Today we shine our spotlight on singer-songwriter, Anna Vaus. An incredible artist from California, the songstress is the perfect addition to your music catalog.

Growing up, Vaus was always involved in music and entertainment. “Both of my parents are in entertainment,” she began. “I was just around music and this creative lifestyle since I was a kid. I think that really opened up this whole world to me of parents who were like “go write a song” or “go make a video with your brother and make up a skit.” […] That was huge for me that music or videography could be something that I do for a living.”

She grew up believing that she could pursue this dream of music thanks to the support from her parents and her undeniable talent. When Vaus discovered artists like Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves, she found herself gravitating to songwriting. “Since I was a kid, I was like this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. I could see the arena tour, I could see all the things.”

While she loved artists like Swift and Musgraves, Vaus found inspiration in so many different artists throughout her upbringing. “Early 2000s country music was big, but we also grew up in this era of like being able to access any kind of music,” she began. “While I was listening to Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts, I was also going way back listening to Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra or Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber. So it was just this melting pot of music that I was exposed to.”

The Turning Point:

Regardless of who she found herself listening to, Vaus always gravitated towards the lyrics and the stories that music shared. This led her to pursue higher education at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She set out to major in songwriting. “Belmont allowed me to exist in Nashville, study music, but also continue this dream. Once I graduated, it was kind of full steam ahead,” shared the singer.

Upon graduating college, Vaus put her all into creating her sound and artistry. “I just continued pursuing this passion that I had for music until it became signing a publishing deal and growing a team of people around me that believed in my music,” she shared. “This whole time it was just led by the songs I was writing and the things that I was experiencing that has become the music I put out today.”

Vaus also credits social media for expanding her fanbase and reinvigorating her love for music time and time again. During the pandemic, when no one could play indoor shows, the singer-songwriter found herself taking to TikTok, asking people if they wanted her to play a safe show in their backyards. This led to 62 shows and an even bigger fanbase.

Today:

Now, Vaus gets to celebrate the release of her brand new EP, Younger Version of Myself, which dropped on Friday (9/30). “It’s five songs, well seven because there are some features on there. At its core, it’s these songs that I feel the whole thing is a love song to a younger version of myself,” shared the songstress.

Later, Vaus adds, “All of these songs are songs that a younger version of myself could have used at the time they were going through the situation. […] It’s just this honest representation of the things that I have gone through.”

There are songs like “Didn’t Even Date,” which talk about getting into a situation-ship and being sad when it’s over. Of course, the title track is one of the many standouts, as it touches on insecurities that are super relatable.

“At the beginning of 2021, I sat down at the piano and I was just kind of messing around […] I have never really written about my struggles with my insecurities and body image, that kind of thing […] That song became kind of an affirmation for me to give myself grace and we all just kind of need a hug at the end of the day,” shared the singer-songwriter, when asked about the title track.

Overall, Vaus shares, “It’s just an EP that is from my diary. I’m so excited to put new music out in this world, but especially this music because there are some important messages in it. But it also a fun EP to listen to.”

Fans can anticipate more new music and shows coming soon!

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