The ‘Child’s Play’ Genius of Ana Phoenixx, Singer | Songwriter | Artist

by Meryana Tamera

I will quite freely admit that I am in total awe of Ana Phoenixx, one of our rising stars over at AUDIOSPARX & RADIOSPARX. Her voice fills me with that type of sweet, aching happiness, and I want to sing along with her, hoping — praying that my voice is as good as hers!

In my dreams!

Ana Phoenixx is a ONE-OFF and has the type of talent that is rare, beautiful and oh so real. Because Ana is our HOT NEW ARTIST this week on AUDIOSPARX & RADIOSPARX, I jumped on the virtual blower (phone) and got in touch with her to request, demand (in the nicest possible way) and pray for an interview with her.

And in sweet, gracious style she said a big YES.

Ana hails from Chesapeake, Virginia USA and so we told her we’d whisk her away virtually to our studio, a place where our artists become life-long friends and let us into the secrets of their composing life.

So, now Ana’s arrived, let me fluff up our blue and orange cushions on our virtual YELLOW-ORANGE SOFA so she can get comfortable. I’ll pour her some tea and get her in the mood for some hard questioning.

But while she gets comfortable, let me play a delicious track that she wrote and performed, called “Swan Dance”. It’s an RnB/Soul track with exquisite vocals, so divine that I just want to keep playing it on a loop.

‘“Swan Dance” is a love voyage illustrated by references to scenes in nature. Soulful cries and jazzy scats beckon a lover’s presence. The singer imagines a fantasy landscape where she communicates with her beloved in rhythm with the ecosystem. Intimate and sparse instrumentation show raw emotion.’

Play Swan Dance as you read our interview with ANA PHOENIXX, singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, producer and artist.

Before we start, here’s her super-impressive bio:

Ana Phoenixx is an eclectic composer, producer, and instrumentalist from Virginia. Her professional work began when she sang a solo on Radio Disney’s Chart Toppers CD at ten years old. She later released a song featuring global rap star Gucci Mane and performed vocals with Malice of the renowned duo The Clipse. In the following years, she honed production skills that fuse Classic Rock, Jazz Harmony, and alternative styles to her RnB and Hip Hop roots. Ana specializes in distinct musical landscapes with universal appeal.

RADIOSPARX: It’s so lovely to welcome you here Ana. You’re our HOT NEW ARTIST this week, with your track EUPHORIA. Your voice is exquisite and your songs are like silky RnB/Soul reinventions with your own original stamp on them. Talk to us about how your working day pans out and how you approach your songwriting.

ANA P: Thanks RADIOSPARX, it’s great to be here. That’s a very interesting question and it gets me thinking. Ummm — let me see — I wake up from my dreams and it’s as if pre-existent thoughts and inspirations form a mass of clouds around me. I live and breathe music, so the composition process is like picking out a shape in the clouds and it’s my job to define it, frame it and create a narrative around it. It’s as if my observation kind of shifts the atmosphere around the clouds and an image begins to emerge.

In the mornings, I usually reflect these thoughts and dreams in a notebook and map out how each of these inspirations or ideas can fit into my long-term artistic and career goals. I assess where I currently stand on the map and create a production schedule for that day. Oftentimes, I work on various projects in a day. I set clear objectives for each one, starting with the conceptual feel. It normally starts with the imagery I’m targeting, then I flesh it out with notes and instruments. At some point every day, I try to make time for raw improvisation on instruments to play with progressions, intervals, approaches, and angles. It’s almost like child’s play. Notes are the building blocks. This is like an engine for what I do. Once I’ve checked off, or at least accounted for everything on the list of objectives, my day’s work is done.

RADIOSPARX: Wow, we love the way you describe your mind at work — it’s fascinating and we can all relate. You’re a true creative, that’s obvious. Can we go deeper into how you get inspired to write music — and how your song writing develops to the finished product?

ANA P: Oh thank you. Yes, it’s great to actually think deeply about the things, so thank you for your questions. Inspiration for my music comes very often from observing recurring patterns in life which inspire me a lot; seeing how similar processes can occur in seemingly opposite scenarios or unrelated things can become a point of focus for me.

When I witness overlaps in thoughts and emotions in myself, I take notice. I also take note of ironies, synchronizations, and how there’s a fundamental quality of life and movement in everything. This gives you a lot to play on — in terms of inspiration — and I use to these elements to make relatable connections. There is a common pulse underneath everything; life and music. This common pulse forms a bridge that connects logic and emotion. Music is like life’s principles and humor in notation to me.

My songwriting usually develops from an observation and normally a desire to understand an idea more intimately, so I explore it through song. It’s a very visual process for me. It almost always starts with an idea that branches off into a mental map or landscape with strong imagery. The goal of the songwriting is to capture that imagery with what you say and don’t say. It’s almost like transcribing the indescribable. You use abstract textures to build the outline of the image. Then fill it in with pops of color and ornate themes.

RADIOSPARX: We love the picture you paint Ana of themes and patterns in life and music; this is so inspiring in itself — to think on what you’ve said here. We can feel this as we listen to our music. Can you tell us what technology and software you use?

ANA P: Yes, certainly. I use Logic Pro X, Reason 12, my body, my mind, and my notebook.

RADIOSPARX: Amazing — yes — our bodies, minds and hands to write are our instruments. Awesome. What’s your favorite musical style/genre?

ANA P: I like to think that regarding genre, I’d say I love all genres, all together, all at once. I joke, but the music that normally intrigues me the most, is the type of music that finds clever ways of blending musical palettes. It balances the familiar with the obscure and designs fine lines between genres.

RADIOSPARX: That’s a very painterly image. In music, there is art, and in life there is art and music. So all is balanced and beautiful. Tell us about your life, in music, growing up, your influences, your loves and any people who impacted you greatly.

ANA P: Growing up, the musical philosophy in my household was to have no boundaries and pursue what you hear in your mind’s ear, with passion. The development was largely based upon inspiration. That’s probably why experimentation is a big part of what I do today. I have a visceral connection with music and view it, first, as an element or a sound before I see it as a modern establishment or discipline. To me, music theory is nature’s science before it is an organized convention. My father plays acoustic guitar and is skilled at his very own folk-jazz blend. His style is very stripped down and organic. He encouraged me to develop my own methodology while seeking to fully optimize the potential of my instrument by learning all my chord inversions to get into the depth of how notes connect. My mother is a naturally gifted singer with pristine attention to detail. Early on, I learned to blend formula with feel in my approach.

As far as well-known influences, American Jazz Guitarist JOE PASS was a huge influence on the way I perceive harmony and melody through his brilliantly cohesive and comprehensive fretboard mastery.

And Jazz Guitarist Tuck Andress shaped my philosophy with how he’s able to create full, moving sketches with just his fingers and the fretboard. He showed me how maximal demonstration can come from just the bare bones. That’s an amazing form of communication.

Jimi Hendrix had a strong impact on my evolution. His stories through his lyrics and guitar seemed so internally cultivated. It was as if they gave me a glimpse of his vivid perception. It was like I was able to access his internal world with him. That called to my visual side. This affinity spilled over when I discovered the intelligent sonic poetry of John Mayer.

The artist with the biggest influence on my concept of artistry is probably Prince. The distinct identity, the mythology, the world building, the ownership, the character, the audacity, and belief that any range of expression was a possibility for him set a standard for self-mastery as an artist. In the package with his profound skill and technique came a pervasive whisper that said to me “Your expression is valid.”

RADIOSPARX: Beautiful. Thanks Ana. Your debt to these stellar musicians is also ours. Talk to us about how you juggle composing with the business side of being a musician.

ANA P: Yes, great question. To trick my mind as a creative, I look at the business side as an extension of my creative choices (my will) in my effort to build my life vision. Everything goes back to that road map or landscape that represents my intention. Just like I set aside a block of time for each project, it’s important for me to dedicate focused time to gaining the tools and savvy needed to yield my desired outcome (and income!) in business. For the sake of my passion, I seek to apply thorough discipline in learning business, as it is another important instrument in completing my long-term project.

RADIOSPARX: Lovely. Thanks Ana. Can you give us more detail about your musician’s kit, listing the musical equipment you use with brand names.

ANA P: Sure, it sounds a bit clichéd, but I really like to look at imagination as the most primary musical tool, first and foremost. I like my set up to give space for that, with simplicity. The most intricate systems come from the thoughts and compositions themselves.

I mainly use Logic Pro X, Roland keyboard sounds, my Hendrix-esque Fender Stratocaster affectionately named “Pegasus,” AKG headphones, and KRK monitors.

RADIOSPARX: Awesome, so beautifully put. Thanks Ana. What would you advise a young person getting started in the music industry today? How can they be different yet authentic in an overcrowded yet amazing industry?

ANA P: The most authentic advice I can give is don’t devalue isolation. If you can steal time for solitude with your craft, it’s absolutely worth it. Listen to your passions, your natural inclinations, and find your own formulas. Strive for mastery. Respect your cave, it’s sacred. Come out sometimes to get feedback and interaction. Bring takeaways back into your inner space. Your solitude is your engine even if you only have limited time there or if you don’t have a physical space, reserve some space inside of you that’s just for you. Own your mind. Design its interior. Focus, with scientific precision and romantic passion, on the paths of your principles.

RADIOSPARX: We love that advice. Absolutely brilliant. Yes — yes — yes. Thank you. And lastly Ana, what are your thoughts on AI — in life, music, everything?

ANA P: With creativity in the driver’s seat, anything can become a tool. With good human intentions leading, AI could be a portal for innovation we may not know we’re looking for. I don’t have opposition towards it as long as our vision leads AI and AI doesn’t lead us. I do, however, think AI can potentially inspire us in a positive way.

RADIOSPARX: Thanks Ana for your wonderful honesty, intelligence and for sharing your beautiful creative inner world with us. It’s super-inspiring. Congratulations on being our HOT NEW ARTIST this week (September 18, 2023) and for wooing us with your gorgeous voice, tracks, RnB & Soul rhythms and your sweet style. Until we meet again.

Your friends at AUDIOSPARX & RADIOSPARX.

Check out Ana Phoenixx’s RADIOSPARX CATALOG here:

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