Andersen Hugh
Our Editor in Chief got to chat with singer/songwriter Andersen Hugh about his EP Manifest and his advice for aspiring singers.
Photographer: Max van Otterdyk
Who are some of your music inspirations?
This is a tough question just because my music is so authentic and I don’t try to imitate anyone’s sound but artists that I listen to definitely have a huge effect on my life which has an effect on my music. So I guess I would have to say, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Michael Jackson, Post Malone, Bazzi, and many more but those are who I am thinking of at this moment. I think every person and experience has an effect on an artist's sound.
Walk us through the creation of Manifest. How long did it take for you to put together the EP?
My debut EP is Manifest. I named it Manifest because I’m manifesting this life as an entertainer. It’s a collection of seven authentic and unique songs based on my real-life experiences that I cannot wait for everyone to hear. It's definitely the piece of work I’m most proud of today. It took about six months because of coronavirus.
Tell us about “While We’re Young”. What inspired the lyrics?
“While We’re Young” is a song that describes youth culture today and is just an anthem of my generation. It’s just a fun song that I hope people can party and let go to. Everyone needs a song like “While We’re Young”. The story behind this song is one day in the studio we were talking about partying and Rian said we should make a youth anthem and we just had a lot of fun making that song and you can definitely feel the energy and party atmosphere when you listen to it.
Outside of singing, you’re also passionate about acting. How do you hope to tie your two passions together?
Acting and singing are very connected in the way that when I’m in the studio, each song I’m kind of playing a different character and I’m putting myself in a different mindset and there’s a certain vulnerability that you have to have to do both.
During the pandemic have you found yourself writing and working on more music than usual?
Yes very much so! I’ve been non stop working on producing more content.
What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
To not be afraid to try something different and be themselves.
