Conversations with Anya Antonavich

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anya Antonavich.

Hi Anya, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
It’s hard to say exactly where my music career started since it’s something that’s been bubbling up from a very young age, but there have been milestones along the way that have been monumental to my journey as an artist. My dad was a big part of that for me. He was such an inspired soul, and he sparked a creative curiosity in me from a very young age. We listened to a lot of music together. After school, we talked a lot about art, music, and writing and engaged with its power to change people. My dad gave me my first guitar when I was twelve and I began to feel that same power when I held the guitar in my hands, began writing and taking the stage with songs about grieving his loss. 

I went to Kent State for music, where I was classically trained on guitar and started a band that I fronted as a keyboard player back in 2011. It was then that I started becoming more serious about songwriting and was part of a startup songwriting group in Canton, Ohio called Bring Your Song. It developed alongside Realgrey Records, the recording studio where we record. The people there were really supportive of me and challenged me with their own work and creative process. Our time together led me to be able to connect to myself as a songwriter and tap into my craft at a deeper level. 

I currently front my band and release music under the project name Anya Van Rose. My band developed in 2018 after a long pause with music. I returned to Bring Your Song after this time and found inspiration to write and play again among its community of creatives. My band currently comprises of three other musicians Austin Wolfe, Austin Popovich, and Devin Johnson. I was born in Cleveland Ohio, grew up in Akron, and currently reside in Canton, Ohio. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think that any type of creative work comes with a curveball or two. There were times during the production of my record “Lucky Stars” where things shifted, and I wasn’t sure what my next move was going to be. I was between drummers and down a guitar player the year I set out to complete my project. I learned how to program drums on my tracks so I could develop the songs enough to get a drummer involved. I decided to take my own liberties with new guitar techniques as I navigated what I felt my songs were asking of me. I called on my friend Ron Flack at Realgrey Records and got my friend Jake Trombetta involved to collaborate as a co-producer. My friends really pulled through for me. 

I learned a long time ago that doing the work when you’re inspired to do so can only take you so far. I experienced that quite a bit as my record “Lucky Stars” was in production. I really learned what I was capable of while forging my own path to find my unique process as an independent artist. Sticking with the process and pushing the boundaries of what I thought I was capable of was what eventually brought my record to completion. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I would point to my recent record, “Lucky Stars,” as my biggest achievement up to this point. I learned a lot about what I was capable of during the process and pushed myself to cross into new territory as an artist. There is nothing that has brought me more satisfaction than having a full-length record under my belt and a complete body of work that I can hold in my hands. 

In recent years, I’ve played a lot of shows with my band and have done so in a variety of vintage gowns and dresses. If you’re at one of my shows, chances are you might also be hit with a little disco ball twinkle and maybe even a bubble or two. I think people are surprised to play my record and find out that this isn’t what you’d expect out of someone wearing a pink gown. I really enjoy that element. Some of these songs have a bit of an edge reminiscent of 90’s rock and an energy that has been compared to The Cranberries and Nirvana. For now, I like to call it Bubblegrunge, and that usually raises more questions. I’d say we’re talking about candy grunge or maybe even pop tunes with an edge. 

What does success mean to you?
I think success is an ongoing effort rather than something you arrive at. When I consider my own accomplishments, I think it’s engaging with the things I’m passionate about and taking the steps to actualize those passions. To me, success is having an aim and knowing that if I don’t land exactly on target that it’s not because I didn’t put in the work. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.anyavanrose.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyavanrose/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anyavanrose/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB5rA67iAJlSnF_pB3TAk0Q

Image Credits
Luke and Mikayla Donaldson
Jeremy Aronhalt
Megann Galehouse
Magan McLaughlin
Jack Karson