Acclaimed Canadian country artist ANNIKA, is set to release her debut EP Stand Still: Side A on May 6th via all streaming platforms. The first instalment of the Stand Still project, this seven-track release takes listeners on a journey of love’s ups and downs through the eyes of ANNIKA. The second EP and the Deluxe Album are slated for the back half of 2022 and beginning of 2023, respectively.
Stand Still: Side A is a departure from ANNIKA’s previous work and showcases a mature, introspective side, combining her love of country songwriting with heartfelt piano playing and melodic vocals. ANNIKA co-wrote all the songs on the project, most of them with her JUNO Award-winning husband, Spencer Cheyne who also produced the project.
“As an artist, this album has been living in my heart and mind for many years now, so it is a joy to finally get to share it with listeners. I always consider an album a success when each song feels authentic to who I am as an artist and showcases the deepest parts of me, and that is certainly the case with this project,” said ANNIKA.
The EP’s title track, “Stand Still,” was recorded as an acoustic song with only piano and vocals, highlighting the beauty of remaining quiet and content in a world that is in a constant state of motion. The message of the song is inspired by ANNIKA’s experience pursuing a career in music, and the ups and downs that are inevitable while chasing a dream.
“This song is so special to me. It represents a moment of peace and quiet during a time that felt very disorienting and chaotic for me. This song grounds me both on and off the stage. It reminds me to find stillness and contentment despite the craziness of life which is so valuable to me at this stage of my life. As a mother, I’ve found it’s more important now than ever to take time to just be still and appreciate what I have right in front of me, because time really does fly, and I want to soak up every moment of life before it passes me by,” said ANNIKA.
ANNIKA pairs soulful melodies with heartfelt lyrics to create music that always leaves a lasting impression, as displayed in tracks such as “It Still Hurts,” “Blind Love” and “Love Looks Like You”. Her sophomore single, “Encore” (duet with Brett Kissel), debuted in the Top 10 on the iTunes country store and at No.48 on the iTunes All Genre Chart, accumulating over 150,000 overall streams in its first month of release.
ANNIKA also finds a way to highlight her lively spirit on the EP through upbeat, toe-tapping, musical jams like “The Death of Me” and “I Really Don’t Want To.” Following its release, “I Really Don’t Want To” was added to over 20 Canadian country radio stations, reaching No.33 on the CBC Country Top 40 chart, Top 40 at Mediabase, and Top 50 on the Billboard Country Chart. ANNIKA was also named the iHeart Radio Future Star (July/August 2021).
Calgary, Alberta-born and raised ANNIKA has been engaging and entertaining audiences since 2014 as the lead singer of the CCMA-nominated, country-pop duo Leaving Thomas. She has performed around the world, from bustling cruise ships to national television as a Top 11 Canadian Idol finalist, and even hosting the Calgary Stampede Grandstand show with a combined audience of over 200,000 people. Her performance highlights include playing “In the Round” at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee (2018), the Birdland Jazz Club in New York City, New York (2017), Canada’s Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (2014), the Dave Kelly Live: Jann Arden Tribute Show (2020), and headlining MTV’s anti-trafficking event, “Freedom For Others” in Bangkok, Thailand (2014).
ANNIKA will be celebrating the release of her new EP with a show at The King Eddy in Calgary, AB on May 6th. The show will open with R&B-infused pop artist Brayden Lowe and also feature singer-songwriter Aaron Pollock. For more information or to purchase tickets to see ANNIKA perform her new EP live, visit here.
