Like stumbling into a rose garden on a trek through the arctic, listeners of Emily Anderson’s music find themselves helplessly lifted into a world so hauntingly familiar, and yet so enchantingly curious. Anderson’s music is as shaped by this whimsical perspective as it is by her musical credentials. A multi-instrumentalist trained at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Anderson fills her songs with images of nature, hope, and the solar system, not to mention a few puns. Anderson hails from Fairbanks, Alaska, and now splits her time between her hometown and Los Angeles.
Her upbringing in a tight-knit community has shared her musical perspective. One radio reviewer remarked of her 2017 full-length album Simple Things, “Emily Anderson’s music shatters the imagery you might have of surviving the long dark winters while living in Fairbanks, AK. One might expect dark introspection or a songwriter who bites back at life, but the songs on Simple Things are warm and emotive.”
In recent years, Anderson has lent her skills to video games and game trailers Calico and The Stars Between Us, and shared bills with Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Peter Mulvey, and Aurora Birch. She’s toured across Alaska, the west coast, and Canada. She has also released three new singles, “Sarah,” “Gold,” and, on February 5, 2021, “Hugs.” The second, “Gold,” has been placed in a national ad campaign with Miller Lite, and was a finalist in both the American Songwriter and Songwriting University Song Contests. These songs, which tackle subjects like grief, mental illness, friendship, and pandemic isolation, are optimistic as well as raw. Anderson’s music reflects her determination to find light in tough times.
What the people say…
Whether you’re having a bad day or having one of the best days in a long time, Emily Anderson’s Simple Things will make it better. Harmonies that sound so natural and gorgeous orchestrations are at the heart of both the toe-tapping melodies and lyrical songwriting that pulls you into a story that you’ll want to experience again and again.
– Lori Neufeld, KUAC
Emily Anderson’s music is pure and could serve as the soundtrack to awaken one’s spirit. It offers a bright light where there is darkness and exposes Anderson’s visionary world. ‘Simple Things’ delivers a variety of brightness and color. Anderson’s angelic voice ranges from energetic and playful on songs like “Space,” to soft and beautiful such as on the track “Window.”
– Robert Foran III, Anchorage Press
“Emily Anderson’s music shatters the imagery you might have of surviving the long dark winters while living in Fairbanks, AK. One might expect dark introspection or a songwriter who bites back at life, but the songs on ‘Simple Things’ are warm and emotive while holding a strong conviction that will keep you listening to these smartly written stories. Listener response has been strong and they want to know how to get the CD so they can hear more!”