Losing a loved one to degenerative illness is an ugly thing. Even in the acceptance phase of grief it defies language, though Brooklyn-based indie pop singer/songwriter Samantha Aneson wrestles with that on “What a Shame,” the new single by her band Anna Sun. It’s one of two songs from the band’s forthcoming self-titled EP in which Aneson copes with losing her mother to dementia, and maybe a bit paradoxically, it comes out in mellow, glistening guitar pop.
“I’ve grown to love the dichotomy of pain and lightness in art,” Aneson explains. “How one can make the other so much more pronounced. I was in a place—am forever in a place—of begrudgingly agreeing to this reality that’s been forced upon me. Having to move forward without railing against existence for doing something that once seemed so unimaginable. Having to find light in my nightmare.”
How do you sum up a situation like that? For Aneson, it comes down to the song’s refrain: “All I can say is that it’s a fucking shame.” “It stings me every time how true it is,” she says. “It’s the sentiment I always muster up when someone tells me they’re sorry for my situation or my pain. ‘Yep. I know. It sucks. I wish it wasn’t happening, too.’ There’s no hope, no optimism. Just acceptance and having to somehow laugh it off or find the normalcy in it. I think it’s a pretty universal experience, though, having to ultimately shrug off experiences and parts of life that really fucking suck.”
Aneson formed Anna Sun with bassist Andrew Shewga and drummer Nikola Balać, who she previously performed with in the Americana band Satin Nickel. The new trio will mark the January 14 release of their self-titled EP with a release show at NYC’s Bowery Electric. You can listen to “What a Shame” below.
