THE TAKE 5 SERIES
anamē
We enjoyed interviewing the newly formed duo, anamē, on their inspiration for anamē, the latest track, and upcoming projects.
Marcus Schossow and producer Thomas Sagstad are the founders of anamē. Their bond blossomed during the early 2000s Scandinavian boom of underground house music before going on to solo careers. The duo described what inspired them to create anamē: it’s a full-circle thing. “We have known each other for 15+ years, working together with both on and off stage the whole time, and we have always been very aligned musically, and doing a full project together has always been in the cards.”
In 2019, Marcus Schossow began work on his project, Gardenstate, before the worldwide pandemic struck. Despite his inability to join the project full-time, Thomas Sagstad stayed on to assist with the creative and business aspects. With its genre-crossing, easy-going attitude to dance music, Gardenstate built a name for itself. Inspirations, Gardenstate’s debut album, was a huge hit, with over 12 million streams and counting, a #2 dance chart in the US and Canada, substantial radio support from BBC Radio 1, and a sold-out vinyl edition. Gardenstate also went on a worldwide tour supporting Above & Beyond, playing to sold-out crowds at Red Rocks, Creamfields, Drumsheds, Untold, Echostage, etc.
It came down to timing and resources when the two decided to collaborate. So when they started working on the follow-up to the ‘Inspirations’ album, everything just fell into place musically. They also talked about their experience with Above & Beyond. They mentioned that every time they get together, they always have a good feeling and that you can tell they are passionate about music. Above & Beyond can put everyone at ease and make them feel very welcome, so you leave any occasion feeling motivated.
It’s taken longer to finish the duo’s long-awaited debut track, “Gratitude.” It all started with an idea at a studio session in 2021, but getting it to where they thought it could be perfect was difficult. So there was a lot of back and forth, testing it out in clubs and festivals, then returning to the studio to repeat the process. Until they flew to Paavo’s studio a few months ago and were finally able to put the finishing touches on it. After all these, all the duo felt was gratitude. “Gratitude is a small token of appreciation for our family and friends for putting up with our craziness. It’s a thank you to those who believe in us. The ones who spend their hard-earned money to share moments with us worldwide. It’s a love letter, and thank you to all of them.”
anamē has been doing live shows, with Poland being one of their first stops. Poland has always been a supportive environment for their careers. They also performed two sold-out gigs with Above & Beyond at Amsterdam’s famed Gashouder on May 12th and 13th. They can only describe how they felt in one way: something they will never forget.
Lastly, anamē teased about their upcoming projects. “For future tour plans, we want to make sure we build this the right way – brick by brick – any show we are doing, we want to make sure that the fans are getting value for their money. For the warm welcome we’ve been getting, they deserve nothing less. So we will announce tours/new shows on our platforms shortly.” They already have a full release calendar planned, so there’s something to look forward to.
Q: What inspired you to create anamē?
It’s a full-circle kind of thing. We have known each other for 15+ years, working together both on and off stage the whole time, and we have always been very aligned musically, and doing a full project together has always been in the cards.
Q: Why did you decide to collaborate on a new project as anamē?
Like many things in life, it’s about timing and resources. So when we started working on the follow-up to the ‘Inspirations’ album, everything just clicked – musically, timing and resources to pull off what we had in our head.
Q: How would you describe your journey working with Above & Beyond?
Always a pleasure working with the guys. Whenever we meet, it’s always a positive vibe – you can tell how passionate they are about music. They can make everyone at ease and feel very welcome, so you walk away from any setting feeling inspired. We are incredibly fortunate that they have been so welcoming and supportive of the anamē project.
Q: Can you tell us more about your long-awaited debut track, "Gratitude"?
We are probably better at expressing ourselves through music than through words. So for us, ‘Gratitude’ is just that; it’s a small token of appreciation for our family and friends for putting up with our craziness. It’s a thank you to those who believe in us and the ones who spend their hard-earned money to share moments with us worldwide. It’s a love letter and thank you to all of them.
Q: When did you start working on this single, and what have been your preparations?
It’s been a long road to get this single finished. It started as an idea during a studio session last year, and we always felt it had something special. But it was a case of getting it to a place where it was as perfect as we thought it could be. So there was a lot of back and forth, testing it out in clubs/festivals, back in the studio – rinse and repeat. Until a couple of months back when we flew to Paavo’s studio and finally were able to put the finishing touches on it. We are incredibly proud of the song, and the response has been fantastic – we are so excited.
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Q: Your first live shows included one in Poland. How was the experience?
Poland has been one of those places that have always supported our careers. So it was terrific to bring the first anamē show there. And the response was nothing less than impressive.
Q: What was it like to join Above & Beyond for two sold-out shows at Amsterdam's renowned Gashouder last May 12th and 13th?
We love the boys; they have always been so good to us. Them allowing us to showcase the anamē project in full and bringing us on stage at Gashouder was something we will never forget.
Q: Would there be more upcoming live shows laid out this year?
For future tour plans, we want to make sure we build this the right way – brick by brick – any show we are doing, we want to make sure that the fans are getting value for their money. For the warm welcome we’ve been getting; they deserve nothing less. We will announce tours/new shows on our platforms shortly.
Q: Is there anything we should watch out for in particular? A new single, EP, or album, perhaps?
We have a full release schedule already lined up, so there is a lot to be excited about. We can’t wait to share it all with you guys!
Q: Lastly, I've heard that your home label, Anjunabeats, is planning a debut anamē album for early 2023. Could you elaborate on it for us?
We always consider ourselves “album artists” even though the “One of singles/ mini EPs” may make more sense in terms of the algorithms and all that stuff you have to consider in this day and age. For us, it’s about crafting something that truly represents us and our vision. An album has room for that. But at the end of the day, we want to make something people can connect with on a deeper level.
Our label has always been brilliant to us. They have been behind us thick and thin; they show us absolute trust and always encourage our crazy ideas. We call it home because it feels like a big fam
