I did my last year of high school as an exchange student. I lived south of the Atlanta, in a quite strange place - real southern. I formed my first band that year and we just started playing my songs live. It was way in for me to get to know people and to really feel at home there - through music.
Anna TernheimI grew up playing classical guitar, so everything I learned was rooted in technique, form, presentation.
Anna TernheimI think it's always been very natural. I don't write a diary - it's reflections and thoughts and feelings that come to me at a certain point, and when I go back to my old records, they capture the time I was in then.
Anna TernheimI've learned after doing a couple records that if it feels good and it's easy, then that's usually a good sign. And that feeling sorta went with us to Nashville - everything was just natural.
Anna TernheimFor me, the guitar was just a tool to make songs. I started when I was 10 - I learned what I had to learn to get my ideas across. I always felt I was a weak guitar player, but now I realize with the finger-picking stuff, I actually know how to do what I do with my songs, but I couldn't step in and be an overall guitar player. But my guitar playing has always been driven by the need to write songs.
Anna Ternheim