Anita Maj
Anita Maj is a new and upcoming music phenomenon; she creates energetic pop songs with a guitar sound and has already generated a huge following in America. She is destined for great things in 2012 as her debut album; Truth or Dare is released in the spring.
-When did you decide you wanted to get into music?
I’ve always loved music ever since I was little, I used to listen to the radio, and listen to songs and record collections.
-Where did your music career start?
I played a little bit while I was at school, I played the guitar with little school bands, and I sang a couple of songs as well.
-You busked on the London Underground, how did you find that?
That was amazing, because it gets rid of any kind of stage fright that you have. Basically, if you’re ever worried about anyone looking at you on stage, if you have 10,000 people walking past you, it’s suddenly like, Ok I want you look at me now. So it’s great for that.
-Where do you get your inspiration from?
Everywhere. I might listen to a song and think if someone was writing that song for me, how would I respond to that or I might just see something unusual on the street or hear a conversation on the bus. Just literally everywhere, something unusual that brings something up in my mind.
-Who's your biggest inspiration?
As a singer it would be Janis Joplin, I just think she’s just amazing, literally every note that she sings she feels it, she’s an amazing performer.
-What words best describe your music?
Funky, wild, touching and fun.
-What’s the best thing about being in the music industry?
It’s getting to do what you love everyday basically, if you love music you can learn lots from it. You can listen to a new piece of music and get really excited about it or write a new song and really get excited about performing it to people, it’s just the best thing. It's not really a job then, it’s kind of fun.
-What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
There's been quite a few. We’ve supported Art Brut a bit earlier this year that was amazing, because I love them, so that was great. I've been to America and played a few times over there. I saw my name on the Whisky a Go Go (a music venue in California) on the little banner at the top and that was really cool. Mainly it’s just being able to play to people and having them respond really well, that’s always the biggest thing.
-Where’s been your favourite place to play?
When I’ve been touring here in London I really like The New Cross Inn which is literally five minutes around the corner from me, because it’s nice and local and, it’s always packed and the crowd is always up for it. But when I'm abroad almost all the places in America where I’ve been playing at were great. The Viper Room (California) has an amazing sound and atmosphere but when I played at the Whisky a Go Go it was just simply for the people who have played there before me, like Janis Joplin played there, The Doors. Just being on the same stage as all of them was amazing.
-When is your debut album Truth or Dare released?
That’s coming out in the spring, so we’ve got Playtime (her new single) being released in January then we’ll have another single and then the album will go after that. We’re hoping for spring time and we’re just trying to sort out a tour to go with that at the moment, so I’m very excited.
-When are you hoping to tour?
Personally I'd like to tour all year, I love touring, but there will definitely be a tour after the launch of the album. I’m hoping to do festivals and further touring during the summer time too.
-What’s going to be the second single?
We are still going through the tracks at the moment and we haven’t decided just yet.
-When you’re not working what do you like to do?
I like to going out to gigs and watching other bands, I like the movies, I'm actually going to go and watch Twilight because I love that whole thing about vampires and all that. In the summer time I'll go roller blading and I’d like to ride a motor bike but I haven’t got round to that yet but maybe next year.
-What are your plans for 2012?
We’ve got a few songs that I’m working on that could well be on the second album. I’d like to tour with the first album, mainly a lot next year. If we could (tour) do it all over the world that would be great. And then work on the second album, I’m doing a collaboration with his guy called Malik Yusef who has worked with Kanye West and co-writes with him so that should be coming out next year, so quite a few things along the pipeline.
2012 is sure to be Anita Maj’s year…
Anita’s single Playtime is released January 2 2012.
Emma Gordon