Live From Mother Earth and No Place Like Tour: A Q+A with Annika Bennett
Annika Bennett shot by Stella Philine.
We got to send a photographer and ask Annika some questions the Frankfurt stop on the No Place Like Home Tour!
Stella Feinstein: Lately you have been touring a lot, opening for artists across the United States and Europe. When you are on a tour as an opening act, how do you keep yourself centered and "keep your head in the game" of your own artistry?
Annika Bennett: This is something I feel like I’m always in the process of figuring out! As an opening act it’s hard to gauge what a crowd will respond to, it differs so much based on the city, venue, artist you’re opening for, etc. I’ve definitely had shows that leave me feeling like I’m doing something wrong with my artistry, but I have to remind myself that sometimes it’s just the wrong setting for certain music and that doesn’t mean I should change what I do. Overall, it helps me to be present, talk with the crowd, and try to match the energy with which songs I pick / what I talk about, etc.
SF: What is one thing you've found unique about your time on the No Place Like Tour Tour? One favorite tour memory?
AB: The inside jokes between Tucker and all the fans are so funny and go soo deep and I’ve never really seen anything like it! It’s been really fun to see the show every night and see everyone’s shirts and posters and get caught up on all the lore. Also I truly can’t pick just one tour memory as my favorite, but overall I've been obsessed with the Christmas markets and I've gone to one in pretty much every city and had so many new foods and sketchy carnival rides
Annika Bennett shot by Stella Philine.
SF: Your very first released song was "Boy Who Has Everything" - on Live From Mother Earth you have a song titled "Girl Who Ruins Everything”. Are these songs at all related? Written at the same time? Or just a fun coincidence?
AB: I wrote “Girl Who Ruins Everything” totally independently from “Boy Who Has Everything”, and I didn’t really think about the connection until later when some of my friends heard the song and pointed it out. So, while in one sense it’s a coincidence, I think the songs both came from a very similar place. GWRE was written years after BWHE so to me it feels like a more self reflective, evolved take on the same underlying feeling.
SF: Out of all of the ROOM demos why was "so much more than me" the one that was finalized and put on LFME (I'm a ROOM fan for forever)?
AB: When i was making the album I knew I wanted to include something off of ROOM, because I really love those songs and sometimes regret throwing them online as demos instead of doing proper recordings / release. I settled on so much more than me because out of all the ROOM songs, it’s one that I still relate to so deeply, every time I sing it. A lot of my songs (especially about relationships) change meaning for me over time, because I’m changing and growing and getting over shit. But so much more than me always hits me the way it did when I first wrote it.
SF: As we (sadly) wrap up fall, I can ask for the last time this year: What is your go-to fall album/what albums have you been listening to a lot lately?
AB: I’ve been in a big folk vibe this fall, lots of Adrienne Lenker, Olivia Barton, Medium Build. The past week in particular I’ve been listening to Harrison Whitford, he has an album from 2018 that I was obsessed with at the time it came out, so it felt really nostalgic to listen again. And then he has another album from 2021 that I'm late getting into, but it’s just as amazing. His writing is so deep and interesting and he’s big musical genius vibes.
Annika Bennett shot by Stella Philine.
Catch Annika on tour in Europe for the rest of the year, and stream her album Live From Mother Earth!!