Photos / Chris Paul Thompson
Styling / Londyn Douglas
Anne Dereaux has built a house of strength and comfort f0r strong woman everywhere inflicted with the burdens of life through her music. Her smooth grooves and velvet voice are reminiscent of a time where you could enjoy the simple things like the smell from a BBQ cookout, a glance at the handsome man across the room or just heartbreak over a good bottle of wine and your favorite album spinning in the background.
From misery to the utmost joy, the songstress and Architect have used her skills to dually create strong long lasting bodies of work that offer solace to her audience.
We get to know the LA-based artist and talk to her about purpose, her artistry and the path her music will follow.
What first got you into music?
I was the youngest in my family and grew up listening to my parent’s music. Mostly jazz and the blues, and everything my big brother and sister thought was cool… which was Mariah Carey, Sade, and Bone Thugs n Harmony. The first time I thought I could sing I was about 9 years old; I was playing with my brother, who as big brothers do, did nothing but tease me. I had on a salsa costume, was running up the stairs, and sang something with a little run on the end. He stopped and told me I sounded really good, which was probably the first compliment he had ever given me in my life. But I spent all my time painting and playing basketball at that point in my life, and didn’t record anything until I graduated from college.
Who are your favorite people to collaborate with?
Musically, I’ve mostly worked with people I’ve gotten to know through friendships or personal connections. It’s always more organic that way. For me it’s important to collaborate with people outside of music too, to stay inspired. I studied architecture, and still design private residences, but am also in the process of developing a furniture line with a local LA brand owned by friend Sheron, DR14.
Can you tell us your biggest muses?
Zaha Hadid, Virgil Abloh, Michèle Lamy, Kelly Wearstler, Eartha Kitt, Chaka Khan, Cher, Nina Simone, Beyonce, Iris Apfel, David Bowie… I could really go on and on. Basically, anyone who has stayed the course in becoming the purest form of themselves, and allowed the creation that comes from that constant evolution to lead their life’s journey.
What inspires you to write and work in the world today?
A very real need to shed as I grow. I think most creators are empaths and I tend to really hold onto what I absorb from the world around me, whether it’s personal, what I see at 7th and Broadway, or what I see in the news. Whatever I’m creating is my way of letting go.
What was growing up with an artist soul like for you?
It was interesting, because both of my parents came from hyper-intellectual backgrounds, so as a kid I was always trying to balance what I knew were their expectations of me, and my artist’s soul. Painting was how I expressed that for the most part as a kid, and in many ways I think architecture was my art/intellectual compromise. In adulthood, I’ve realized that I’m not breathing if I’m not creating, and have now managed to channel that into every aspect of my life.
What drives you to create?
Life, joy, love, beauty, and pain.
What are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about purpose. I feel like we’re in a time with social media where you can get quick returns for microwaveable ideas, and I just don’t want us to lose sight of purpose, and the beauty of selflessness.
How would you describe yourself?
Passionate, sensitive, driven… I can tend to be really private. But once I let you in, I’m all yours.
What do you want to convey through your music?
I want my music to be a voice for something bigger than myself. If what you create isn’t speaking to the experiences of the world around you, what’s the point of it all? I hope that in addition to the art, the journey can inspire and encourage other people, and even other artists like myself, to keep going. To help people find hope, find joy, find whatever it is they’re seeking.
What is next?
I’m releasing new songs this fall, and working on my furniture collection, which is slated to release in winter of 2019.
Earrings @shoptheclub // Outfit @nylaurent // Shoes @jeffreycampbell
Outfit @nylaurent
Bra @cleola_forever Earrings @shoptheclub // Outfit @nylaurent // Shoes @jeffreycampbell
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