Anna Scouten
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Anna Scouten

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Band Folk Singer/Songwriter

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The best kept secret in music

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"Interview | FFS talks to emerging Canadian artist, Anna Scouten"

Anna Scouten is a young and extremely talented singer-songwriter from Canada. A mesmerising performer with a beautiful voice, she has steadily built up a strong following on YouTube and, if the songs recorded in her bedroom are anything to go by, the self-titled debut EP, out tomorrow, is sure to be a stunner. .

We first stumbled across you on YouTube. Why did you initially decide to upload videos to the site?

In high school I took music lessons and after one of our performances a parent of another student suggested I put videos up on YouTube. It was just for fun, I didn’t think it would lead anywhere, but it’s brought me to some pretty awesome contacts and experiences.

Those videos are so immersive because you look into the camera and just sing and play the guitar. Was this a conscious decision to let the music speak for itself?

It was definitely not a conscious decision, I think I just hadn’t watched too many YouTube covers before I put mine up so I wasn’t really sure what the protocol was! I’m pretty shy about performing live and it’s a really strange experience singing to yourself on a screen so instead I would have the lyrics on the screen for something to look at, hence the staring. I never noticed it until people started pointing it out but now I’ve noticed that’s how I perform live – I guess that’s just what I need to do in order to feel comfortable.

Can you tell us a bit about the process of making the EP?

Yes, I’m so excited about the EP! We recorded at Greenhouse Studios and Fiend Recordings in Vancouver. The producer (Digory Smallz) lives in Vancouver, so I could only record when I was home visiting my family over the summer. We only had 3 days to assemble a team, work out the songs and record them so we weren’t going for perfection and there are some great quirks. It was weird to get used to having my voice always in my ear or playing along to a metronome but I eventually got the hang of it.



You collaborated with Joshua Hyslop on the song ‘What Have I Done’? Will any collaborations feature on the EP?

Joshua Hyslop sings a little bit on one of the songs on the EP. He’s a long-time friend of the producer and so he hung around the studio to help with the music and also to give me some solid advice about the music business! There are also some other musicians on the EP – Joe Goering is on cello, Sam Hurd is on the drums, Eugene Chan doing some banjo and Digory Smallz on lap steel guitar. Lotsa good stuff!

You also collaborated with your sister Sarah Jane Scouten on her album Magpie Waltz. Did you grow up in a musical family?

Extremely musical. My dad is a banjo and guitar player and all-round music enthusiast. We had lots of musical instruments laying around the house and were always going to music parties with our parents and their friends. Music was a really big part of growing up and it was a pretty natural process that my sister, brother and I all became musicians.

What music inspired you to become a musician yourself? anna scouten 2

Initially it was bluegrass because that’s what I heard the most around my house; I have a strong love for that music still, but I wouldn’t say it’s what inspires me anymore. It got me to pick up an instrument but now I am really musically inspired by live music. I’m really interested in people too. I’m a Psychology major so I spend a lot of my time thinking about people’s behaviour and cognitions when I write. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my studies it’s that people are extremely similar and so the fact that we see the world so different is really fascinating

Are there any contemporary musicians you’d like to recommend to us at FFS?

Most of the contemporary musicians I listen to are from the UK, like Ben Howard and Laura Marling. I really love them. I would recommend Land of Talk, and Plants and Animals, they’re probably two of my favourite bands right now.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently in University so I only play a show here and there, but I do play around Montreal every so often. As for videos, there is a new one out filmed by my friend Max Taeuschel with a good pal of mine – Sierra Lauren. A beautiful song she wrote that I sing on called ‘Wendy’s Song.’

Lastly, when can we hope to see you in the UK?

Oh man, I hope soon! I would love to do a UK tour, that would be a dream. I graduate in 2014 and after that I fully intend on focusing all my energy into music so hopefully sometime after that I will make my way to the UK! - For Folks Sake


"Anna Scouten"

Anna Scouten has previously earned hundreds of thousands of views with her YouTube cover tunes, in addition to lending her vocals to Joshua Hyslop. Now, the Montreal-based singer-guitarist is showcasing some of her original material on her self-titled EP. It's due out today (May 16), and you can stream it in full right now.

The songs aren't too much of a departure from her cover performances in that they're soft, acoustic folk numbers carried by Scouten's high, clear vocal coos. The arrangements are simple and plaintive, with guitar strumming joined by touches of banjo, strings and percussion. Recording took place at Greenhouse Studios, with production handled by TylerJ.

In addition to the introspective originals — which cover subjects like heartbreak and borderline personality disorder — the EP includes a balladic version of Feist's "Intuition." Stream the five-song collection below.
- Exclaim


"Prepare to fall fast for Anna Scouten"

Go ahead and get acquainted with Anna Scouten before she lulls you to sleep (because otherwise it might be a bit awkward). The 20 year-old, Montreal-based folk singer crafts songs of elegant simplicity reminiscent of old Feist (especially on “Intuition”) featuring nothing but a variety of sparse acoustics and her stunning voice. Scouten’s recently released debut EP was brilliantly produced/mastered in such a way that her silky vocals hover delicately just above the backing instrumentation, allowing us to hear every intonation and syllable — the result is quite intoxicating.

I’m forever prone to fall for music that stays potent with nothing but a few basic elements. Anna Scouten’s debut is moody, intricate, and endearing for all its subtle strength and obvious beauty. Listen to the lead track from her EP, “All Out”, after which you’ll inevitably need to have all five songs for yourself — download them over at her Bandcamp page. - Wild Honey Pie


"Anna Scouten"

The name in the title of this post is one you've probably never heard before; just remember that later when you start seeing it in more places. Anna Scouten is a folk singer-songwriter from Montreal who has built quite the following on her YouTube channel over the past several years for her sporadic covers of songs such as Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" and "Blood Bank." The comments section on her videos tend to focus on her physical and vocal beauty, but Scouten has always been more than just a pretty face and voice. Today is the defining moment of that. With her debut self-titled EP, the young college student is breaking out and proving herself as a full-fledged artist. On the five-song set, she churns out four original songs and a cover of "Intuition" by fellow Canadian Feist, all with focus and execution that proves she's ready and able to move beyond the phase of cover stardom. Below, you'll find a full stream of the EP. If you like what you hear, be sure to head over to iTunes or Bandcamp to support. - Hypetrak


"Beautiful Lines"

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Beautiful Lines: An Interview with Songwriter Anna Scouten
annascouten1

Posted by: Danielle Bradley , October 4, 2013 7:00 am
annascouten1

YouTube has become famous as a gold mine for hilarious cat videos, make-up tutorials, and auto tuned news casts. But every so often, it provides a platform for talented artists who deserve their time in the spotlight. Anna Scouten, Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, is one of these gems that has been allowed to sparkle. Though she started as a cover-artist strumming her guitar in front of a webcam, in the past four years she has received hundreds of thousands of hits on her videos. Anna recently released her first EP, recorded a music video for her song “Monsters”, and featured in the music video for the song “What Have I Done?” with artist Joshua Hyslop. At only 20 years old, Anna has managed to carve her name into the grains of the music industry and she is far from finished. BY DANIELLE BRADLEY - Clique


Discography

Anna Scouten self titled EP

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Bio

With Millions of hits on her youtube channel & the success of her first EP release, at only 20, Anna Scouten is well on her way to becoming one of Canada's top singer/songwriters. She is known for her cutting lyrics & unexpected melodies.
Anna resides in Montreal Quebec, writing for her next album to be recorded sometime in 2014.

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