Philadelphia-born singer-songwriter Anna Shoemaker talks early influences and the release of her sophomore album, Someone Should Stop Her.

There’s a swooning vibrance to Someone Should Stop Her, the sophomore album of Philadelphia-born singer-songwriter Anna Shoemaker. Anthemic chorus’, intricate narratives and eclectic and endoscopic instrumentation all amalgamate into a resounding and resplendent body of work, that picks up from the maturity and colour of the artist’s debut and shifts it into a new, bolder era. With country, indie and folk influences and a core root of winning pop, the record is a rewarding and affecting listen.

Wonderland spoke to Shoemaker about the making and meaning of the new record, early influences, and what’s next.

Listen to the album…

Read the interview… 

Hey Anna! How are you? How’s the year been?

Hey! It’s been good- it’s felt like the longest year in the history of years but it’s good!

Talk us through your musical origins. What are your early musical influences? 

I grew up listening to a lot of Sheryl Crow in the car with my mom and Johnny Cash with my grandpa. I was also really obsessed with Britney Spears and Taylor Swift — I’ve always been a pop girl.

How did you find the sonic space you wanted to exist in? 

It’s taken a really long time! But I think just working with people I trust. Also just writing a million songs and seeing what works and what doesn’t. A ton of trial and error. I feel like I’m growing all the time but where the music is now feels really good. 

What did you learn from the making of your debut album, Everything is Fine (I’m Only on Fire)? How do you reflect on it personally? 

To me that album sort of feels like a collection of diary entries from my early twenties, a time capsule if you will!! Some of the songs are really difficult to listen back to, not because I don’t like them but because I just wish I could give that version of me a hug. Being a girl in your early twenties is no joke. 

Congratulations on your new second album! How are you feeling about the release? 

Thank you!!! I’m so beyond excited about it. I’m really proud of it and I got to make it with one of my best friends. It feels really good to finally put it out there.

Why did you decide to name the work Someone Should Stop Her?

It’s a line in Game of Thrones, I think it’s sort of a nod to this idea that I wish someone would tell me if I’m doing okay—I feel like I look for a lot of validation and I’m starting to not do that as much. 

What inspired the work—sonically and thematically?

It’s an album about breaking up and reflecting while running away as far as you can get.

The album tackles the different sides of grief—why is writing from a vulnerable standpoint such an important aspect of your artistry?

I think it’s really important to write what you know, I definitely tend to wear my heart on my sleeve in everyday life (usually to a fault) so I think that’s no different in my writing. 

What do you hope the album achieves? What does it mean to you?

Writing these songs really helped me get through heartbreak so maybe it can do that for other people too. 

What else have you got coming, this year and beyond?

Shows!