Country music singer/songwriter Anna McElroy was born and raised in Mobile, AL and has loved music since she was a young child. She was a member of her church’s choir for the majority of her life and has been performing live gigs since 2016. In October 2018, Anna attended the Pensacola Songwriters Fest and had the privilege of meeting two of Nashville’s most prominent songwriters, Keith and Adrienne Follese. She has since moved to Nashville and just completed filming the first season of new television series called Nashvilles Next Best of 3 - a musical competition where she is a judge and performs on the show.
We recently had the opportunity to chat with Anna about her new single, her 2022 goals and the advice she'd give to her younger self.
What was your childhood like growing up in Mobile, AL? How has it influenced your songwriting?
I was very fortunate to grow up with a loving family and friends, who supported everything I did! From sports, to choir, to singing gigs, all the way to where I am at now. I think it definitely influenced my songwriting in a positive way by giving me plenty of memories and content to look back on and draw from. My past experiences are what makes most of my songwriting so nostalgic, and I am forever grateful for that.
You've opened up for several country music icons including Clay Walker, Lee Ann Womack, Joe Diffie and Sara Evans. Do you have a "dream artist" that you'd like to collaborate or tour with?
I never even imagined I would have had the opportunity to open for each one of those musical influences! I still look back and think “wow that actually happened.. God is good.” A few “dream artists” I would like to collaborate with or tour with would be Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Morgan Wallen, Carly Pearce, Old Dominion, and Little Big Town, Maren Morris (to name just a few haha) a real dream come true would be to collaborate with the queen herself, Dolly Parton.
Your new single "Water My Roots" was released on February 4th. We love your rich tone and relatable lyrics. Who are some of your musical influences that you grew up listening to?
Thank you so so much!!! I always try to make my songs as relatable as I can! I grew up on many different artists. Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Adele, Faith Hill, and so so many others!
If you had the opportunity to speak to your younger self, what advice would you give?
I would tell my younger self to slow down and take it all in. Don’t try to do too much and understand that things take time! Patience is a virtue and will make a big difference in all things. Trust that God has already written your story and that everything will happen exactly how it is supposed to, so relax and enjoy your gift and life that He has given you!!!
What are your goals for 2022?
Dedicating more time to practicing and writing. Falling in love with life and myself. Doing more things and adventures that will inspire me to write about deeper topics. Work harder on learning how to improve in all aspects, and learn more about the business side of this whole thing! To fill my calendar with more shows in more locations, in order to build a bigger, more authentic fan base. Many, many goals for 2022 and I am sure I will create a thousand more by the time 2023 rolls around!
Be sure to keep up with Anna's adventures by following her on Instagram!