A Chat With Nashville Pop Songwriter Anna Eisch About Her New Single ‘FMO’, Nashville Life, & More

It ‘s always refreshing to hear a song that most people have related to at least once in their life, and that’s exactly what Anna Eisch succeeds in with her newest single, “FMO.”

Released a few short weeks ago, the Nashville pop singer-songwriter and producer displays her raw vocals, enticing sounds, and honest lyrics that keep you wanting more. This anthem represents the hard-fought battle between your head and heart, and with such intention in her songwriting, Eisch admits she was a bit nervous about the release, since it was portrayed in a more explicit manner, but as they say: no risk, no reward. She recently said about the song, “You know the feeling you get in your gut about someone when you know they’re bad for you? That’s exactly the feeling I wrote about.”

Throughout all of her singles and EP’s, Eisch certainly doesn’t dance around lyrics, especially in this recent release. Her rawness is an admirable quality that has become a cornerstone of her songwriting prowess. With dark sounds similar to Lana Del Ray and Billie Eilish, she has a unique tone that invites you in to her storytelling journey. Written by herself and also co-produced by Shauna Contumelio, the singer has a lot to be proud of with her first release of 2021.

From a young age, music has always been a significant part of her life, so she decided to move to Music City in 2016 to attend Belmont University. Since moving to Nashville, she has grown in her artistry by releasing multiple songs and finding out what works for her. She describes her songs as true emotions that help her come to terms with her feelings, especially within the past year. 

She also says, “It’s actually incredible how you have the power to take any situation and create art out of it…You can take heartbreak and make it into a powerful anthem,” and that is exactly what she does.

We recently had the chance to discuss “FMO,” Nashville life, and more with Eisch. 

So who or what got you into writing and playing music, and how long have you been doing it?

Oh man. I’ve been into music and performing since I was a toddler. I always wanted to be the center of attention, haha. I kind of started writing songs back in elementary school, writing lyrics in my journal and keeping the melody in my head. I didn’t learn how to play guitar until I was 13, but that definitely changed the game for me. It was more something I did as a hobby, but I knew all I wanted to do is write and perform my own songs.

What brought you to Nashville to pursue music as opposed to say an LA, NYC, or another big music city market?

Belmont University brought me to town! It was the only school that really captured my interest because of their music program, and it was the only school I applied for. I’d love to move to NYC someday, but I love how cozy Nashville feels to me. It was a great segue starting out at Belmont to get to know the city a bit while also being around so many talented musicians. I don’t think I would have felt as seen if I had gone to LA or NYC. 

What’s your favorite part about living in Nashville aside from the music community?

I’m always hearing of new places or new things to do here. Some of my favorite places now are ones I didn’t really know about last year, and I love exploring new parts of the city. There are some awesome new vegan restaurants I’ve been wanting to try out too, so I’ve got a lot of things to cross off my bucket list! 

Last fall you released a five-track EP, I Doubt He’ll Ever Hear This. Were all of these songs about one specific person, and do you think he heard it?

In a sense, yes. The EP kind of told the story of the rise and fall of a relationship, and acts cyclically for when it starts all over again. I wanted it to be relatively universal, where you can follow along song-to-song and kind of know the story. So while some of the songs were explicitly about him, the overall idea was more so attuned to him and the situation overall. And yes, he most definitely heard it.

And of course you have your new single, “FMO” that just dropped. What do those letters represent, and what’s the overall feel or message of the song?

FMO is short for ‘Fuck Me Over’. I really just wanted a way to announce the song without dropping the F word every time, haha (plus I liked how it looked)! The song itself is about convincing yourself that you’ve moved on from past heartbreak, and that its *totally ok* to let yourself get a little broken again. It’s basically saying “oh yeah, this person and this situation is going to be really bad for me but hey I know that going into it! So really, no harm no foul”, even though you’re 100% screwing yourself over. 

Many of your singles, like “FMO,” have very specific lyrics and storytelling. Is there a certain pattern or way you go about writing your songs? 

“FMO” started with the first few lyrics of the song, and the idea blossomed from there. I’d say a good majority of my songs either start with the overall idea or I’ll get a particular lyric with a melody. Then I can kind of take that moment and shape the rest of the song around it, depending on if that’s the hook or not. I usually try to write with the overall idea in mind, otherwise I tend to get off course. Every song is a bit different though.

Can fans expect to see the new song on an upcoming EP/LP, or is it a standalone single for now?

For now, it’s a standalone single. But never say never. 🙂 

Do you get involved in co-writes at all?

Yes! Co-writing can be so fun especially when writing for someone other than yourself. Nashville is such a collaborative town too, so it’s hard not to co-write at least a little bit. 

Do you have any upcoming projects you’re working on or future performances fans can anticipate?

I have a ton of ideas and some things in the works, but too soon to tell exactly what’s next. Definitely be on the lookout though!