Artists:Ann-Marita

Ann-Marita's Autobiography

“I was a skinny girl with oversized glasses, and on this particular evening, I was sitting in front of a black and white television set in the living room of my family’s farm house in Norway. I was watching The Muppet Show, with their “very special guest star, Mr. Kenny Rogeeers!!!” Kenny was on a train, surrounded by Muppets, singing “The Gambler”. A scraggly, old Muppet was sitting by the window, acting as the Gambler himself. At the time, I didn’t know country music from anything, but I just knew that I loved that sound, that honesty, that feel.

Fast-forward to some twenty years later, I’m all grown up, and have just finished laying down the final vocal track on my debut album in our home studio in Victoria, Australia. I go into the living room, turn on the TV, and start channel surfing. On one of the children’s channels, an old Muppet Show rerun is on. And it turns out to be the very same episode, the very same scene, and the very same Kenny Rogers sitting on that train singing “The Gambler” to his friend, the scraggly old Muppet by the window. I just watch, and think that I’ve come full circle.”

Ann-Marita arrived in Australia in 2003, ready for a new beginning. Through the obstacles and turmoil, she had written the songs for her self-titled debut album, which was recorded in part in a friend’s studio in California, with the help of musicians like bassist Ric Fierabracci from Chick Corea’s Electric Band, then finished in Melbourne, Australia, where some of Australia’s top musicians; guitarists Brett Garsed and Stuart Fraser, keyboard player Chong Lim, and harmonica player Steve Williams, all from the John Farnham band, added their parts to the project. read more...