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Anais Reno opens up about new album ‘Lovesome Thing’ (Includes interview)

Anais Reno - Markos Papadatos
Anais Reno - Markos Papadatos

On the song selection approach for the new album, she said, “In December of 2019, I did a set dedicated to Ellington and Strayhorn at Birdland Jazz Club. Throughout the process of constructing it, my connection to their music grew and once the idea of recording an album started to develop into actual plans, my mom suggested that it be based on the songs I chose for the show.”

“A few of them are different because I had too many slow tunes at one point and my taste and voice had changed, but the core purpose of the album has always been to celebrate these composers,” she added.

She listed “Lush Life” as her favorite song on the album. “‘Lush Life’ is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever heard because of the maturity and world-weariness about it and the fact that Strayhorn wrote it at age 19. It proves that one doesn’t have to be ‘grown-up’ in order to feel things deeply and articulate them well. Not only does he articulate them lyrically, but the melodies and harmonies weave together with a complexity that no other song I’ve heard achieves. That tune is teenage regret at its finest,” she explained.

On being an artist in the digital age, she said, “On one hand, I long for a time in which record stores were the place to be and the industry was more about appreciating the tastefulness of music rather than the fast-paced algorithm we see today. On the other hand, I appreciate the convenience of streaming. From a business standpoint, it can offer a wider outreach to audiences. While this aspect of music hasn’t been a part of my life until recently, I am now realizing how important it is and how much the digital age has furthered it along.”

Regarding her daily motivations as an artist, “Sometimes, I sing a song around my apartment that I’ve heard but never attempted, and I notice things lyrically and musically that I didn’t before. Usually, those things relate to me very specifically, and in noticing them, I feel more human and understood. For example, that song was ‘The Very Thought of You’ about a week ago.”

“I sang the lyric ‘I’m happy as a king / And foolish, though it may seem / To me, that’s everything’ and got butterflies in my stomach because I feel the exact same way about the people and things that bring me joy. Those moments are what drive me artistically,” she added.

On her future plans, she said, “I plan to go to college next year and sing on stage for the rest of my life. That’s all I want.”

Regarding her dream male duet choices in music, she said, “Mel Tormé is dead, but his sound lives in my head constantly. If he were alive, I would do anything to sing with him. I feel the same way about Johnny Hartman. The two of them are very different, but huge inspirations for me.”

On her definition of success, she said, “I believe that success is looking back a few years and realizing how much you’ve grown since then. It’s seeing videos of younger you and thinking ‘you have no idea of what you’re about to achieve.’ It’s knowing that if your 12-year-old self could see you now, they’d be so excited to grow up. I’m still working to be successful by that standard.”

“What I would like people to know about ‘Lovesome Thing’ is that it was healing for me to work on because of the music it holds. Ellington and Strayhorn have somehow captured the complexities of the human experience with these songs, which makes it nearly impossible not to learn things about yourself while singing them. I am so thankful to them for doing that, and that is the ultimate reason behind my desire to honor their artistry,” she concluded about the new album.

Her album Lovesome Thing is available on Amazon by clicking here.

To learn more about Anais Reno and her new music, visit her official homepage.

Anais Reno

Anais Reno
Sophie Elgort

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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