Annie Blackman makes folks songs that are spun from the raw emotional tendons of real-life scenes. Last year, the musician dropped a series of songs that exposed her skill for witty honesty over restrained instrumentation. With that batch, it felt as though we were transported to the center of Blackman's mind, watching decisions about relocating to a new city and thought spirals of an affecting documentary on simulation theory unfold.
After signing to Father/Daughter Records last year, Blackman is preparing to release her debut album on the label. It's called All of It, with a release date of April 8, and it features last year's set of one-off tracks. "It feels more like a collection than an album in that the songs span a five-year period," she says, "and have seen me through college, COVID, and my first three months living in Brooklyn."
Today, Blackman shares the video for the slowly gutting single "How." The track begins with melancholic acoustic strums that intertwine with swirls of electric guitar, giving it a country ping. "Call me crying please / Beg me not to leave you, now / I'll say on the other line / 'I would but I don't know how,'" she sings during the chorus. Blackman's voice is crystal clear as she sings about the last breaking threads of a relationship.
If it wasn't already poignant enough, the new visual for "How," which was directed by Katrina Peterson, gives us that raw, humorous perspective. Two clowns fall in love; one cruelly messes up, and the other is forced to confront them. It's a wonderfully obvious metaphor for how we humans are all clowns walking around, responsible for our emotions and how our actions affect others.
We chatted with Blackman about the release, which you can read below, after checking out the video for "How."
First off, can you tell me about "How"'s origin?
I wrote “How” a few years back, during the first semester of my junior year of college. It was written at the end of a kind of shitty weekend, I think. But I honestly don’t totally remember. I tried recording it with a few friends around then, but it didn’t feel right. It was really nice to finish “How” super far away from the moment in time it represents.
Can you tell me about the phone recorded bits that are interwoven in the song?
Crazy as it sounds…sometimes I’ll record a voice memo of myself telling my friends a story so that I can remember it accurately and write it down later. This was one of those. My roommates/best friends and I had just reunited at our apartment after class, and I was frantically sharing the day’s events with them. It’s special to me because I miss the ease and excitement of being with them everyday and the way we advised each other so earnestly.
There's a devastating tension in the song where I feel like many of the lyrics point to the multifaceted nature of heartbreak—letting someone go because of their wrongdoing but also wanting them to beg for forgiveness. Was that intentional?
Definitely. I think that’s largely what the song is about.
Another part of the song that really struck me was the lyric "Somebody willing, somebody weak / She’s letting you have her / She’s thinking of me." It redirects the situation and gives the song a whole other dimension. I'm curious how narratives and characters—whether personal or not—affect your songwriting.
Every song is a narrative in that something happened, someone was involved, and I’m recounting it. I wouldn’t use the word "character," though. It’s all real, and I feel like thinking of the people in the stories I tell as characters can become self-serving pretty quickly. Objectivity isn’t realistic when talking about one’s feelings, but I want to tell the truth as much as I can. It’s a fine line.
"How" is so vulnerable and realistic about the desire and the inability to see past hurt. It's a bit of a leap in terms of a question, but I'm curious if and what you learned from yourself after writing this song since it seems so raw.
I wrote this song a long time ago, so even the things I learned about myself have probably been unlearned and evolved since then hopefully. But maybe I didn’t learn anything. I think something can just feel bad without it being useful.
I love how the video balances the intensity of relationships with humorous, poetic imagery—like we're all sort of clowns for putting our hearts on the line and others taking advantage. I'm not sure if that was the thinking.
Yeah, for sure. Having a sense of humor in my videos is important to me, but I also want to allow for symbolism and emotional depth. The silly/sad juxtaposition gives me and my collaborators room to find those pockets of opportunity. Since the concept for this video is so goofy on paper, I wanted to elevate it with a more cinematic edge. My director and cinematographer, Katrina Peterson and Zack Richemier, did it perfectly.
Also, congrats on your forthcoming album! Can you tell me about how "How" fits into it as a whole?
The album is a collection of the songs I’ve released over the past year, plus a couple more. It feels more like a collection than an album in that the songs span a five year period, and have seen me through college, COVID, and my first three months living in Brooklyn. “How” fits into the album because it’s a captured moment, and this album is really just a big emotional collage. Most of the songs were written without an album in mind.
Did you have any specific influences for this project?
The songs were written over such a long period that the influences end up innumerable. Phoebe Bridgers was there through all of it, though.
What are you hoping people take away from your debut album?
Honestly…anything. Maybe that’s a bad answer. It’d just be cool if people give it a chance, listen closely, and feel something. That’s all I can ask for.
