For Anna Poacelli, coming to college was the perfect opportunity to fulfill her lifelong dream of being in a band.
A year after joining indie-trio Paul’s Ribs, the 20-year-old seeks something new: a solo career.
Her first independent single, “Farmhouse,” is set to release July 10. The song is about her dream of getting married and moving to a farm.
“During that year spent on the farm, we would be creative, and we would renovate our own bathroom,” Poacelli said. “It's about the feeling of being in love and wanting to escape with the person you love.”
Although Paul’s Ribs gave Poacelli her first taste of songwriting, she has begun branching into a solo career, focusing more on an acoustic singer-songwriter style — much different from Paul’s Ribs’ indie pop sound.
Poacelli, now a UF advertising junior, had been playing guitar since she was a child but hadn’t had the opportunity to play seriously until she came to UF.
Through Swamp Records, she got involved in Gainesville’s music scene. As she started attending local shows and meeting members of other bands, she decided being in a band was possible for her, too.
Last year, Poacelli became part of Paul’s Ribs, an indie band and campaign artist with Swamp Records.
“Being solo, it's different, because I feel like I've just grown,” Poacelli said. “The songwriting process is more emotion-based and personal.”
Poacelli draws inspiration from various artists. Adrianne Lenker and Alex G are the biggest influences on her songwriting, she said, but she looked up to Cameron Winter when it came to production.
Working solo has given her full control during the music-making process because she’s been recording new songs alone rather than with a band. She’s also taking on the recording and mixing processes alone for the new single.
Taylor Ralph, an 18-year-old FSU exploratory freshman, has had the chance to listen to a few of Poacelli’s demos and unreleased recordings. They’ve noticed growth in Poacelli’s confidence and drive as an artist in the new recordings.
“I think it's definitely more passionate, because I think when she first started, it was sort of like she didn't really know her voice,” Ralph said. “I can tell that she's definitely getting more confident about her music.”
Poacelli’s new project has allowed her to experiment more with her music, introducing interesting sounds and techniques that aren’t as common to the genre.
Ahmik Paul, a 21-year-old UF architecture master's student and guitarist for local artist Buboy, said Poacelli’s willingness to be playful makes her music special. The two have worked together on some experimental and test recordings in the past.
“She's really keen on playing all sorts of noises for fun, just out of curiosity,” Paul said. “We recorded dropping things on the floor, various items, coins, guitar picks. We did some recordings using a violin bow on one of my guitars.”
Poacelli plans to try out different types of music and sounds during her creative process in the future as she continues recording songs for her upcoming EP, “Running.”
“Farmhouse” is the first release of the planned EP, which is set to release in the fall.
Contact Brandy Sumner at bsumner@alligator.org.
Brandy Sumner is an anthropology and English junior and this summer's music and performance reporter. This is their first semester working at the Alligator. In their free time they enjoy playing guitar, reading and writing.
