In what could possibly be considered the anthem for everyone who has ever dealt with a broken heart, 22-year old Anna Nalick has become, in perception, the equivalent to a cup of cocoa: the warmth of a supportive friend mixed with just enough sweetness to avoid a bitter aftertaste. Somewhat of a musical chameleon, Nalick has skillfully managed to bridge the gap between folk pop and contemporary rock, all without selling herself short. Her radio hit "Breathe (2 AM)" may have debuted nearly a year ago, but Nalick can breathe a sigh of relief, as she's certainly proved herself to be more than a one-hit wonder.

     In an industry where her peers are accredited for penning a song of two per record, Nalick chooses to be a jane-of-all-trades, in both writing, singing, and guitar-playing all of the tracks on her debut album, "Wreck of the Day." If that isn't enough to convince you that this album is worthy of your iPod, consider her famous friends, including tourmate Rob Thomas, (who, under complete bias, we say can't be wrong!). Thomas, who Nalick compliments, "He's like my rockstar big brother," enjoyed the concert companionship so much, he invited her on his recent Canadian tour run to much fanfare.

     Now, with her second single, "In the Rough," Nalick is poised to bring out her own inner rockstar. The edgy track, with a breathtaking music video accompaniment, is sure to garner the same success as her memorable, meditation-style first single. In this exclusive gt magazine interview, Anna discusses her connection with Rainbow Brite, how dancing with Fred Astaire was in her ancestry, and why a certain ABC medical drama caused her to shed a tear...

gt.com: reading reviews of your album, it seems as though a lot of writers peg you as a new Jewel, Tori Amos, or Fiona Apple. do you find those artists comparable, or do those types of comparisons bother you?

ANNA: No, not at all -- usually, I'm glad that it's them and nobody else! ::laughs:: Those are all artists that I like, so I'm not offended at all. Actually, I'm not all that surprised, because I listen to those artists. I love Fiona Apple and Tori Amos, and I listened to Jewel a lot when she first came out with her records. And, it's so funny when people say, "I hear a little bit of Jewel in your voice."

gt.com: how cute! okay, to clarify, what do you think is the best way to describe your sound, and what would you tell people is the draw of buying your album?

ANNA: I know it's very lyrically-driven. I try to play with a rock beat meets sort of a material song. I like to make sure that the music fits with the context. I like to play with words, and I like to make sure that whatever melody is behind it, it fits with the emotion of whatever I'm singing about.

gt.com: lucky girl, you're currently on tour with Rob Thomas. how is that going?

ANNA: Actually, we've already toured together for a couple of months, and now, we're about to play the Canadian tour. I'm really excited about it, because I love touring with him, and I also haven't spent a lot of time in Canada, so I think it'll be really fun. I've had so much time with him on the road, and his crew treats me like a princess!

gt.com: awesome! have you been able to get any advice from him on surviving the music business?

ANNA: The most that I've learned from him is just watching the way he is. He's not into excess, he loves his family, and he loves his music. He's in it for the right reasons. And he's very good to the people who like his songs. I think he relates to them very well. He does a great job at being the kind of person that what you see is what you get.

gt.com: from starting out to being an opening act for arena shows, what do you find the most nerve-wracking: playing in front of a small or large crowd?

ANNA: I actually don't get nervous anymore. I feel more comfortable on stage, then for example, if someone stood me up in front of a chalkboard and told me to solve a math problem. I'd probably cry or throw up! But singing in front of five people or two thousand people is easy! I feel at home on stage.

gt.com: interesting! so, were your expectations of "Breathe (2 AM)" accurate, in that you thought it would be the hit that it has been, or were you surprised by the outcome?

ANNA: Well, I hoped that it would be the first single, and when people at the record label agreed, I was surprised! I thought that they might choose something a little more pop. But, they went with "Breathe," and I like that song, and of course I had high hopes that it would do something good, but it has gone far beyond what I had ever expected. There's people on my website that write in from Greece and Russia and Japan and they all say that they relate to the lyrics. And that's pretty amazing for me! I wrote the song, just sitting on my bed and playing the song to my cat, and now people all over the world are relating to it! It has far exceeded my expectations!

gt.com: definitely! in the song, you mention how the lyrics are your diary; did the inspiration for that particular track come from a real situation?

ANNA: All the songs are inspired by something I've been through or have experienced through somebody else. The people in "Breathe" are all friends of mine, who are dealing with different situations at the same time. However, all of them came back to the same place, which is that where you are is where you are, and you kinda just have to make the best of your situation. You can't turn around and go back. And I was feeling the same way, starting out with music, and realizing I was just about to change my entire life within a few days. And, I was going to have to work really hard to make it a positive change. And it has been! So, it's all inspired by human emotions and things that I have been through.

gt.com: now in your sophomore single release, what can you tell us about "In the Rough?" what made you decide to make that your second single?

ANNA: It's very exciting! I wanted a rock song for the second single, so that I would sort of establish myself as a songwriter first, and then say, "But hey, I can do this too!" It's been a lot of fun, and it's been really rewarding. I had a chance to maybe teach a lesson, in the fact that "In the Rough" is really about sometimes you're going to spend way more time than you should with people who don't deserve it. People who tell you things like, "Nobody is ever going to love you as good as I do," is absolute bull, and you should run straight in the other direction.

gt.com: can you tell me more about shooting the video, how was that experience?

ANNA: It was based on my experience, except that I didn't go running around in a beautiful brown dress in real life. But, I think it's been very healing for me, because I got to turn a bad situation into artwork.

gt.com: do you enjoy making music videos? is that something you look forward to?

ANNA: No, it's really not my favorite thing! ::laughs:: I'm a writer, so videos are fun and the creative process is really interesting, but the whole dressing-up-and-being-an-actress thing is not my deal. It's so difficult! And it's funny, because I'll look back, and the video is so beautiful, but in real life, I'm in a dress that I'm sewn into and I've got oily stuff on my arms and legs that make me shiny, the house that "In the Rough" is set in was built in 1905 and had no air conditioning, and it was about 90 degrees in the house, so I was sweating, and I was afraid that I was going to sweat on the dress and make a stain...and I couldn't sit down for the better part of five hours so the dress wouldn't wrinkle. So, it's really not glamorous! And I was starving, cause the dress was really tight and I didn't want to eat all of this delicious food and not fit into the dress! ::laughs:: But it sure turned out beautiful! The guy that did it, Matt McDermott, he was only 19 when he made the video, and he's so talented. He's incredible, and it's cool that he's only a few years younger than me. So, we're kinda at the same place in our lives and at our careers. We're really young, and we both get to do something really cool when our friends are still in college!

gt.com: wow, how nice! so, why did you decide to name your album after the track "Wreck of the Day?"

ANNA: Well, "Wreck of the Day" is my favorite song, and I realized that all of the songs on the album sort of had a theme like, "Here's the problem and here's how it's going to be made better." And I just feel like there is something, a minor or major crisis, and everyday is going to make me a little stronger for whatever tomorrow brings.

gt.com: we read that your grandparents were an inspiration early in your life, with their history on the Broadway stage. how do you think their experiences has prepared you for your own?

ANNA: I knew that even though my grandparents were around during the Great Depression, I knew that it was a corrupt world. So, I knew that going in, there would be people that I'd have to stay away from, and I was aware of the fact that I had to really be strong and know who I am before I started. That's actually advice that I had gotten from other people when I first started, was if you had any problems now that you need to work out, you need to work them out now. Because it's a very fast-paced life, and you don't have time to deal with your problems. The other thing is, I listened to their stories about traveling and seeing wonderful things and meeting interesting people, and I really wanted to do that. So, that was part of my inspiration for me to be an entire.

gt.com: we also found it really fascinating that your grandmother danced with Fred Astaire -- what did she tell you about that experience?

ANNA: Well, she said that she was very excited, of course, at the time. She used to tell me those stories all of the time. That he was very light on his feet, and a very nice guy too! She had a lot of very funny stories. I remember one, she was in a show, and she and the chorus of girls were rehearsing. She wasn't the lead, she was in the chorus, and she was very short. They were all going over their dance moves, and there was a guy standing on the side of the stage. The other girls in the chorus said, go over and tell that man that he can't be here because we are rehearsing. So, she marched over and said, "Sir you have to leave, you can't watch during rehearsals." And he apologized and walked away. When she went back to the chorus of girls, they were laughing, until they finally told her that she had kicked out Irving Berlin! She's like me, I have similar celebrity encounters where I say something stupid.

gt.com: oh, really? now we're even moreso intrigued! what is one that sticks in your mind as one of the oddest celebrity encounters?

ANNA: I played a show in New York for the record label, and a lot of artists from Columbia Records were there. And I was backstage talking to this really nice young man, who looked like he could be a singer, but there was a lot of singer-looking guys back there. And he asked me if I was performing, and I said "Yes, I'm going on right after Nas." And he looked at me really strangely, and said, "Oh, I'm Nas!" That kind of stuff happens all of the time!

gt.com: how funny! okay, we love how unpretentious your first recording experiences were, in that you used a Rainbow Brite recorder to record new songs while in college. do you still own that recorder, and does it still have your demos on it?

ANNA: Yes! It's somewhere, I don't know where it is, though. ::laughs:: I'm sure it's somewhere in my parents house or storage. But I did record with a Rainbow Brite recorder. It still has the songs that were originally my demos on it, but of course, we had to do different versions to send to the record labels. That one got me involved with producers, though.

gt.com: hilarious! with songwriting being such a deeply personal task, which song of yours do you think best encaptures your life at this moment?

ANNA: Well, I think "Citadel" does a pretty good job of explaining how I feel most of the time. That song changes meaning all of the time! It's about that struggle between wanting to jump in with both feet and wanting to make a life of your own and still at the same time wanting to go home and hide under the blankets. ::laughs:: And I feel that way a lot, whether it's in relationships or in business. I know that a lot of the decisions that I make, which may be as simple as signing a piece of paper to agree to "Grey's Anatomy" to use my song, those things change my business, life, and record sales. And it's not normal, so I think "Citadel" does a good job of explaining that struggle of wanting to make it and wanting to hide.

gt.com: understandably! well, it seems like your songs have had an impact on every television station! what has it been like to turn on the television and hear one of your tunes in promotion for a television drama?

ANNA: The "Grey's Anatomy" episode that had "Breathe" in it was so powerful. Of course I've heard my song a thousand times already. But when I watched it on "Grey's Anatomy," it made it all emotional to see the way that they view the song to tell their story. Of course, I know what it's really about, but I had a chance to see it attached to a different storyline, and it was so beautifully done that it made me cry! It's so great, because I get to touch a lot of different age groups with my music through television, because the audience that watches "Grey's Anatomy" is different than the one that watches "Joan of Arcadia," but they all can relate, and that's really important.

gt.com: definitely! how about when you complete the writing of a song, do you test the waters and ask friends, family, or producers what they think? or, is it pretty much set in stone and ready to record by the time you hit the studio?

ANNA: Usually, I work on a song until I feel it is done. I never have a problem with "finishing anxiety." I finish a song, and then I'll play it for people and hear if they like it or not. And if I like it, then I'm going to use it. ::laughs::

gt.com: we find "Catalyst" to be such an intriguing song. is that track based on your experiences with traveling to a big city after living in Glendora?

ANNA: No, but it could be! ::laughs::

gt.com: hehe. okay, so what is it like to go from the small-town life to the big-city life?

ANNA: Very surreal! I'll go to my parent's house for a few days, and then I'll go on the Rob Thomas tour for a few months! And then I come home, and I'll go to the same Starbucks that I went to while in high school. When I go home, in order to get anywhere, I have to drive by my old high school. But I come home and I still go to my parent's church on Sunday, and then days later, I'm flying to New York City to meet with people from my record label, and play shows for people who know my name even when they've never met me. It's very weird! I feel like I'm about three different people: the girl that lives in my parent's house and feels like a normal college student, the one whose on stage in front of thousands of people and feels like a rockstar for five minutes, and I'm the girl who wants to grow up in the other direction and get married and have kids. Somehow, I'll work it all out!

gt.com: definitely! reality talent shows are now in abundance and a popular outlet for new musicians. what's your take on the whole American Idol phenomenon?

ANNA: I guess I really don't think about it; I don't watch much TV! I think though, it's a good way for some people to get their name out there. Obviously, it's done some great things for singers, for example, the biggest one has to be Kelly Clarkson. She has an amazing voice! And you never know, she may not have had that chance had she looked for it somewhere else. I don't think I'd ever be able to do something like that, because you have to sing other people's songs, and I think that the main pull for me is songwriting.

gt.com: interestingly enough, we read that you used to be a heavy rocker in your high school days, as a Rush cover band singer. being so different than what you sing now, what do you miss most about that experience?

ANNA: I don't, actually! ::laughs:: I don't like Rush music, it just reminds me of high school! But I do miss being in my other rock band. I'm still friends with all of the guys in that band, and I miss playing with them. And I miss being able to dress up in dark clothes and dark makeup and go out on stage and stand up on the monitor and scream! ::laughs:: So, it was fun! But it really wasn't me, although it was fun to play that character for a little while. But the music I do now is more my style.

gt.com: definitely! so, take us through a typical day, since you are in the prime of your career. what is that like?

ANNA: I wake up early, probably six or seven in the morning to go to a radio station and do morning radio. I meet with DJs, who most of the time are nice. ::laughs:: And then, I'll head to meet and greets and interviews throughout the day. Toward the afternoon, I have a soundcheck. Then, I will go back to my bus or hotel room and change my clothes. A lot of times I'll have another interview before the show. Then I'll warm up with my band, and go on stage around nine or ten at night. If I'm not the headliner, I'll stick around for the show and do a song with whomever the headliner is. And after their set, I'll go to the lobby and sign autographs for a few hours. And, I get back to the bus pretty late, and bus call is around two in the morning, where we'll drive to the next city and start over again!

gt.com: you mentioned you sometimes sing with the headliner; do you and Rob Thomas collaborate on this tour?

ANNA: We might! Rob and I sang "Push" together on the last one, so we might do something together for this tour too! It would be fun, I love singing with Rob!

gt.com: sounds like fun! how about when you're driving in your car or even at home, do you listen to your own CD, or do you find that to be too weird?

ANNA: No, I don't listen to it. I hear it very often, so usually when I'm driving, I don't. Right now I have Goo Goo Dolls in my car. But it's funny, sometimes I'll get into my parent's car and they will be playing my CD!

gt.com: outside of being a musician, how else do you love to spend your time?

ANNA: Being that a songwriter was my hobby first, I still like writing! I also like looking at house and home magazines, because I really want a house, but can't afford the upkeeping since I'm never really there. I do that, and I like simple things, like when it was winter in the Midwest, I made my first snow fort. I like reading, I'm in the middle of book six of the Harry Potter series, and I wish book seven would come out, because I'm reading six really slowly. So, I also like hanging out with my family and with my cat Lexy, who I think misses me so much that she has developed an eating disorder. She gets fatter every time I go!

gt.com: aww! well, it seems like a lot of young women in Hollywood go for excess; are you more likely to be at a club or relaxing at home?

ANNA: Definitely relaxing at home, I don't like clubs! I like playing in clubs, but I don't like dancing in clubs. ::laughs:: I'd rather watch an old movie!

gt.com: understandably! in honor of your face being plastered on the outside of a coffee package, what is your favorite type of coffee, and how often do you drink java?

ANNA: That would be Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, and I would say everyday, except it's only seasonal, and they are not serving it anymore. My new drink of choice at Starbucks is the White Chocolate Mocha, but I have them make it with 1% milk, and only three shots of white chocolate! Not too sweet!

gt.com: yummy! and finally, what do you want your fans to know regarding what they can expect from you in 2006?

ANNA: Well, I think my band and I will work on a new version of "Wreck of the Day," and make it a little bit more aggressive. Also, I went shopping and got lots of new clothes, so they can expect some great clothes! ::laughs:: I love shopping, but I'm a bargain shopper. And, hopefully, everyone has as much fun as I know I'm going to have singing and performing. I hope that I exceed whatever expectations everyone has.

gt.com: no doubt you'll exceed our expectations, as usual, Anna. thanks for the interview!

Get the latest news, meet other Anna fans, and read
her journal at her official website www.annanalick.com!