INTRODUCING ANNIE BANY…
THIS OREGON FARM GIRL’S READY TO PUCKER HER
‘HOT LIPZ’ AND ROLL OUT A FUN, FRESH VIBE ON HER
INFECTIOUS DEBUT POP SINGLE AND EXPLOSIVE VIDEO!
Signed With PCG, The Nation’s Top Artist Development Company,
The Versatile Vocalist and Songwriter Is Holding Video Release
Parties in Nashville January 15 and Portland February 5
“I play music. I like sunshine. I created this page to spread my music to the eager and daring.”
Emerging pop songstress and songwriter Annie Bany didn’t have to write a ton of flowery words on her fast-growing Facebook fan page to capture the essence of her vibe. She grew up on a farm outside Portland, Oregon but her heart’s been set on the stage since she saw “The Sound of Music” onBroadway at age 6.
Annie’s fun, fresh, playful and edgy. And she’ll be the first to tell you than her provocative, infectious debut single “Hot Lipz” perfectly captures her optimism, sense of romance and the fact that she’s “kinda goofy” and thinks it’s cool for girls to, like her, be honest and forward and go after what they want.
Penned by Annie with her co-producers Cody Falkosky and Ben Vredevelt, the highly anticipated track hits all the digital outlets on January 15 - and will enjoy a Triple A radio promotion from top Chicago-based firm Jeff McClusky & Associates starting this spring. She is currently working on a full-length album, set for tentative release in late spring or early summer.
The multi-talented performer is building momentum for the track via its colorful, high energy video, which features Annie in a day/night roller rink scenario, perfectly mixing innocent charm with a hint of sex appeal as she longs for – and rolls along with – the guy whose affection she wants. Annie’s 22, but the neon light effects and her funny heart shaped glasses are part of the joyous expression that all teen girls will relate to.
The singer is celebrating the release of “Hot Lipz” and its video with an upcoming show in Nashville on Thursday, January 15 at the world renowned live music venue 12th & Porter. The show will stream live on the following link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/
“What I like most about the song and video is that everyone can relate to where I’m coming from,” Annie says. “I’ve been in that situation where I like a guy but there’s this stigma attached to girls who instead of playing hard to get, decide to go after what they want. The guy in the video is a friend from high school who I dated for a time, which really connects the song to my life in a special and personal way. I’m not afraid to be silly sometimes and take risks lyrically as I do on ‘Hot Lipz’ and another song I’m working on for the album‘Take It Out on the Dance Floor.’ I also have a tune called ‘SUPERLOVE,’about falling in love with Superman.
“A lot of people tell me I can’t say certain things,” she adds, “but I don’t think musical expression should have limits. I’m all about writing and singing what comes naturally to me. Cody, Ben and I are creating hooky songs that I would want to listen to if I were just a fan. I feel like we’re making music for people who want to listen to something awesome, have a good time and not think too much about deeper meanings.”
Bernard Porter, President and Founder of PCG Nashville, the nation’s top artist development company, was immediately taken by her spirit and presence and signed her. She auditioned for the opportunity to train in PCG’s coveted Emerging Artists program and blew his staff away.
“Annie is the breath of fresh air the pop world is waiting for,” says Porter. “She’s 100 percent commercial. Her writing is very fresh and her spirit is Katy Perry meets Taylor Swift meets Pink. We are thrilled to have her on our roster at PCG and look forward to watching her amazing future unfold.”
With the support of PCG and its stellar network of providers, Annie has clearly defined her artistic direction, developed her brand and strengthened her confidence as a writer and performer. Recognized as one of Belmont University‘s top artists, she had the privilege of opening the Belmont Urban Pop Showcase 2014 - an honor she was proud to receive, in light of the vast number of talented musicians attending the esteemed university. “I’ve never worked so hard for a show,” she says of the show at the school’s basketball arena. “It was such an amazing experience to perform in front of my peers with a full band, awesome wardrobe and back-up dancers. I look forward to many more nights like that.”
One of the most unique aspects of Annie’s emergence as an unabashedly bold pop singer and personality is the fact that just a few years ago, she was performing a whole different kind of acoustic based music at coffeehouses and pizza places in the Portland area and in and around Nashville, where she studied Music Business at Belmont.
Ironically, when she met Cody and Ben through a friend of a friend, she learned that they were both from her same hometown but had set up shop as producers in Nashville.
“I was basically trying to be an alternative country pop musician, something like a mix between Sara Bareilles and Taylor Swift, jumping to do any gigs I could with an acoustic guitar,” she says. “Growing up, I would listen to my older sister Rachel’s female pop records, everyone from Spice Girls toBritney Spears and Katy Perry, and I was definitely drawn to their bright pop vibe. But in trying to find my own sound, I leaned towards acoustic music because it was the only way I knew to sing by myself. When I became friends with Cody and Ben and we started talking about possibly working together, I sent them some of this older material. Ben gave it to me straight. He said, ‘Your personality in real life doesn’t really cross over to your music.’ He thought my music should be fun, bubbly, funny and fresh.
“When we began writing together, they helped me bring out that fun side of me in the songs and performances,” she adds. “I had always worked in a purely acoustic environment, and these guys are very electronic based – so it was like a whole new world of sonic possibilities opening up! When we write a song, they create a driving beat and we work with that. Along the way, we’re free to it up and use a lot of different sounds and explore all of the things you can do on a single guitar. With the systems they have in their home studios, the sky’s the limit. Ben had pursued a career as a vocalist at one point, and so that’s helpful too when he’s giving me direction with my vocals during a session.”
All of this is a long way from her family’s 39 acre spread in Wilsonville, Oregon, where her father taught her to play guitar and she spent her early childhood singing songs and dramatically acting out moments from Disney classics like “Pocahontas” and “The Little Mermaid.” She spent years participating in school plays and choir, taking acting workshops, entering talent contests, singing karaoke and filming movies and commercials. It was her first vocal coach in high school who encouraged Annie to write – sparking a passion which is now bearing fruit with the release of “Hot Lipz,” with many more tracks to look forward to in the coming months.
“For me, the most exciting thing right now is having the opportunity to share my music and story with people in a larger way than ever before,” she says. “I’ve always loved performing and I look forward to more opportunities to do that in larger venues. For a long time, I was just the girl behind the guitar, singing sad songs about breakups. But now I’m growing as an artist, looking forward to wonderful things in my future and I love life! It took several years, but I finally know who I am as an artist.”
