept the first draft of the lyrics, word for word, from the start. I am not the same person I was when I first wrote this song; I’ve grown up a lot alongside it, and I think that’s really special. 

What do you enjoy about performing in front of an audience?

When I’m performing I feel like I’m finally doing something worth my time. Like everyone else, I’m a little nervous before playing anywhere, but as soon as I get onstage I just get a gut feeling. Writing songs is cool and all, but performing is why I make music. I’m sharing my work in real time, and the resulting feeling I get from fulfilling that for myself is wonderful. About a year ago, I had this classmate who often said that when you perform you have something to share and nothing to prove. It’s such a great way to think about performing and I’ve lived by it ever since.

You are currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing Berklee has done for your career?

Berklee pushes me. Before coming here, I knew that I wanted to pursue music as a full-time job, but I didn’t know how to do it on my own. I have a really hard time going outside of my comfort zone, so I knew I needed to put myself somewhere where that happens every day if I wanted this to work. Berklee is the perfect place for that. It feels really competitive at times, which is good and bad. It introduces you to a world of opportunity and connections, and teaches you to either take it or leave it. I wouldn’t be where I am today or where I’m going without Berklee. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I can’t pick one musical influence stylistically, but I definitely think that I look up to The Avett Brothers the most. The role that music plays in their life is exactly the role that it plays in mine. They have said it’s like their religion, their diary, and in a way it is their family. I also want to create music that is deeply personal, writing about the things people don’t know how to say, just like them. They’re incredibly down-to-earth people (and from North Carolina, too!) and I would be honored to be considered half the musician that they both are one day.

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

I think my biggest career challenge is gaining momentum. I’ve been writing and performing for years, but I have only recently started that journey on my own as a solo artist. Right now I am at the beginning of what will hopefully be a lifelong journey through the music industry, and figuring out what I want to do first and how to do it has been a challenge. My goal is to be multifaceted; I want to produce, write, perform, release music, and graduate, of course. I’d like to focus on my academic career just as much as my musical one, which I think I’ve done a good job of so far. I’ve spent the last few years doing crazy things like figuring out how to manage college, what I want to do with my life, traveling the world, and whatever else comes in between. Now I finally feel like I know how to exist as a young adult, and I am more ready to jump into my music career than ever before. 

What are your immediate career goals?

I’d like to be more active. I’d like to record and release more music as soon as possible (perhaps an EP next). I want to perform more in North Carolina and in Boston (which I am; follow my Instagram for more details!). And most importantly, as a habitually solo-functioning musician, I’d like to collaborate more through co-writing and producing. The more I do things that I’m not used to, the better I become, so my biggest goal is to push myself out of my comfort zone as much as possible.

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More music from Anna is definitely an exciting prospect!

As always, I want to thank Anna for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I'm sure you’ll all want to listen to Anna and follow along with her to see what she's up to. I would definitely follow her on Instagram, and/or Spotify. In fact, go do both right now! 

Thanks again Anna, and good luck reaching your goals!