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LISTEN: “Want Your Attention” Is a Perfect Song for an End-of-Summer Soundtrack
Rock & Roll Globe premieres Ana Egge’s new single
August 24, 2021 Lee Zimmerman
Ana Egge has always been a thoughtful and provocative singer and songwriter. Her debut album, 1997’s River Under the Road, won immediate kudos and garnered her the title of “Best Singer Songwriter” and “Best Folk Artist” at the Austin Music Awards, and marked the beginning of a critically acclaimed career. She quickly accelerated her efforts from there and began working with a number of notable artists, among them, Steve Earle, producers Alex Spiegelman, Stewart Lerman, and Joel Plaskett, as well as the Stray Birds and The Sentimentals.
Earlier this year, Egge released a pair of songs as a virtual two-sided single, “This Time/“The Ship,” which, accordingly, received further praise from both friends and fans. Now with a new album, Between Us — remarkably, her 12th effort to date — she’s staking out new sonic territory while continuing to explore themes that dig deep into the human psyche. She claims that many of the songs on the album were inspired by dreams, and further processed in collaboration with Irish singer-songwriter Mick Flannery, with whom she shared FaceTime during the early stages of the pandemic. Their efforts resulted in eleven songs that made their way to the new album and several others that Flannery will use on his own.
With producer Lorenzo Wolff behind the boards and an ethnically and racially diverse group of musicians enlisted as her backing band, Between Us diverges from her previous efforts in terms of its sounds and sonics. While her hushed but pointed vocals are still prominent at the fore, there’s brass dominating nearly every track, with added embellishment from synths, steel guitar, and other added instrumental accoutrements. It is, as Wolff says in a press release, “a big, messy record.”
That ambition is reflected in the album’s first single “Want Your Attention,” which Rock & Roll Globe is privileged to premiere. Catchy and playful in an eager yet easy sort of way, the song suggests a chance encounter between two people who find a shared attraction.
“You make me laugh, take me off
Wanna catch you lookin’ want your attention
How you nod when I talk when you want what I got
Don’t you stop not listening”
“‘Want Your Attention’ is all about catching someone’s eye and being desired,” Egge told us exclusively. “About feeling good and moving your body. The melody for the chorus came to me in a dream and I realized that it fit perfectly with the verse chord structure that I’d been fooling around with Alec Spiegelman. Mick Flannery and I had a great time writing the lyrics and the rest of the melody together. We imagined we were out at the club and what that’s like, chasing and being chased flirtatiously. When it came time to record it, I knew that I wanted the incredible J. Hoard to take the lead vocals. His voice and energy fit the song perfectly. Singing with him in the studio was a real highlight of the whole year for me.”
Hoard was equally complimentary when it came to Egge and her ability. “Ana Egge is a genius songwriter,” he notes, “’Want Your Attention’” is another tune that showcases her endless skill in lyricism and melody. I am honored to feature on this bouncy, playful, and downright cute song. ‘Want Your Attention’ will make heads bop and toes tap! Perfect song to include in the end of summer — a beach/pool party soundtrack.”
We tend to agree. At a time when everyone is seeking some adventure and compelled to make a connection, “Want Your Attention” begs notice all on its own.
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