5 Questions: Anastasia Coope

Anastasia Coope, a 21-year-old Haldane High School graduate, released her first full-length record, Darning Woman, on May 31 and just launched her first headlining tour. 

What was it like trying to release Darning Woman?
It took a really long time for me to find someone willing to distribute my record, which has been done for three years. I spent a lot of time emailing any kind of contact I could find to get my foot through the door. Obviously, at first no one responded. But through playing my music to people and having it go through their ears, something sparked and my manager sent it to someone from The Label Group, a record distribution company. They really wanted to put it out to the world. 

A lot of your songs have a dream-like, distorted feel to them. Is that something that attracts you to other artists?
Yeah, I think I’ve always liked music like that, especially having many female vocal layers on a song. My grandmother showed me Enya and I loved her music. That kind of floaty and ethereal feeling that Enya and other types of artists portray is something that really inspired me. At the time of recording my songs, I didn’t have access to too many instruments, so I had to figure out how to make the songs more full, and resorted to more vocal layers.

Who or what are some of your other inspirations?
I take a lot from visuals. I really like French cinema and the impressionist painting style that includes things such as landscapes or portraiture. I also think that growing up in the Hudson Valley has produced a more ethos style of songwriting for me. Folk music has always been something I’ve enjoyed, especially music from Pete Seeger and British folk, including artists like Bridget St. John.

What is most exciting about the tour?
I’ve only ever opened for other performers in the U.S., so I’m excited to go at this on my own. I booked the tour myself and picked all the venues, so I’m excited to see how something I’ve been so involved with comes to fruition. I’m also excited to visit parts of the U.S. that I have never been to before.

What are some of the challenges of being a small independent artist?
I think the music industry is oversaturated now more than ever. A lot of people have much more access to making music than they used to, so it is very competitive out there. It’s been said that the first two to five years are about playing your cards right as a new musician, and the logistics around trying to make it a full-time career are probably the most challenging.