People in Jersey City never cease to amaze me, the amount of talented people living and working here is really insane. I was asked recently if I would ever run out of things to write about, the answer is absolutely not!! Annelise Collette is one of those people; I’ve met her a few times out and about in Jersey City, you really can’t miss this girl, she definitely does not “blend” in with her colorful hair, cool style and beautiful smile.
Annelise invited me over to her apartment in the heights; we talked music, hair and Jersey City. She also gave me a little private concert and I was totally blown away. Annelise’s music to me, is the perfect marriage between Katy and Gaga and transports you to a parallel universe filled with unicorns and candy. Annelise is a superstar! she IS the whole package and I can’t wait to follow her journey.
What’s your name? Annelise Collette
What do you do? I am an electro pop musician from Jersey City.
What is electro pop? Electro pop to me…. I would say it’s around the pop genre of music maybe top 40 radio but with infused, I like to think “space music”….
How long have you been making music? I have been making music around 7 years now. Basically when I moved to Jersey City is when I started writing my own stuff. I majored in musical theatre in college and have done theatre my whole life prior to that
Do you play any instruments? I play guitar, I play a bit of piano, I play a really cool instrument called the “Suzuki Q Cord” it’s an electronic auto-harp that I play that I will show you…. I have really weird instruments.
Where are you originally from? I am from Miami, Florida.
Why Jersey City? I moved originally to pursue theatre, and I quickly realized that I didn’t want to do it. My first winter here… It was really hard, I had to stand in line really early in the morning and it was just very overwhelming. I felt very lonely. I’ve always been interested in writing music but never had the gull to do it… I had a lot of time during the winter and I started to dabble in it and before I knew it I was writing songs and playing open mics.
Do you work with other musicians? I work with a producer, his name is Stefan Moessle, I met him at the 143 building in downtown for my first open mic and we’ve been working together ever since.
Do you perform anywhere? I’ve performed at Lucky 7’s, Lampost, Webster Hall…. whenever I go home to Miami. I’ve played in Tallahassee. I’ve still yet to be on tour yet which I really want to do. Also, my music has been placed on TV…. “The Kardashians”, “Mob Wives”, “Dance Mom’s”, “Redband Society” and a Maybelline commercial.
Nice!! You have a new E.P coming out right? Can you tell me a little more about it? I am really excited about it. It’s called “oh.feel.ya”. I started it with the concept of doing “Ophelia” from Hamlet, like her point of view… I was really interested in doing a concept album… so I started with that in mind. I wrote the first song, which was about masochism… her role is so small in Hamlet and I always really enjoyed it because I was a theatre major, I wanted to write a back story for her. Then life took over and it became a little bit more about me.
What inspires you to write? Life in general inspires me, the people around me, it’s how I cope with life essentially. I need that outlet of getting out my feelings.
What else do you do to pay the bills? I am a nanny in Jersey City.
Cute! I love it.
Do you sing to them? Of course!
I love your hair, where do you get it done? Anatalie David does it. She’s opening up “The Hair Room JC”.
It’s so nice. She is so magical with it.
What’s the whole obsession with unicorns? I think they are just magical. Life is so difficult as it is, I am just drawn to it. I am also influenced by being around kids, just seeing how happy they get when they believe in something so much and you kind of lose that as an adult. It’s something that keeps a smile on my face. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like unicorns! I got this sweater from “Very” and everyone loved it!
It’s magical! So what are your musical influences? I grew up listening to Gershwin musicals essentially…. I had a very awkward adolescence loving musical theatre!
Where you like Glee? Would you like run into a room and go “I am going to sing a tune”. I was definitely that kid with the spirit fingers. I went to performing arts school actually. That was what I really liked… as I got older, your vision opens up. Currently I like “Oh Land” , she is in the same genre as me… I like classical music a lot.
What are your future plans? I would like to keep pursuing this, be a singer and hopefully be able to support myself and raise a family doing it. That would be the ultimate dream.
Do you have a favorite Jersey City hangout spot? Food wise, Taqueria. I am obsessed! In The Heights I like Gino’s pizza. For hangout and bars, Lucky 7’s. I do the Newark crawl….
Anything else you want people to know? Hopefully everyone checks out my E.P that comes out January 1rst! It’s 6 songs. It will be out digitally! I will also have some shows coming up that will be on my site!
Annelise’s music takes you a magical place! Love her to pieces!!