Annika Henderson is not one to ever conform to the status quo. It would be reductive to solely describe Henderson as a musician – since cutting her teeth in the underground electronic music, she has since expanded her mononymous Anika project to encompass various mediums such as songwriting, djing, journalism, performance art and visual art, in addition to collaborating with other artists across the globe to further her status as a cutting edge pioneer in both sound and performance.
Following her 2023 live record Eat Liquid, as well as a video art exhibit in Berlin, she’s back with a new album, Abyss, that promises rebellion, escape, and a “safe space” from the chaos of today.
Based in Berlin by-way-of England, Anika has curated a cross-cultural mix of genres in her work thus far. Blending punk sensibilities with dub, electroclash and new-wave sounds, she has tackled themes such as political injustices, identity, and bubbling personal frustrations, leading to a visceral and urgent sound.
In addition to her personal artist project, she has been involved in many other artistic pursuits such as founding the Mexican punk-psych band Exploded View, working with well-known performance artists and curating a distinct live persona that amplifies the themes in her music: tightly gripping microphones, withholding blinks to stare at the audience before her, she presents an almost confrontational aura to deliver her message clearly. Her new album exemplifies this continued ethos of sonic catharsis, in which she utilizes grunge, rock and experimental instrumentation to channel inner frustrations towards a chaotic world. Over Zoom, we talked about Abyss, mantras, Berlin and what “rebellion” means for artists of today.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Photo by Anna Roig // Courtesy of PItch Perfect PR
What was the most rewarding part about working on this album for you?
Just getting to say what I always wanted to say. I feel like right now, it’s been this 20, 30 years of over-politeness, and a lot of people have these crazy emotions. We need to reestablish these safe spaces and healthy ways to let it out or to vent, as opposed to lashing out at each other and doing personal attacks. There’s healthier ways to vent and more come together in our frustration as opposed to attacking each other, and that’s the thing about music. It is a nice space for that.
Absolutely. One quote that really struck me was when you said you created this album because ‘with everything that’s going on right now, [you] needed this rebellion.’ How do you think music can act as, or even incite a social rebellion?
For each musician, it’s gonna be a personal thing in a different way and everyone needs to do it with their own vocabulary and on their own terms. It’s something that somehow was forgotten because we’re in this post X-factor age where the musician became the marketing manager and it’s a lot about how to create the perfect product. It’s that thing of forgetting that music’s actually got power in many ways. It’s not only about soothing people in the background, it can also be a voice and it can be a way to vent frustrations. Right now, I know I need it. I need a space where I can just let go and I can be myself and I don’t need to perfectly curate this version of myself online. I wanna go to a show and not be worried about being on film or on camera, I want to look like shit and just get sweaty and go in a mosh pit, I don’t care. I just wanna let go for a minute and we are so rarely given this chance just to let go, I think that’s important.
Would you ever consider doing a no phones concert?
Weirdly, there aren’t a lot of phones at my shows. I’ve seen no-phones shows, like Björk and Kim Gordon did that. I live in Berlin, they’ve been doing that for years at the clubs, but I think it is an important concept. As a way to get more into the moment, you’re always there. Thinking what someone else thinks of you at that thing, and then you’re not letting go, you’re still in this space of half existence, but not existing.
I really liked your newest single “Walk Away.” I found that the lyrics were very repetitive, almost mantra-like. Do you have a mantra that you use in your day-to-day life?
Not really. My life is basically experiments on myself, and music is a form of that. Sometimes I try things just to see what happens, just to see if I can brainwash myself. Music is definitely powerful. It has been used across history – like ritual drumming to get evil spirits out of the body. I used to go to Berghain and stand next to the bass because I think the bass gives you this massage. It gets all the anxiety out. I don’t know if I have a mantra, but I think as a music maker and as a music consumer, I always like to see what happens.
Maybe not a verbal mantra, but a mantra of how you live to fulfill that kind of artistry.
In a way I’m always testing my limits, but I think that’s often what artists do. I remember reading a lot about Marina Abramović; there’s a lot of artists like that where their body is their canvas. Humans have always been interested in how far we can push our limits. As the artist, there’s different ways you can test yourself or push yourself into different realms. Music is a powerful tool in that way.
It’s interesting you bring up that physical connection to music, how music can bridge the gap between physicality and spirituality. Because in the album description for Abyss, you say you intend to take listeners out of their heads and back into their bodies. I thought it was a very grounding thing to say. How do you approach physicality not only in your music, but in other artistic endeavors in your own life?
It’s definitely important. Even the way I make music, it’s very much like that. I mean I love making electronic music where you are just on the computer, but I know for me, it’s not always healthy. I know I need to get to physical instruments as well. I get too in my head, and then you start to get really cold and you don’t even notice.
If you live in Berlin, it’s freezing, and you’ll be sitting there for eight hours and you realize you didn’t put the heating on and your body is cold and you didn’t even know. You get so inside, and I think a lot of people get like that. You forget that you are a human and that you’ve actually got a whole body and not just your head. That’s when it’s important to go outside and go to places. Again, that’s the emphasis of live music and live music spaces and physical proximity as a way to combat fear of the other and realize that we’re actually not that scary.
People have started to re-realize the importance of being physically together, especially in live music.
Especially post-COVID, everyone almost has a fear. It’s weird to live side by side with each other and then not want to have to interact, not want to look at each other.
You were born in England, but you’re now based in Berlin. How do the art or music scenes compare across those two cities?
They’re definitely very different and, sometimes, I miss certain influences that were there more in England, especially in earlier albums, which had more of a dub influence. The music scene in England, there’s a lot of it, it’s everywhere. It’s often free and so it’s a bit underappreciated in a way. Berlin sometimes feels a bit bigger and there’s a lot of space between everything. It’s harder to build scenes sometimes. There used to be Berlin Community Radio, and now there’s Refuge and Kashmir, and they’re good at bringing different disciplines or different styles together. But sometimes it feels very separated in Berlin, like very tribal. But it’s great, especially for a short time and especially if you have something to do there, it’s a great place to be, as an artist. You have to learn to do a lot of self-motivation.
You’re kicking off your upcoming tour this April for the album. Is there any particular city you’re excited to play in?
Yeah! I’ve never played in Ireland and [on this tour] I’m playing both in Northern Ireland and in the mainland Republic. I’ve never been and actually the other day I was trying to figure out, okay, how does one get from Leeds to Belfast in less than 10 hours? And I found out you have to take this little ferry.
Haha – that’s so cute.
I am a bit nostalgic about going back to the UK. I miss it. I moved away 15 years ago, it is a very beautiful country, like the landscape and things like that. Yeah, I’m looking forward to that. Also just people are like very jolly - so I’m just looking forward to that jolliness, even if it’s a bit fake, it doesn’t matter. I think it’s nice to be around that warmth.
Speaking of live performances, I was watching a few of your performances and I found that some of them had a very raw, almost confrontational energy. Not aggressive, but in a very engaging way. How do you mentally prepare for a live show? Any rituals?
It takes so much energy. It’s weird, because actually at the moment, normally I don’t really move that much on stage, which is something I wanna change for the new shows. So I’m not sure how that’s gonna go.
I definitely need to be on my own an hour before, I can’t be chatting to people. It’s something I’ve been doing for about 15 years now, and at the beginning, I found it really tough because I put all my emotions into performance. Especially afterwards, I would just run away and sometimes people would try and talk to me after I got off the stage and I was like, oh, just leave me alone (laughs). I’d have to go lock myself in a cupboard for three hours. But now I can jump off the stage and do merch and somehow quickly close that emotional door.
It’s so interesting how that can change.
Yeah. But it’s difficult. Like I always put everything into a performance, and I think sometimes people underestimate that. But you learn how to put it on a leash a little bit so that you don’t totally destroy yourself every time.
Was there any particular festival or show or venue that you just loved performing at for any particular reason?
Weirdly, sometimes it’s some of the scariest places, where I was really shit scared. I think I was the most shit scared, probably performing in Iran, performing in St. Petersburg, and performing in New Orleans the very first time. I think especially playing in places like Tehran and St. Petersburg, it’s always interesting to play in these places and you realize how diverse countries are and why it’s always a bad thing to name a country in this monolithic way.
Yeah, I imagine it’s a fairly different process to get to play there.
Every place has got people that want change or have different ideas and they don’t always share the ideas of the government. I think that’s the importance of music and that’s why I love playing everywhere. I have a rule that I don’t want to play for a dictator, but at the same time, I wanna play everywhere because I’ve met such amazing people in all these places, such inspiring people. I think that’s the best part of music, sharing these experiences. But I am often very scared, especially ’cause I normally go to these places by myself.
Woah! Like completely solo?
Yeah, pretty much. So I’m normally relying on the friendliness of random people (laughs).
There was an interview you did where you spoke about the work of Anne Imhoff and you brought up the theme of “wild women” and the strength of femininity – is this something you are drawn to in your own work?
Definitely. If you’re a woman operating within the music scene, or to be honest, if you’re a woman in this world, you’re always gonna be confronted with situations and realize, why do I have to deal with this now? Of course it’s definitely a theme in my work because I am a sum of my parts and my songs are always about my experiences in life or me trying to figure stuff out. This is a very important topic and it does piss me off that it’s still a topic now, the fact that we see this regression happening, in terms of women’s rights in general. Basic gender equality and how it’s actually been actively attacked right now in place is – ugh – it’s scary.
Yeah, it’s super scary. Especially to your point about being a woman in music.
Yeah, it is so disappointing. The fact that you still have to be in these situations even as a female artist, sometimes I’ve been in situations where I collaborate with some older known guy. And at the beginning, like the first things you have to go through, are like: I’m not here because I’m attracted to you. I’m here because I want to make music. You know what I mean?
Totally.
There’s so many challenges and that’s something that’s important in my work. I think that’s why it’s important just to keep doing what you’re doing and to take up space, yeah. Be unapologetic.
What is a piece of art or something that has impacted you recently?
Definitely books. I read a lot of books. I’m simultaneously reading Capitalism and Slavery, which is very interesting, mixed with Freedom is a Constant Struggle mixed with Middlemarch somehow (laughs). All of these three coming together. I read a lot, especially when I get confused in life and I need to turn to some wise people for guidance.
Finally, a little bit off topic, what are your three favorite things right now?
Just in general? The fact that spring is coming, ’cause Berlin is really dark and winter is bad and long. I don’t know, what else? At the moment, I’m also clearing out a lot of stuff which I love doing. I don’t like to hold onto things. Actually, I sold some musical instruments this week, which I always find really sad. But at the same time, I love the fact that even though it’s sad to let go, I’m really happy that I’m giving someone else something. And that’s always a nice thing. And then it also makes spaces something new. And I think that’s something really important in life is to let go of things and without fear, and realize and have trust that something is gonna come in its place, but obviously be choosy with what you put in its place.