Annie

Annie
Annie performing in Bergen in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Anne Lilia Berge Strand
Also known as	Annie
Born	November 21, 1977 (1977-11-21) (age 32)
Origin	Bergen, Norway
Genres	Electropop, Synthpop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, DJ
Years active	1993–present
Labels	679, Island
Associated acts	MSTRKRFT
Website	www.anniemusic.co.uk

Anne Lilia Berge Strand (born November 21, 1977), better known by her stage name Annie, is a pop artist and DJ from Bergen, Norway. Annie began her recording career in 1999 with the underground hit single "The Greatest Hit" and gained international acclaim, particularly from music bloggers, for her debut album Anniemal (2004).

After completing secondary school, Annie started DJing in Bergen, where she met house producer and future boyfriend Tore Kroknes. In 1999, Annie and Kroknes released the single "The Greatest Hit", which sold out in two days and became popular in Norwegian and British nightclubs. Before Annie and Kroknes could release an album, Kroknes died from a congenital heart defect in 2001. Annie went on to sign a record deal with Britain's 679 Recordings in 2003, releasing her debut album Anniemal in 2004, for which she received widespread critical acclaim and several Norwegian music awards.

Annie has been praised for her unique, "indie" style of electropop and synthpop music and has been described as "a pop singer with credibility, an indie artist with one eye on the dancefloor",^[1] and "the Kylie it's cool to like".^[2] Annie describes her music as "pop with strange edges."

Annie released her studio second album, Don't Stop, on the Smalltown Supersound label on October 19, 2009. Annie currently lives in Berlin.

Early life

Annie was born in Trondheim, Norway and was raised in the coastal town of Kristiansand.^[3] Annie's father, a church organ player, died of cancer when Annie was 7. After a series of moves, Annie and her mother, a teacher of English and religion, moved to Norway's second largest city Bergen when Annie was 13.^[4] By this time, Annie sang in choirs.^[5]

At age 16, Annie and a group of friends formed Suitcase, an indie rock band. Suitcase only performed once, before a panel of judges for a music competition where they did not reach the finals.^[6] A few years after Suitcase's inception, Annie left the band over musical differences.^[7]

Annie attended secondary school until around 1997, when she began to DJ around Bergen, getting acquainted with members of the Bergen music scene. During this time she met producer Mikal Tellé, owner of the Bergen-based Tellé record label, and Norwegian house producer Tore Andreas Kroknes, known professionally as DJ Erot.

Music career

1999–2003: Greatest Hit

Annie and Kroknes became romantically involved, and began to collaborate musically. Annie's talent for writing melodies and vocals worked well with Kroknes's production skills.^[8] Annie launched her solo singing career in 1999 with the single "Greatest Hit". The song was recorded after Annie played Madonna's song "Everybody" for Kroknes, who was experiencing a creative block at the time. Kroknes sampled the song, and Annie started to sing a melody to it. They recorded and released the song under the Tellé label. The song saw a limited release of 500 7-inch singles, which sold out in two days. "Greatest Hit" became an underground club hit in Norway and Britain, and Annie received offers for record contracts.^[9] Annie reflects that she and Kroknes had recorded the song "for fun", but with the success of the single, Annie says, "I realized that I could actually make a living out of this."^[8]

Annie and Kroknes made plans to release an album and began recording "I Will Get On" in 2000. However, Kroknes, who was born with a degenerative heart condition, fell ill near the end of 2000 and was hospitalized repeatedly. In April 2001, Kroknes died of complications from his heart condition at the age of 23.^[5][10]

After that, I was so depressed I just wasn't able to do anything. I stayed at home, away from everyone, completely in my own world. I wanted to make the album with Tore — that was the plan. After he died I just didn't think I had the heart. But then I thought, 'Right, you're really depressed now but you have to make this album. Tore would be quite pissed off if you just stopped doing anything.'

—Annie, Clubbing Magazine^[11]

After a hiatus from music, Annie returned to DJing and songwriting in late 2001, running a club night called Pop Till You Drop at the Agora nightclub in Bergen with DJ friend Fröken Blytt.^[12] Among the music acts booked for Pop Till You Drop was Finnish DJ Timo Kaukolampi of Op:l Bastards. Annie later DJed at Kaukolampi's own night club in Helsinki and lent her vocals to some Op:l Bastards tracks.^[5]

In 2003, Annie recorded the track "Kiss Me" with Kaukolampi, and was approached by Richard X to record vocals for the track "Just Friends" on his X-Factor Volume 1, released in August 2003. In return, he and Hannah Robinson of Xenomania co-wrote "Chewing Gum" and "Me Plus One" for Annie.^[13]

2004: Anniemal

Annie was signed to Britain's 679 Recordings label in March 2003. Annie and Richard X continued to work together, releasing the single "Chewing Gum" in Annie's name in September 2004. The track was named single of the week by NME soon after its release,^[14] and charted in the UK at #25.

Annie performing at BIT Teatergarasjen for Bergenfest in May 2005

Later that year, Annie released her debut CD Anniemal, collaborating with Timo Kaukolampi, Richard X, and fellow Norwegians Röyksopp. "Greatest Hit" earned a spot in the tracklist, and the album's second single "Heartbeat" was voted #1 in Pitchfork Media's Top 50 singles of 2004 before the song was officially released. "Chewing Gum" took the #11 spot on that same list.^[15] "Heartbeat" was remixed by Canadian Electro Duo MSTRKRFT in 2005.

In 2005, Annie won several awards for her work, including Best Pop Album and Best Newcomer at the Norwegian Alarm Awards. "Chewing Gum" had also been nominated for Song of the Year. In addition, Annie won the Best Newcomer award at the prestigious Spellemannprisen. Annie's February 5 performance at the Alarm Awards was one of the first live performances of her solo career.^[16]

Annie toured around the world in 2005 to promote Anniemal, including a brief UK tour with Saint Etienne,^[17] to whom she had sent a demo tape while still in Suitcase in 1996. Annie performed at sold out club venues in the United States in 2005, and returned to the US later that year.

2005: DJ-Kicks

In 2005, Annie released a DJ mix album as part of !K7's DJ-Kicks series. Around this time, she began a record label called Totally, with Timo Kaukolampi, and planned to release a 12" single with Datarock.^[18] She provided vocals for the Teddybears track "Yours to Keep"^[19] as well as the Ercola track "Follow Me",^[20] and re-recorded her songs "Chewing Gum" and "Heartbeat" in Simlish for The Sims 2: Nightlife's Danish and Norwegian localizations.

2006–present: Don't Stop

On January 17, 2007, Annie signed an international deal with Island Records, owned by Universal Music Group. She had planned to release her second album, Don't Stop, in September 2008, preceded by the single "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me", scheduled for release on July 7, after she finished touring on the Popjustice Wonky Pop Tour.^[21][22] However, on November 25, 2008, Annie announced that due to internal problems within the label, she decided to part ways with Island records, leaving her second album's future uncertain.^[23] Verdens Gang suggested that the split with the label was precipitated by the poor chart performance of the "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me" single.^[24] She however retained legal control over the songs she recorded during her contracted period with the label.^[25]

For Don't Stop, Richard X co-wrote the songs "Marie Cherie", "Anthonio" and "Songs Remind Me of You" and produced a cover of Stacey Q's 1986 NRG hit "Two of Hearts". Timo Kaukolampi, who produced Annie's debut album Anniemal, was also a producer and co-writer on the record.^[1] The album included collaborations with Franz Ferdinand guitarist Alex Kapranos, and Datarock.^[26]

The album's first single, another Richard X collaboration, "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me" premiered on her MySpace on 3 March 2008 and was released in stores on July 7, and charted at #54 in the UK.

After announcing her departure from Island Records, Annie announced that she would be releasing a new single, "Anthonio", in 2009. Annie released "Anthonio" as a single on the Pleasure Masters label in digital format on 4 May 2009, and in physical formats on 11 May. On August 12, Pitchfork announced that Don't Stop would be released in the US on November 17.^[27] Annie announced the UK release date of October 19.^[28]Annie's record label for the release is Smalltown Supersound. Annie released the digital single "Songs Remind Me of You" as an iTunes exclusive on her own label Totally, in conjunction with Smalltown Supersound.^[29]

Annie has also contributed to the upcoming debut album of Xenomania-produced band Mini Viva, co-writing the single Left My Heart in Tokyo.

Personal life

Annie currently lives in Berlin.^[30] She owns a cat named Joey, whom she named after both Joey Ramone and Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block.^[5] Annie is an avid reader and follows global politics. She is friends with musician Peaches. Her musical influences include Madonna, Saint Etienne, Pet Shop Boys, and Kate Bush. ^[31] Annie considers herself to be a perfectionist.^[32]

Discography

Albums

DJ mix albums

Singles

"—" denotes releases that either were not released in that country and/or did not chart

Videos

• 2004 "Chewing Gum"
• 2005 "Heartbeat"
• 2008 "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me"
• 2009 "Songs Remind Me of You"

References

• "A fan's encounter with Annie". http://specials.annieverse.com/we_met_annie.htm. ^{[dead link]} Annie reveals she was born in 1978. URL accessed on April 1, 2006.

External links

• Annie's official website
• Annie at MySpace
• Annie's official fansite