music
anna tivel
From playing fiddle to picking up the
guitar and breaking into the Portland
music scene, Anna’s adoption in to the
Fluff & Gravy Records family has fostered
a creative period that now sees her
releasing her first LP, Before Machines.
This incredible songwriter with her fragile
voice talks with us about her journey
to this point, her odd comfort on stage
but discomfort off, and her off-the-cuff
recording choice for the album.
w e s l e y • b a u m a n
WB: I’d love to talk about your genesis getting into the Portland
music scene. You had moved here and started waiting tables, and
then broke into the Portland music scene. How exactly do you do
that?
AT: It’s one of the friendliest ones I’ve ever found in this city. I
moved to Portland to go to school and then hung around. I wasn’t
writing songs or playing much fiddle with anyone, and I started
looking for ways to play. I started
writing songs maybe a few years
ago and playing guitar. I wanted
to do some more music and so
I started looking on Craigslist
on the musician page. There
was everything from “dress up
like a cow and play bluegrass
in the mall for the release of a
new app” or there’s little bands
people are forming.
So I started getting together
with people. Everyone was
just really friendly. Just kind
of [made] my way through the
grapevine, I guess. I played with
a guy named Tyler Stenson for
a little while and met someone
else through him, and someone
else though him. Eventually, I
picked up a guitar and started
writing songs and that’s when
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I really wanted to take it more seriously. I did
that for a year and thought maybe I could stop
waiting tables for a little bit and try it out and
see if I could, between playing fiddle with other
people and doing my own stuff, make ends
meet.
WB: So it’s working out? You’re not waiting
tables anymore?
AT: No, I was thinking about doing it this
winter. I’m definitely not in the lap of luxury by
any means.
WB: So you said you started writing songs
about two years ago. What prompted you to
begin writing songs for the first time in your life?
AT: I guess I’ve always really loved writing in
general. I’ve always loved poems and stories,
and the lyrics to things I’ve always been drawn
to. I just didn’t really have a vehicle to make
stuff into songs and play guitar. Writing songs
on fiddle never really felt natural to me. I just
started playing my roommate’s guitar a little bit
and learning a few chords and messed around
with words. Then it just clicked, I guess.
WB: So what do you draw from? There are a
lot of different artists, and a lot of different styles
or types of songs. Are you writing by opening
your heart and writing from very personal
experiences?
AT: I have this aversion to being too obvious
in my songs, like saying the direct thing,
whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. The
more personal it is, or the feeling of it, the more
truthful I feel like the song is. Then it kind of
sticks and I want to play it, I’m proud of it, but
when I’m writing a song that isn’t as close to