Anna Biography
Anna Christine Nalick (born March 30, 1984, in Glendora, California), is an American singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Wreck of the Day, featuring her first radio hit, "Breathe (2 AM)," was released on April 19, 2005.
Early years
She says in her Columbia Records biography that ever since she was a little girl
she wanted to be a performer and that she actually began to write songs in fifth
grade. Reportedly, while showing off her talents to her third grade teacher, her
teacher told her that she'd end up "one day on Jay Leno's show." Leno recounted
that story when Nalick actually did perform on his show earlier this year,
quipping "which shows you how long I've been running this show".
Anna grew up in Glendora, California, just east of Pasadena. As a teenager, she
says she grew up in a household where her parents spun a wide variety of
artists. Her mother turned her on to bands such as The Rolling Stones, Cream and
Led Zeppelin, while her father turned her to Elvis Presley and The Everly
Brothers. Anna began her songwriting career in the fifth grade. She officially
cites her influences as Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Blind Melon, John Mayer, and
Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others. She says of Vaughan that he is "the guy that
I'm going to marry when I get to heaven." In high school, in addition to writing
her own songs, she performed with a Rush cover band.
Nalick initially decided to go to college and then only afterward pursue her
dream of music, but she met a photographer who said that she had a student in
the high school at which she teaches who have parents in the music business.
Nalick agreed to pass along a six song demo tape, and soon enough, was
introduced to Christopher Thorn and Brad Smith, the founding members of Blind
Melon now turned production team, and Eric Rosse, best known for his production
work with Tori Amos. Putting her college plans on hold, in October, 2003 she
signed on with Columbia Records. Anna went into the studio with Thorn, Smith and
Rosse as producers, together with mix-engineer Mark Endert (Fiona Apple, Maroon
5, Gavin DeGraw) and an all-star group of musicians that included Smith on bass,
Thorn on guitar, Rosse and Zak Rae on keyboards, Lyle Workman and Stuart Mathis
on guitar, Joey Waronker and Matt Chamberlain on drums. The result is the Wreck
of the Day two years later.
Early Commercial Success (2004-present)
Nalick's first single from her Wreck of the Day album was "Breathe (2 A.M.)",
which peaked to #45 U.S. and went 3x Platinum on the Billboard Hot 100, and went
huge on Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40, both at #6. It was heavily played
on AAA and Hot AC stations across the U.S., along with light airplay on Pop
stations, and Nalick became one of 2005's biggest newcomers. Her video for the
track got very heavy airplay on VH1 and some MTV airplay as well.
In the fall of 2005 Nalick when released "In The Rough", the single was
moderately successful charting on the Billboard Adult Top 40 at #15. Her album
sales only slightly increased after the release of "In The Rough"; most say it
was that the last single was almost a full year ago and most have forgotten
Nalick. However, Wreck of the Day, up to this time, has sold over 615,000 copies
with a Gold certification from the RIAA, and a #20 peak on the Billboard 200.
Currently, Anna Nalick is working on a second album (title TBA), while opening
for the Dixie Chicks on their Accidents & Accusations Tour. Meanwhile, her first
single from Wreck of the Day, "Breathe", is experiencing a resurgence on
worldwide charts following a prolific appearance in a Grey's Anatomy episode (As
We Know It), aired February 16, 2006. Nalick is experiencing success in New
Zealand with her album "Wreck of The Day" reaching the Top 15 albums on the Top
40 Albums Chart. Anna re-released Wreck of the Day with a new version of the
song "Wreck of the Day" as well as three previously unreleased tracks
("Soldier," "Drink Me," "More Than A Melody). The re-issue also has new album
art.