Singer-songwriter Avery Anna will take the stage Thursday, April 9, at The Hall in Little Rock as part of her “Girl of Constant Sorrow Tour.”

 

Despite the name of the tour, Anna told AY About You that there will be plenty of rocking out at the shows. 

 

“It’s going to be a lot more upbeat than it usually is, and that’s new for me because I am definitely sad girl central over here,” she said. “There will be a lot of rock and new music. We’re really cooking up a new experience for everybody.” 

 

Photo by Ryan Young

 

Anna’s music career began in Flagstaff, Arizona, where she grew up and first fell in love with music and singing.

 

“I love to sing with my grandpa,” she said. “He’s very musically inclined and can play a lot of instruments, and when I was little, he’d play Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. It really made me fall in love, especially with classic country.” 

 

She said from there, she would sing in her room and write songs, but did not start performing in front of people until she was about 15 years old. Then one day, a TikTok of her singing in a bathtub went viral. 

 

@avery.anna.music Reply to @grace.krasilovsky it kindof drags on but I hope you like it! #voiceeffects ♬ original sound – Avery Anna

 

“The acoustics were good in there,” she said. “It was during COVID, and everyone in my house was doing school online, so my mom’s bathroom was a quiet place for me.” 

 

Soon after the viral video, she signed a record deal and moved to Nashville while finishing her final year of high school online. 

 

“It’s all been a whirlwind from there,” she said. 

 

Anna has released an EP and two studio albums and is fresh off her “Let Go Letters Tour,” during which fans were encouraged to bring letters about things they needed to get out or let go of. 

 

“It has been cool to connect with people on that level, because music has always helped me through any hardships in my life,” she said. “To watch other people experience that same healing through music that I create is really special and why I love touring.” 

 

Photo by Ben Christensen

 

She said her experience on her last tour has made her even more excited for the “Girl of Constant Sorrow Tour.” The name of the tour comes from an old folk song, “Man of Constant Sorrow,” which Anna would sing or listen to in hard times. 

 

In another moment that went viral, someone on her team videoed Anna singing this song after their tour van broke down. 

 

“It’s become this thing that people relate to,” she said. “Breaking down and then persevering through it.” 

 

“For me, ‘The Girl of Constant Sorrow Tour’ is a representation of that, no matter what life throws at you, no matter if you’re broken down on the side of the road or if you’re struggling, you can see it through, and music can help you do that,” she said.

 

She wrote and recorded her own version of the song, and is about to release more new music in the form of a six-song project called “forgive, forget.” 

 

 

Her latest single, “Man Downstairs,” was released in late February, and the whole project will drop Friday, March 13, which is also the first night of the new tour. 

 

“The Let Go Letters Tour” inspired this new music by prompting her to reflect on her own hardships.

 

“I thought a lot about the things I’ve experienced in the past couple years and started writing about it,” she said. “So, this next project and this next year for me will be a really good first introduction of who I am and what I have to say.” 

 

While her music is already known for its vulnerability, she said this project reaches a new level. Despite her nervousness about sharing so much of herself, it’s important to her.

 

“As an artist, it’s such a privilege to be able to connect with people through our talents,” she said. “I feel my talents God gave me, He gave me them for a reason, and it’s only out of gratitude and respect for that that I do it as wholeheartedly and honestly as I can.” 

 

Anna hopes her audience will deeply resonate with the music. 

 

“I think one of the highest forms of love is being understood,” she said. “I know when I hear a song from another artist where the lyrics sound like the soundtrack of my life, it really helps me.”

 

Tickets for her tour are on sale now and can be purchased here. 

 

“Get a ticket, bring your dad, bring your boyfriend, bring your friends,” Anna said. “It should be an experience that anyone can enjoy.” 

 

Feature Photo Credit: Ben Christensen
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