Anna Gilbert Music: a brief overview
As much as any girl can be born into her calling — fate being what fate is — Anna Gilbert was born into music. The Oregon native’s earliest childhood memories are suffused with sound, melody, and the songs of James Taylor and Ricky Skaggs, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell — artists whose work she seems to have breathed through the gills" (Rick Levin, Eugene Weekly). Gilbert’s father was a music major and teacher before becoming a minister, and both her parents were in a bluegrass band. Gilbert always wrote and performed songs on her own, but in college she teamed up with Grammy winning producer Charlie Peacock after a chance meeting in Seattle. Peacock discovered her music at a songwriters conference, and immediately knew he wanted to work with her. The two made a record that would break new ground for her called “Your Love My Medicine”. The album landed Gilbert right on the cover of Discmakers Magazine as their featured artist of the month. Peacock describes Gilbert saying "she's the surprise you've been waiting for. Not only are her music skills in order, her personality is magnetic. She's the kind of artist I love to work with -- daring, teachable, funny, loving, and serious all at the same time." Anna embarked upon an Artist Development deal with Peacock through his production company and benefitted from a young artist mentoring program sponsored by the non-profit, Art House America in Nashville, TN.
Anna's records have earned her awards in her own home town (Eugene Weekly's winner of "The Next Big Thing") as well as in the indie music scene. She was the 2007 and 2009 winner of the "Inspirational Artist of the Year" award at the “Indie Momentum Awards" in Nashville, TN sponsored by indieheaven.com. She has been written up in RELEVENT Magazine, Eugene Weekly, CCM Magazine, The Register Guard, The San Jose Mercury, and the University of Oregon’s Alumni Association’s newsletter for her achievements as an independent artist. Her music has also been featured on KVAL/CBS news, News/Talk 590 Radio, & KLCC College Radio.
In June 2010, The ONE Campaign flew Gilbert and her entire band to Washington DC to headline a concert at the historical Ebenezers Coffeehouse. They spent time on Capitol Hill meeting with Oregon Congressmen and Senator Inouye of Hawaii about issues of global poverty. Gilbert's goal as an artist is to help those who do not have a voice. She hopes to use whatever platform she is given to advocate for those in need of hope, help, and aid in third world countries: orphans, widows, and the hungry. (See the ONE Campaign Blog, ONE.org for details.)
Gilbert’s latest Holiday release entitled “Christmas” was an Editor’s Pick on CDbaby.com, one of the most successful independent music distribution sites in the world. She co- produced the CD with bandmate Wilson Parks. Gilbert’s Holiday album follows an EP made in Nashville, TN at The Art House in late 2009 called “Like a River” produced by Sam Ashworth and Matt Slocum of Platnum selling and Grammy nominated band, Sixpence None the Richer.
Gilbert also landed a song on the soundtrack of the movie, "Change of Plans" -- a production which aired on FOX in January 2011. The soundtrack is available in WAL-MART stores everywhere in March 2011.
Gilbert and her band and have been touring the West Coast for the past two years playing colleges, coffee shops, churches, and clubs. She plays guitar and piano. And although she was an English major at the University of Oregon, Gilbert considers herself primarily a songwriter. She has even written and sold two songs to WORD Publishing in Nashville, TN and continues to write songs with them. Gilbert describes herself saying, "I'm not an entertainer as much as I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and songwriter. I am a chronic social sponge when it comes to what's going on around me, but I always try to put the glories and disasters of the human experience into my songs in hopes that it will lift people's spirits and give them peace in life."
What changed it all...
When Anna Gilbert sat down in a crowded hallway at a music conference in Seattle, she had no idea she'd look up to find the Grammy Award winning producer, Charlie Peacock, standing in front of her asking her for a sample of her music. Floored and delighted, Anna gave him a burned CD of her latest music. Whether it was a streak of good luck, a coincidence, or a divine appointment, Anna's life changed drastically after that day. Peacock was instantly drawn to her music describing her as "the surprise we'd been waiting for".
While still living in Eugene, Oregon (where she was born and raised), Anna embarked upon an Artist Development deal with Peacock through his production company and benefitted from a young artist mentoring program sponsored by the non-profit, Art House America in Nashville, TN.
As an emerging indie artist from the Northwest, her development deal refined her greatest strengths, and took her songwriting into new and uncharted territories. Anna's piano playing, her pure voice, and her utterly vulnerable lyrics made each of her tunes unique and infectious.
As Peacock and Gilbert embarked on an album together, they hoped to capture her best attributes while also creating a fresh sound that would break new ground and move her to a new level as an artist. The two did just that. Anna's melodies coupled with Peacock's production experteise complimented one another in the sweetest way during the recording process, and they knew they were creating something very special.
Anna named the project "Your Love My Medicine" - a title that comes from one of the lyrics on the album. Anna's voice sweeps across rhythmically catchy and laid back tracks with lyrics that touch on everything from loving boldly and aching with unrequited love, to having faith in the goodness of humanity and God.
The music is mellow, yet gripping and intense at times. Gilbert's third album is by far her most musically diverse and upbeat album, although it still plays on Anna's best features - honesty, heart, and sweeter than honey melodies.
Anna is bound to grab you after your first listen with her charming and sweet sound. She will leave you craving more after each listen, and most likely you will have to keep her music on repeat in order to satisfy your thirsty ears.
- Anna Gilbert: the beginning...
Anna Gilbert is an independent singer and songwriter born in Eugene, Oregon. Her musical exploration began at a very young age when her father and mother introduced her to the piano and singing. One of her favorite past times as a child was making up songs while her father played simple chords on his acoustic guitar. Anna's childhood was one which immersed her into the very core and heart of songwriting. Her parents played in a blue grass band and sang in a quartet, and her father was a music major and teacher before becoming a minister. It was in school and church that she gained much of her musical experience singing and performing in choirs and small ensembles.
In elementary school song writing became one of Anna's first loves. After winning an honorable mention in the fifth grade for her song composition in a city wide competition, Anna knew she had a strong passion to move people through the medium of music.
Throughout Anna's teenage years, she developed a large repertoire of song compositions. She began filling up notebooks, journals, slips of paper, and cassette tapes with lyrics and song ideas.
Anna began the recording process in a small studio in Eugene. Without the funds to hire an arranger or producer, Anna embarked on her project with only a couple friends to help her do the arranging and producing. She finally had a finished product a year later in 2003 and released her CD, God Sees, in Eugene and Portland on an extremely local and independent level. Without a website, marketing capabilities, or major publicity, God Sees sold 1,000 copies within the first few months of its release. As the word spread and the buzz grew, she began touring in Oregon, Washington, and California.
Anna went on to produce her second album "Falling in a Beautiful Place".
In 2008, Anna met Grammy award winning producer, Charlie Peacock, at a songwriter's gathering in Seattle. Peacock felt she had something very special and called her, "the surprise you've been waiting for". The two instantly hit it off and began songwriting and recording together at The Art House, Charlie's studio in Nashville, TN. The two of them created "YOUR LOVE MY MEDICINE", Anna's third album. It released in April 2009, and Anna embarked on a 4 month tour to promote the album that included 6 different states, and over 50 shows.
In December 2009, Anna came out with an EP called "Like a River" produced by Sam Ashworth, and includes the talents of Matt Slocum of Sixpence None The Richer. The five song EP has gotten rave reviews and features one of Anna's most popular songs to date, "Don't Say Goodnight".
IN 2010, Anna released a holiday album entitled "Christmas".
All of Anna's music is available world wide on iTunes, and many other digital distribution sites.
