Exron Exclusive Interview: Anabel Englund at HARD Summer

Anabel Englund is paving a new path for female artists to have sustainable careers in the music industry.

Anabel Englund is ready to dominate the pop-house scene. The singer/songwriter/producer extraordinaire has been active with the release of her debut album, ‘Messing with Magic,’ which released late last year. Just as live events have been coming back to full swing, Anabel dropped a deluxe version of the album that featured four additional tracks, one of which was a collaboration with French superstar, Dombresky.

The Los Angeles native is no stranger to the creative scene, growing up in a household of artists. Her father is famed actor and singer, Morgan Englund, and grandmother is none other than academy-award winner, Cloris Leachman. Influences such as her father’s love for country music pushed her to truly appreciate the songwriting process and pursue the art of self-expression.

Anabel’s time in the industry has given her a number of experiences that illustrate the pros and cons of working in the arts. After celebrating six years of sobriety just a few days ago, Anabel reflected on the toxicity she experienced as a female looking to enter the music scene.

“When a white, male DJ gets f***ed up, people glorify that— they worship and follow it. But if a female does it, she gets called all of the worst things you can think of when really, she just needs some help.”

Looking to show other young artists that the “rockstar” lifestyle doesn’t need to be as degenerative as it has been in the past, Anabel hopes that more female artists pursue music and end up on more festival lineups, in hopes that more representation will allow for healthier work environments. 

After delivering an angelic performance on day 1 of Hard Summer, Exron had the pleasure to sit down with the multi-hyphanate artist and talk influences, collaborations, and toxicity in the industry. 

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Exron Music: How does it feel to be doing live shows again?

Anabel Englund: It is so much fun. Now that I’m DJing, it’s so nice to be self-sufficient. Before, I didn’t DJ because I didn’t feel that I needed or wanted to. But now, I’ve experienced my own sets and I’m like, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?” Seeing everyone with their hands in the air, yelling your lyrics— you just can’t replace that feeling.

Exron Music: How did COVID affect your creative process and ability to make music?

Anabel Englund: I wrote so much music and did so many zoom writing sessions with people around the world. It was actually really nice to be able to hop on a call with someone from London or even a different part of California and not need to be in the same room, we just needed our computers.
My song, “Boogie All Night,” was written via a zoom writing session with Dombresky and now it’s on my deluxe album. So was “Don’t Say Goodbye,” and I’m happy that I was able to find some creativity during the pandemic. When it first started, I couldn’t do anything. The thought of needing to do work when there was so much anxiety amongst the whole world seemed irrational, and I just took that time to stop and regroup. As time progressed, I got used to the flow and was able to get into those sessions. It got better.

Exron Music: How did such an artistic household influence your sound today?

Anabel Englund: I grew up listening to a lot of country music because that’s what my dad always played. It was either that or Eminem from my brother or Christina Aguilera from my teenage years. But the sound that particularly stuck with me was country. I remember, as a little girl, listening to the stories that they would tell. I loved fantasizing about what the artist was talking about and it made me fall in love with the lyrics. Every song I’ve written has a story attached and even if they may seem simple, all of them have this other intention behind them.

Exron Music: You’ve been very active collaborating with other artists recently, how would you say your creative process differs working with others versus solo?

Anabel Englund: Even when I do something on my own, it’s still a collaborative effort. I love working with others. I have this idea that if I make something alone, it’s this one color. The color of me. But let’s say I do a song with Dombresky, he has his own color and we’re able to create this new one. Add another cowriter in and there’s another until we reach a final product and it’s something completely different that I wouldn’t have been able to make on my own. I think this process is something that’s really important and shouldn’t be shied away from.

Exron Music: Is there a particular side of the song-making process that you favor?

Anabel Englund: One particular part one songwriting that I really enjoy is when I revisit some lyrics a few months after I write them and uncover all of these things that I subconsciously included. On my song, “Underwater,” I thought I was writing it about a breakup, but it wasn’t until later that I realized that it’s actually my breakup song to the patriarchy. I talk about how I waited so long for you to do me right and take care of me, but here you are failing me time and time again. I’m not going to wait for you anymore and I’m going to do it on my own.

That’s what I love about the songwriting process— I think I’m writing about one thing and then it always ends up being this deep meaning afterward. This made me realize the subconscious mind is working in ways I can’t explain.

Exron Music: Being a female in a male-dominated industry, what have your experiences been like and what would you say to others looking to follow in your steps?

Anabel Englund: It’s definitely… interesting. It’s been a lot harder to get my foot in the door. Back in the day, I used to drink too much and was in a darker place. I’m now sober and finally feel that I’ve redeemed myself. It happens to a lot of us when we’re young. We experiment, fuck up, and do it all over again. I realized that when a white, male DJ gets fucked up, people glorify that— they worship and follow it. But if a female does it, she gets called all of the worst things you can think of when really, she just needs help. That’s just one small example of how differently women are viewed in this industry, and the double standards seem to never end.

I’ve got my shit together and found my own road, and I have no regrets about the decisions I’ve made. This is my life and I’ve made mistakes even though I try my best, but my heart breaks for other women who might be struggling without anyone there to help or guide them. Which is exactly why I think we need more women in the lineups. Granted, there are more slowly popping up, but it seems like it moreso to fill a quota; I hope in the near future it can be genuine rather than forced and people can see the true talent in female artists.

Exron Music: As COVID restrictions are now beginning to loosen up around the world, I feel that we are about to enter a renaissance period where creativity will blossom at an exponential rate. What does the near future look and sound like for Anabel Englund?

Anabel Englund: I love house music, I love dance music. I think it’ll always be in my life, but I’m now starting to go down the pop-dance route. I love being on stage and I just want to be bigger and continue to grow. I’m just trying to go up, up, up.

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