Montreal-based singer & songwriter Annabel Gutherz with her new single, “Shame.” Following the success of her latest single, “Eclipse,” “Shame” continues to introduce listeners to Annabel’s unique blend of classic rock instrumentation and modern pop melodies. 

Thanks so much for talking to ReVamp, can you tell us a bit about your journey with music, and how you first got involved in the music industry?

Thank you so much for having me! I've been singing and performing for as long as I can remember. It wasn't until I decided to earn my undergraduate degree from Berklee College of Music that I decided to pursue music as a career and get involved in the music industry. 

In your music journey, who influenced you to begin with?

I think my mom's musical taste influenced me most to begin with. I became a sponge for the songs she would play around the house, and believe I had an innate proclivity for the styles, artists, and bands that resonated most with her! My mom introduced me to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks, whose influences are evident in my new sound! I love that 70s pop-rock/soft-rock sonic aesthetic and appreciate the way those songs make me feel, which is why I incorporate those textures and musical topographies in my music. 

You have a new single 'Shame', after your success with 'Eclipse', how is 'Shame', going to be different from your previous single? 

Both "Shame" and "Eclipse" are stylistically similar, yet "Shame" leans into a more 70s rock sonic aesthetic, with more acoustical/organic sounds, whereas "Eclipse" incorporates more contemporary elements. While both songs also explore themes of comparison and insecurity, the context of the songs is also very different, which gives them a whole new flavor! 

“Shame” is an open-hearted single about acknowledging and overcoming relationship insecurities, is this something that you have dealt with personally, and how has it impacted your music? 

I let my own life experiences inform my music... My songs are quite diaristic in that they are often reflections of how I'm feeling and what I'm going through, although I do love to draw inspiration from observation as well! "Shame" is an amalgamation of the two for sure. 

What is your recording/writing process like, and do you have a favorite element? 

My writing/recording process is ever-evolving, but right now, once I establish a concept I want to share in the form of a song, I find a chord progression that I feel will best buoy and communicate the story and emotion of the song. I then develop the lyrics and melody simultaneously, before enlisting the help of my producers to start fleshing out the production. One of my favorite elements about the process is hearing the marriage between the music and the lead vocal melody for the first time... There's such a special quality about that moment coming to fruition that gives me chills every time!  

When you were writing ‘Shame’, did you have a clear message in mind, and how did you want that to come across to the audience?

When writing "Shame," I was focused on delineating the story rather than conveying a specific message, which surfaced inadvertently. As the message became more apparent to me, so too, did the way I wanted to melodically and harmonically express the song's message. I wanted to backdrop the lyrics of the song, which are about insecurity and doubt, against a soaring and liberating melody to best showcase the dynamics of when those emotions most come to light. I was watching Daisy Jones & The Six when I was writing "Shame," and I wanted my song to embody the same feeling as "Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)" did from the TV show's soundtrack. 

What are you most looking forward to for the release, and how are you preparing? 

I'm most looking forward to sharing this song and its inherent energy with the world! "Shame" has this balmy summer, California essence about it that I love. It makes me want to drive down the Malibu coast with the windows rolled down as I did when I first conceived the song, and I hope it instills that same warm feeling in those listening to it. In true 21st-century form, I've prepared a lot of content to support the song visually, and I am otherwise embracing and enjoying whatever magic the moment of the release may bring!