Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Chris Anthony

Last year, we introduced you to Chris Anthony, who at the time was making his musical debut with his single “Alone.” In a few short months, the song has racked up over ten thousand streams on Spotify, solidifying his place as one of music’s most exciting up-and-comers. This year, he follows that success with the release of “Get Away,” a deeply personal song exhibiting another side to his artistry. We caught up with Chris to chat about “Get Away” and the year leading up to its release.

PC: Tell us about your new single, “Get Away.” What inspired the song?
Chris: When I was writing it, I started off on the piano. It started off as a sad ballad. But I wanted it to initially be about enjoying the experiences you have when you’re young and free. I decided I wanted to switch it up, make it more upbeat. I wanted to talk about social media and how we see all these people showing off the best versions of themselves and showing off all the things that they have. I wanted to talk about how you can have fun and you don’t need all those things. It’s important to value the little things and get away, whether it’s mentally or physically.

PC: This is an incredibly personal song and touches upon topics like mental health. Is it ever scary to be that vulnerable?
Chris: Of course. It’s something that I feel like is not talked about enough. I’m glad to be a voice for that. I wish we could hear more about it in the mainstream media, but since it’s not talked about, I felt like it was more reason to go ahead and be a voice for it. I think it’s a relatable topic.

PC: This is your sophomore single. How does “Get Away” differentiate itself from your debut single, “Alone”?
Chris: They’re very different, but they both deliver a strong message. I wanted to put in a lot more production for this piece, and that’s what I ended up doing. “Alone” is more of a self-isolated piece of where I was at that time when I made it. This time around, I wanted to get more of a general idea of how life is and how you can get away from your problems. “Alone” was more of an acceptance of, like, “This is where I’m at. I’m by myself and I’m fine.” This is diving deeper.

PC: “Alone” was really well received. It has over ten thousand streams in just a few months of its release. What has that response meant to you? Does that add any pressure?
Chris: I was really stoked that it did that well. I wasn’t expecting that at all. It ended up getting picked up by a couple of big outlets and Spotify curators. I felt the pressure of dropping something that was up to the standard, and I was hoping people would like it. But the responses so far have been pretty great.

PC: “Alone” came out in September 2019. What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since that release?
Chris: I’ve grown mentally, and I’ve grown as a musician. I’ve decided that I wanted to dig more into mental health. I don’t want to make just generic pop songs with pop topics. I’m looking in the future about doing more songs that have more depth. But also I want to make it so someone can put on the song and not think that deeply into it and just enjoy the song. But if people want to do that, they can also do that.

As a musician, I’ve grown working with different people on different projects. I’ve been able to grow, learn more unique chord structures, instrumentation, and techniques. There’s a lot of little things that I was taught and taught myself.

PC: As we look ahead to the rest of 2020, what does the year hold for you?
Chris: I’m hoping if things start to clear up, I can get back to doing shows again. I miss performing with a live band.

To keep up with Chris, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up or stream “Get Away” today.