Anna Shoemaker brings an unfiltered honesty to her artistry, exploring the highs and lows of life on the road, and the painstaking process of making music. In this conversation, she reflects on the unexpected challenges of recording, the balance between vulnerability and performance, and the inspirations that shape her sound and new album Someone Should Stop Her, a line from her newest single Game of Thrones.

Northern Transmissions: What’s something unexpected that you’ve experienced since becoming an artist?

Anna Shoemaker That’s a good question. I think it’s how much effort goes into actually producing the music. I’ve been working with this producer named Constantine, and there’s just so much that goes into it. And I’m such a songwriter, so you know, I’m mostly focused on the writing. But when I really see all the production and we really get into the nitty gritty, it just takes forever, and it’s crazy.

NT: How long from the conception to release does it take to make an album?

AS: So I have an album coming out next year. We’ve been working on it for probably close to two years. We recorded all of the songs – they were all demos – and then we went down to Nashville in January, and we recorded them all during that month. I thought that was gonna be plenty of time. We were working from like 8am to like 10pm every day, no days off. It was crazy. It was a lot. It’s a lot harder than touring.

NT: I was just gonna ask, what’s more difficult recording an album or tour?

AS: Recording. Yeah, because it takes forever. You have to get it right, whereas with tour you can mess up.

NT: While on tour, what’s the most difficult aspect of that experience for you?

AS: Honestly, early mornings. Because I’m not a morning person – I’m trying to be! But yeah, I have so much coffee and diet coke and Starbucks and everything, like, it’s crazy haha.

NT: How early do you usually have to get up to leave?

AS: This is embarrassing. It’s not even that early. It’s like, eight or nine.

NT: That’s still early, especially when you have a late night performing.

AS: I know that’s the thing. There’s just not a lot of sleeping going on. So I think that’s probably the hardest part.

NT: If you could pick one artist to go on tour with, who would it be?

AS: Joe P.

NT: While Anna, I’m not sure if you know but you are on tour with him!

AS: Haha what a crazy coincidence!

NT: What inspired the name for your new album, Someone Should Stop Her?

AS: So basically, it’s this thing my sister and I talk about a lot where you’re just like, going along in your life, and you’re like, is someone gonna stop me? It’s like am I doing everything okay? Is anyone gonna say, you probably shouldn’t do that.

But it’s a line in one of the songs called Game of Thrones, and basically, in the song, I’m saying that I blacked out at the family reunion and I told everyone that I’m writing a novel. But I overheard them saying that it’s really bad and someone should stop me. And that’s just kind of how I feel.

I’m kind of like, is someone gonna stop me? I’m literally just driving around the country in my car. Is someone gonna be like, hey, maybe become an accountant? Like, maybe settle down, maybe meet a husband and have a kid? So it’s kind of that, it’s just this, like someone should – it’s a cry for help to cry for help haha.

NT: I love that. Have you had anyone try to stop you or say hey maybe become an accountant?

AS: Honestly, no, it’s been so great. I just think either I can’t take a hint or people do seem to like it.

NT: Outside of any musical artist who or what inspires you and your music?

AS: I think I’m really inspired by clothing. And I thrift a lot. There’s a lot of thrift girlies on Tik Tok that I’m so inspired by. I love thrifting on tour and going to Walmart on tour. I love putting together different vibes. Like, I’m really inspired by clothes and fashion and how it makes you feel. I think that’s something that goes really hand in hand with my touring and performance. It’s such a key part.

NT: Have you always had a passion for clothing?

AS: Yeah, I’ve always been really into it. I was really shy when I was young. I would try to make sure that I looked the way that I wanted to portray myself, because I wasn’t that comfortable showing my personality. So my personality was all in what I was wearing, which is so scary if you look back at some of the photos, because it’s like Abercrombie haha.

NT: You’ve said several times before that you really believe in feeling your feelings. Is writing music a way of accessing them or is that something that you’ve already had to process and experience before you’re able to put that down to paper?

AS: I think it’s something that I’ve already kind of processed. That’s when the best stuff comes. There are rare occurrences where I’m not even sure that I was feeling it yet and I write a song and I’m like, whoa I didn’t know I was still mad about that or that I even felt that way. But generally, I think I feel my feelings before writing. I’m not the kind of girl who’s like crying and picking up a guitar you know? I am the type of girl that is like crying and eating a pint of Ben and Jerries and watching like Gilmore Girls. You know what I mean? I’m not like a tortured musician. All of my songs are inspired by life and experiences though.

NT: Have you ever or do you have a desire to write and explore from a different perspective?

AS: A little bit. I write with my co-writer and producer, and we write about his stuff too. You know, we go through his personal life. So like he sits down and I’m like, all right what’s your trauma? It’s kind of a cool way of writing. There’s a song on the record that actually he had written for himself, but then I kind of tweaked a little to make it a bit more for me. It’s cool to collaborate like that.

NT: You’ve also said before that writing is a way to build your own world and experience. Do you have any feelings of invasion or does it feel weird to invite so many people in to listen and experience your world?

AS: Maybe I should feel that way, but I don’t. I really don’t. Because I really have always appreciated when artists have brought me into their world. Like, when I was young, I remember listening to Sheryl Crow, and I was just like, this is exactly what I want to do. I want to just be really honest about how I’m feeling. I don’t want to worry about being too dramatic or anything. This is exactly what I want to do.

NT: That’s awesome, I love that. If there was an ideal road trip that you were to take, where would you want to go?

AS: I would want to go to Idaho or to Montana. Yeah, actually, I would want to go to Montana. There’s like, a little town south of Missoula that my dad has a cabin in. It’s in the middle of nowhere.

NT: What do you mean about failing at relationships? Can you talk about that because of your transition from moving to LA from NY?

AS: Yeah. So specifically towards the relationships. It’s hard. All my best friends are in New York and dating is impossible here, because it’s just not really a thing. But yeah, the transition has been hard. I really like my friends in LA too, but I really miss my friends in New York.re and it’s so beautiful.

NT: If you were to build a mood board for your new album, what kind of things would you include in a mood board?

AS: I would put some like an old suburban GMC car, fields, highways. It’s very much like a road trip. Suburban highways, gas stations, iced coffee, motel. I really started touring a lot more these past two years when I’ve been writing the album. So I’ve just been on the road a lot. I was just really inspired by that, being away and trying to have a normal life but also being gone all the time, trying to maintain relationships and failing at that.

NT: What do you mean about failing at relationships? Can you talk about that because of your transition from moving to LA from NY?

AS: Yeah. So specifically towards the relationships. It’s hard. All my best friends are in New York and dating is impossible here, because it’s just not really a thing. But yeah, the transition has been hard. I really like my friends in LA too, but I really miss my friends in New York.

NT: Awesome. Well, thank you.

AS: Thank you!

order Someone Should Stop Her HERE