Exclusive Interview with ANAM DANU

When vocalist/pianist Siobhan Monaghan and songwriter Andy Dawson Reid joined forces in 2019, they brought their years of diverse musical skills to this partnership. In an effort to create something new and musically rewarding, they bonded via a common appreciation for classic pop tunes and artistic aspirations.

Siobhan and Andy intend to create alternative adult music that is soulful, strong, and cinematic. Their music and lyrics generate subtle to overwhelming emotions and vivid imagery using a musical palette that ranges from sparse piano accompaniment to full orchestral backdrop in search of the unpredictable qualities that make great songs distinctive. Siobhan’s contralto voice is always front and center, supported by her distinctive vocal harmonies.

The third album by Anam Danu, “Soul Making,” was released at the end of August 2022. This compilation of ten new tracks is currently available for streaming and download.

Now, “Perfect,” a thrilling new song released at the end of January 2023. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

ANAM DANU:

Siobhan:
My name is Siobhan Monaghan and I was born and raised in Alberta, Canada. I moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1997 and I am grateful to live on beautiful Vancouver Island. I was introduced to Andy in 2018 through a mutual friend when he was looking for a vocalist for a play he had written. In 2019 we released our first album “Winds of Change”, followed a year later by our second album “Winter Blue and Evergreen”. This album was recorded remotely across the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Our third album “Soul Making” was released in 2022 and our new single “Perfect” came out in January 2023. We are very pleased with the positive reviews we have received so far.

Andy:

I am Andy Dawson Reid and I moved to the west coast of Canada in 2015. Having been involved in music and theatre for many years in the United Kingdom I was hoping to find a like-minded soul with whom I could collaborate on a new musical venture. Siobhan is that person and we clicked creatively very quickly.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

ANAM DANU:
Siobhan:
I have both formal training, and I also learned to play by ear as a small child. I think I was singing before I could speak! My father was a self-taught musician (fiddler/singer), and my mother also sang all the time. My earliest memories were being lifted onto a stack of encyclopedias so I could reach the piano keys. By the age of four, I was picking out Irish tunes to play along with my Dad. I started formal piano lessons (Toronto Conservatory) at age 6 and last formal training was at the University of Lethbridge. Music has always been a central part of my life. In my youth I enjoyed musical theatre, playing at local hall dances, singing and playing at weddings and performing with my family. Later on, I specialized in providing dance music for Irish dancing competitions (Feiseanna/Oireachtas) and performing in a Scottish Country Dance trio. I travelled to Normandy and toured as an accompanist for the Saskatchewan dance troupe ‘Les Danseurs de la riviere La Vielle’. In 1996, I released my first solo piano album called “Common Ground”.

Andy:

I am self-taught, though I come from a musical family. My father was a keen amateur pianist and classical composer. My mother ran a ladies choir and I became a boy chorister when I was around nine or ten years old. I have been fortunate over the years to have worked with many other musicians – some trained and others self-taught – and to have been offered writing opportunities both in bands and in the theatre. I have been writing songs since I was sixteen and have written scores for six musicals.

and parties.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name

‘ANAM DANU’?

Siobhan:
My earliest music influences were Celtic folk music, classical piano and pop radio music. I loved listening to Stevie Wonder, Linda Ronstadt, Chicago, Bruce Cockburn, Annie Lennox, James Taylor, Al Green, Dusty Springfield and of course the Beatles.

The name of our group, ‘Anam Danu’, was a nod to our shared celtic heritage – Andy has Scottish ancestry and I am Irish. ‘Anam’ is the gaelic word for soul, and ‘Danu’ was the mother of the gods of Ireland who were called the Tuatha De Dannan, the People of Danu. Soul Goddess of Life. Why not channel the divine feminine?

Andy:

I grew up with a love of choral and classical music, but everything changed for me when I discovered the Beatles at around the time of ‘Rubber Soul’. I recall being stunned the first time I heard ‘Eleanor Rigby’. I rapidly discovered other great songwriters – Jimmy Webb, Brian Wilson, Dylan and, of course, the late, great Burt Bacharach amongst many others. My love of the songs that these giants had penned drove me to learn how to write. I wanted to know how it worked.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

ANAM DANU:

Siobhan:
Anam Danu’s music is original, unusual and innovative adult-oriented pop music. It has been described as soulful, powerful and cinematic. As our website anamadanu.com describes us “Searching out the unpredictable elements that make great songs unique, their music and lyrics evoke subtle to powerful emotions and vivid images utilizing a musical palette that varies from sparse piano accompaniment to full orchestral soundtrack. Siobhan’s contralto voice – accompanied by her distinctive vocal harmonies – is always front and centre”.

Andy:

I very much hope that the emotions that we explore in both the music and the lyrics of our tracks find a resonance with listeners. There is nothing obscure about what we create; it comes from the heart and will hopefully find a place in the hearts of others.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as adult-oriented pop music?

ANAM DANU:

Siobhan:
When I began playing music in public, it was always “as written”, following lead players, and directed by others. Because of my improvisational skills, I have always endeavoured to express myself in my own unique style. I have written piano compositions in the past and I hope to contribute to our duo with some of my own compositions in the future.

Andy:

The learning phase is crucial, but it revealed something unexpected to me. I would become obsessed with a song that I had heard and determined to write something in the same vein. When I played the results to other band members and told them whence it came they could never see the connection. I realised that my musical brain must be wired a little differently to others – and that what it produces is what someone described as ‘quirkily unique’.

6. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

ANAM DANU:
Siobhan:

I think everyone should be free to interpret the songs in their own personal way. That being said, I often ask Andy what the particular inspiration/process he went through in writing his songs. I approach each new song from my own perspective, as an observer, but also with appreciation of knowing the backstory to them.

Andy:

I really do believe that these expressions not only come to us as gifts, but also that as gifts they should be passed on to others to have meaning. For that reason each takes from the work what matters to themselves and passes the gift along to others.

7. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

ANAM DANU:

Siobhan:
Up until this point we have only worked together in a studio. This has allowed us to work at our own pace and perfect all the details. We are now preparing to perform live, and this will be very exciting. There are only two of us, and some of the tracks will be pre-recorded and played as backup, with live instruments and vocals on top.

Andy:

I love spending time in the studio – allowing the muse to come and go at its own pace – and I am extremely lucky that I now have time so to do. However, playing live is really where it is at – and it has been too long since I last did so.

8. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

ANAM DANU:

Siobhan:
It’s a bit surreal to listen to the finished tracks, and I am always amazed at what the two of us manage to create. Creating art is doing the work, showing up and doing it, even if you don’t feel your best. Making the albums was very satisfying and fulfilling – having something tangible to hold and listen to. We are looking forward to performing live this year and have begun rehearsing for that. This next step will be a big challenge, a lot of work, but music is meant to be shared with people. As our song Soul Making says — “it’s a gift for the taking, pass it it on, hands shaking, even if your heart is breaking, don’t give up, it’s soul making.”

Andy:

Siobhan has put this better than I could – but for me the simple answer to your question is: “Yes! Absolutely!”…

9. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

ANAM DANU:

Siobhan:
Up until now, I have not written any of the songs for Anam Danu. That’s the next adventure! I provide the vocals, harmonies, and we collaborate on structure, instrumentation, sound mix, that sort of thing. As mentioned above, we are now rehearsing to perform live – me playing piano and singing, and Andy playing bass and singing, with hopefully some new additional members to join us.

Andy:

Inspiration and ideas float around us all the time. Seeds for songs can come from anywhere – something I see or read – a conversation with others – doodling on a keyboard or exploring an unusual rhythm. Some ideas come fully formed – others evolve over time. The trick, it seems, is to be constantly open to ideas and to look for the value in absolutely everything and anything, whilst at the same time not ‘snatching at the ball’ (cricketing analogy!). If you relax and let it come to you – it will!

10. What would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

ANAM DANU:

Siobhan:

I am extremely proud of the three albums and recent single that we have produced in the past 4 years. There’s a lot of work that goes into creating original music, not only the performance and production, but also the marketing, and getting the music out into the big world. There is also the ups and downs of life, and how these experiences affect your health, time, and ability to persevere. These past few years have been especially challenging for me personally. Having music and my connection with Andy has been a lifeline and healing experience.

Andy:

This is difficult to answer because such significant points can be so individual that they may really only have meaning to those involved. I have been blessed in meeting so many amazing people over the years through music and theatre and have had the opportunity to work with some truly talented individuals. We have shared experiences that mean a great deal to us and one of our great pleasures is that we can still gather together to celebrate such events.

Having said that, I totally agree with Siobhan. Our collaboration over the last four years ranks amongst the best that I have been involved with and I am hugely proud of our body of work.