Anna Vaus is currently on an upward trajectory in her career and embracing the journey ahead. She is a genre-blending artist whose music defies categorization. Vaus began releasing music in 2018, primarily singles and a few EPs. However, on March 21, 2025, she released her debut album, which features eight songs. It was an honor to interview Anna Vaus because I have been a fan for several years. If you’re new to Anna Vaus’s music, welcome! And if you are already a fan, you may discover something new about this fantastic singer-songwriter. Please keep reading to learn more about Anna’s journey and her debut album.
Why Music?
For most people, music is not a serious and sustainable career choice. It surely is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately for Anna, she had the support of her family. The California native reflected, “I grew up in a creative family. My mom was a journalist, and when I got home from school, my mom was reporting on TV. My dad is a Grammy-winning children’s country artist named Buck Howdy. Being creative was normal. When we were bored, my mom told my brother and me to get the video camera and make a movie. So, he would film fake commercials, and I would play my arena tour show for my dog and stuffed animals.”
Anna Vaus’s unwavering belief in her career choice is truly inspiring. She shared, “I never felt like I couldn’t do what I loved as a career, but I was also a super type A overthinker. I remember telling my parents I wanted to major in songwriting. They didn’t question it. My parents told me they wanted me to do what I loved because they knew I would put 110% into it. So, I lucked out with having the coolest parents in the world who didn’t think it was crazy to move to Nashville and write songs.”
The Importance of Passion and Commitment to Your Craft
I love hearing the stories of those who become successful in music, sports, art, etc. One common theme is their passion and drive for their craft. They practice because they want to. Anna Vaus recognized this trait in herself during high school. The singer/songwriter said, “I played lacrosse in high school and thought about playing in college. For a time, I considered going to college somewhere like UNC–Chapel Hill or somewhere with a great lacrosse program. But I remember a pivotal turning point where I recognized that my friends who wanted to play lacrosse in college were always practicing. But all I wanted to do was to get home and write a song. I realized lacrosse was not my path, and I needed to honor the music side of myself.”
Anna Vaus’s love for her craft is palpable in every note of her debut album. She shared, “I made this record with my fiancé, Kevin, in our home studio. We promised each other that nobody had to hear it when we made it. It would be awesome if a million people heard the record. But we made the record because we had to. Even if all it did was sit on our hard drive, we made the record the way we wanted, to serve that part of us.”
Anna Vaus was Eager to Hit the Ground Running in Nashville
Anna Vaus’s journey from California to the bustling streets of Nashville is a testament to her determination. She reflected, “I grew up in Southern California, in Poway, a suburb of San Diego. I moved to Nashville at seventeen to attend Belmont University and hit the ground running. I was like, here we go. I was going to write a bunch of songs, sign a record deal, go on a stadium tour, and then turn eighteen years old. My eyes were filled with stars for Nashville. While at Belmont, I received the Miranda Lambert Women Creators Fund Scholarship, which opened my door to the publishing world. I would go on to sign my first publishing deal afterward. It has been off to the races since. I am writing at Big Machine six years later and releasing my debut album.”
Defining Your Musical Identity
When I listen to Anna Vaus, I find her music to have elements of country music. Living in Nashville, it’s almost unavoidable to feel the influence of storytelling in country music. However, you also hear folk and pop influences. I know it’s cliché to say Vaus’s music is genre-blending, but it’s true. The category I put Vaus in is good music. But Anna is used to people struggling to categorize her music. The singer/songwriter explained, “People unable to describe my music seems to be a common theme. Like many in our generation, access to music was a broad range of things. So, I was listening to Stevie Nicks, and my mom loved Fleetwood Mac. My dad loved Laurel Canyon, Glen Campbell, and country music.”
Why do you have to fit in one box or the other? If you do, that’s great, but if you don’t, there is nothing wrong with that either. Vaus said, “People tell me I am not country enough for country music, and others say I am too country to be an Americana artist. So, I have decided to call the music I am making Laurel Canyon Country. It’s very California, inspired by Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell. But I also love the lyrics, storytelling, and instruments used in country music.”
Anna Vaus Embraces the Artist She Has Become
As a music fan, I appreciate many genres of music. However, one downside of the music industry is that many are at a loss for how to market it if they cannot determine what genre someone’s music belongs to. Anna Vaus knows who she is and hopes her music connects with a broad audience. The singer/songwriter said, “When I first got to Nashville, people said my music wasn’t country, and we don’t know what to do with it. But isn’t that awesome, though? Because it’s not just country, it’s also folk and pop, so it lives everywhere. While that was an insecurity to me, now I embrace it. I hope my music connects with people who love country music and those who hate country music. I want people to connect with the stories in my songs. Everyone is welcome at my show.
Anna Vaus and a Career Crossroads
I was surprised as Anna Vaus began to tell me how the album came together. Anna’s story reinforced why I started Undiscovered Nashville in the first place. The behind-the-scenes struggle for relevance in Nashville is real. For Vaus, she created something amazing out of a time of uncertainty. Vaus reflects, “About a year and a half ago, I was so lost creatively before we started recording the record. I think I let Nashville get the best of me. When I first got to town, I felt so lucky because so many people. People told me I was the next Taylor Swift and were making big, shiny promises. As a twenty-year-old, I was like, awesome, all my dreams will come true in the next year. But I watched as the buzz, shine, and all those things wore off me as an artist to other people.”
In Nashville, you can be the talk of the town one day and forgotten the next. But there is also something to be said for artistic integrity. Vaus continued, “People said we still believe in you, but we think you should not do the California thing and do more down the middle country. I was at such a crossroads. Do I change who I am to fit into the Nashville box? Or do I trust my gut and lose the agent, manager, and industry people who said they would make my dreams come true to honor who I am and where I came from? Then, I couldn’t put it into these words, but now the message I was getting as I reflect on it is to change who I am to fit into the box, or it’s all downhill from here. That was terrifying!”
For a moment, imagine yourself in Anna’s shoes. Vaus faced embracing authenticity or becoming an artist she wasn’t to fit a specific mold. It poses a philosophical question: is success worth the price she would pay? Vaus said, “I felt that choosing to be an independent artist was very scary. It’s easy to look at the billboards and the buildings with all these stars made from them and feel that you are doing everything wrong. It made me wonder if I would have to pack my bags and move back into my parents’ house at this album experiment’s end. But, I decided to make this record as proof that I knew who I was and would honor the music I loved.”
New Music Creates New Opportunities
Since Anna Vaus released her debut album on March 21, I have listened to it top to bottom a few times. There are many good songs, but “Downhill” is my favorite. This album created new opportunities for Anna Vaus, so she made the right decision to make the record. The singer/songwriter said, “One of the songs, “Downhill,” I wrote with Carter Faith and Adam Uron. It’s the story of feeling it’s downhill from here, but downhill is not that bad. You have the wind in your hair and the sun on your back, which became the theme for my life in the past year. Let’s embrace the Downhill and trust it will get us where we’re supposed to go, so I started to share the record with people like Maddie and Tae, who invited me to come on tour and open for them. Other things began to happen, like playing with Keith Urban at the CMT awards, and I also played the Grand Ole Opry again. I realized and saw in real time what it means to go downhill. So, that was a long-winded way of saying the album came from this place of feeling like I was on the edge of a cliff, but it was the top of a mountain that I am now riding down.”
Anna Vaus Releases Her Debut Album, “Downhill from Here”
When I sit down to interview someone about a new release, I like to have listened to the song, EP, or album beforehand. Then, I will listen from top to bottom several times before finishing an article. It’s especially lovely when songs resonate with me. The two songs I related to the most are the ones Anna discussed. Vaus said, “Downhill is the song fans have been reacting to the most. As mentioned, writing that song felt personal, like I chose to blaze my trail. People would come up after the shows and say they were in their downhill era, too. It has been gratifying to see that connect with people.”
“Scenic Route” is the other song I connected to. The road life has taken me on has been full of potholes and detours, but I am still on my journey. The California native said, “Scenic Route is a deeper cut on the album. I have this mantra I say to myself: I’m not behind; I am just on the scenic route. I’ve only played it for the listening party with my fans, but it has been one of their favorites from the album.
One of the most fascinating stories regarding the album creation process was Vaus’s trip to California. The trip was filled with what most would call coincidences. The singer/songwriter reflected, “I flew to California with my manager, Abby, my best friend, Hannah, an amazing photographer, and my fiancé, Kevin. We hopped in a mini-van and drove up the California coast. We stopped anytime we saw something cool that could be album art. Throughout the trip, we kept seeing songs that were song titles for the album. On the first day, we saw this big sign that said Scenic Route with California poppies. The next day, we saw a Happy Trails sign, the last song on the record. Another day, we were leaving Joshua Tree, and we saw a “caution downhill” sign. It was weird, but now, anytime I see those scenic route signs, I think, yeah, me too. I am on the scenic route, so it’s become a nod that we are doing okay.
My Thoughts
When I finish an interview, I sometimes reflect on the transcript and think it would have made a great podcast episode. There was so much packed into the thirty minutes I spent conversing with Vaus that I couldn’t include everything in an article. But I walked away with a greater appreciation for someone I had only met in passing beforehand. One of my biggest takeaways was her authenticity and openness during the interview. But she also wanted to learn more about me and what I am trying to do with Undiscovered Nashville.
Reflecting on the past month, I am thrilled to announce that Anna Vaus is Undiscovered Nashville’s artist of the month for April. Anna Vaus’s album may be called “Downhill from Here,” but Vaus is undoubtedly not. I am excited to witness the next chapter of Vaus’s career because she has the wind at her back. In this writer’s opinion, being an artist who is true to herself and honoring the music she loves will carry her far.
Follow Anna Vaus on social media to keep up with her journey. Instagram Facebook TikTok
Leave a Reply