Interview by Alder Boutin
Annabel Lee is a New England raised, Los Angeles based alt rock musician with a flair for on-stage dramatics, empowering lyrics, and genre-bending work. Annabel released her debut LP MOTHER’S HAMMER in March of 2023, and she is now wrapping up her run opening for Transviolet on their U.S. Softcore tour. She’s also known for her curation of a multi-media art showcase in Los Angeles called Sweat Gala. I also had the opportunity to ask Annabel some questions about her tour experience, songwriting inspirations, and personal style before photographing and reviewing her set at The Atlantis in Washington, DC.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: You’re coming close to the end of the Softcore tour opening for Transviolet. What has this experience been like being on the road and playing shows with them?
ANNABEL LEE: The tour has been a ball! It’s been kind of a whirlwind. We’ve met a lot of really sweet people in each city and it’s been so fun to do the full band set every night. It’s our first tour as a band after 7 years together so we’ve been giddy like kids.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Do you have any pre-show rituals that you like to do to get in the zone for performing?
ANNABEL: I haven’t been able to do every ritual I usually do with travel, but I usually do a little witchcraft and a half hour vocal warm up at least once that day. We also blast really heavy music on the way to the venue to get our blood pumping.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: What’s one thing you can’t live without on tour?
ANNABEL: Black coffee, vitamins, scalding hot hotel showers and mint gum.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Your songs have been featured in a few TV shows. If you could have a song featured in any TV show, what show would it be and which of your songs would you choose?
ANNABEL: Honestly, I haven’t seen Yellowjackets yet but somebody told me the premise and I feel like that would be a perfect fit.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Your song “SARAH, SARAH!” speaks to the power, history, and identity that names can hold. Can you tell me about what it was like writing this song and about how you chose your stage name, Annabel Lee?
ANNABEL: I wrote SARAH, SARAH! coincidentally enough, about the separation of my artist identity with my civilian identity. When I moved to LA I told everyone my name was Annabel, so that they would remember me. It completely worked for sure and it was a good move business wise. But it got to the point where I didn’t really have anyone left in my social life calling me my birth name. I felt kind of like part of me was severed in a strange way. It was both liberating and also kind of sad. I felt isolated in a lot of ways. I took the name ANNABEL LEE after the Edgar Allen Poe poem. I’m just a big fan of poetry and short stories. My grandfather has always liked Poe and it just felt right to me. My birth name is too close to somebody else’s name so it needed to happen haha. But I love being ANNABEL. She’s the most animalistic and fearless parts of me.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Your songs “KILL ‘EM DEAD” and “The Quiet That Kills” address important issues like bodily autonomy and political oppression. What is the biggest message you’d like listeners to take away from these tracks in the context of today’s climate?
ANNABEL: I think the message would be get fucking mad. Be angry. Don’t be quiet. Scream it out and fight for each other. Protect yourself. And don’t forget your own magic or power. We are in danger and we have a big responsibility to each other. I guess I just want everyone to have a place to admit how violent it makes them feel, in a safe community where they are loved and understood. A compassionate, non-violent space to feel violent.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Your music draws from many different genres. What is a song or lyric from any genre that you wish you wrote?
ANNABEL: “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.” – Patti Smith from ‘Gloria’
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Your theatrical stage presence makes you stand out as an artist. Who or what has inspired this element of your performance?
ANNABEL: I honestly just have always been inspired by people who rip their guts out on stage. Mostly the lyrics I write are the thing that inspire the performance but I also always try to bring the kind of passion / theatrics that monsters like Freddy Mercury or Janis Joplin did. I just kinda let myself go and do what feels natural.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: You have a lot of cool tattoos. Can you tell me the story behind one of them?
ANNABEL: I have “Without wings without wheels” on my back from the song “ROAM” by the B52s because they’re my favorite band ever. Just a song about seeing the world and having a deep lust for life.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: What advice would you give to aspiring creatives when they’re faced with tough moments navigating the unpredictability of this industry?
ANNABEL: Fight for your truth. Stay away from people who name drop. Protect yourself and your integrity no matter what people dangle in front of you. In the end the art will suffer if you compromise.
LOUDSPEAKER COLLECTIVE: Are there any projects in the works that fans can look forward to after the Softcore tour comes to an end?
ANNABEL LEE: Got another LP in the works… 😉
Loudspeaker Collective 