Our Pittsburgh Artists of the Week are Anne Eliza. The Pittsburgh-based piano pop duo tackle the struggle of sobriety and dealing with the choices we make on their new song “Devil Behind My Door.”
You can learn more about Anne Eliza in the interview below and be sure to spend some time learning about lots of other incredible Pittsburgh musicians while you’re here. This is “Devil Behind My Door” on WYEP.
Anne Celedonia recently spoke with WYEP's Joey Spehar.
What’s your musical history up to this point?
I grew up hearing top 40 classic rock, Beatles, jazz, and a lot of show tunes. My young self also loved 90s and 2000s pop divas that got all their vocal inspiration from Whitney Houston. I just wanted to sing all hours of the day. My training is in classical piano and voice and I stuck with that for a long time.
When I got to college, though, I wasn’t interested in studying piano anymore and swapped over to Berklee College of Music from Penn State to study Music Business Management and essentially pop voice. Lots of time has passed since then, but I got sober seven years ago and my musical direction changed drastically.
I joined The Commonheart right after I got sober and that was the first band I was ever in. That opened me up to the world of touring, the role of a background singer, and the Pittsburgh band scene. That’s also where I met Alex. He was their Audio Engineer when I joined and he encouraged me to write. He introduced me to Radiohead and the Grateful Dead and being in the Commonheart introduced me to blues-soul-rock music.
All of this was new for me, including songwriting. I had never written a song before I got sober. I guess that unlocked it because I spent a couple years writing, recording and learning that whole process at Alex's studio, Allegheny City Sound. Alex and I formed Anne Eliza shortly after. He records, produces, and mixes all of our music. Our first record, I Wish You Well, was released in 2021 and this year we released two singles — "Devil Behind My Door" and "Stay With Me." We’re working on new music, and we’re trying some new things that are challenging, but also very creatively satisfying. We’re excited for what these songs will turn into.
How do you describe your sound?
We like to call it ambient piano pop.
Tell us more about the song "Devil Behind My Door." What inspired you to write it and what does it mean to you?
"Devil Behind My Door" was written when I was roughly one year sober, and I was struggling a lot with the decisions I had made in active addiction. When you’re an addict, your actions are very selfish and they can hurt a lot of people you love along with yourself. It felt like the choices I made were following me around even after I had committed to the life of recovery. I almost felt I was disappearing into that shame and I needed to figure out a way to keep moving forward. Who I’m talking to or about changes throughout the song. Sometimes it’s the devil (or my demons) and sometimes it’s myself.
What was the first album that really changed your life?
We’re both weighing in on this one. Anne: Paul McCartney — "Flaming Pie;" Alex: Beatles — "Past Masters Vol. 1." I think we would both need hours to explain.
Who are some other Pittsburgh artists you think more people should listen to?
Cody Piper and PosterChild. Cody has a piano pop sound with a side of dreamy unpredictability. His arrangements are so very cool and the harmonies weave in and out of these musical turns you don’t expect. PosterChild is angsty and energetic. Great hooks without being complicated and they ooze passion on the stage. They don’t have music released yet, but they’re playing out quite a bit and I encourage anyone to go see them.
Any other super interesting things about you we should know?
I have synesthesia. There are different types, but mine has to do with colors. For example, chords or notes trigger colors to appear in my brain so with writing it can be very fun. It can also be frustrating when I want the song to go to purple but I’m not in a key where I can play F, which is purple in my brain. I’ve had this my entire life, but I have never been able to utilize it like I have with songwriting. It makes for fun conversations in the studio — ask Alex!
Next show:
Picklesburgh: July 20 at 12 p.m. on the Stanwix Stage
"Devil Behind My Door" was made by:
Vocals/Piano: Anne Celedonia
Bass: Alex Herd
Guitar: Brandon Lehman
Drums: Eddan Sparks
Organ: Lucas Bowman
Composed by: Anne Celedonia/Alex Herd
Engineer/Produced/Mixed by: Alex Herd at Allegheny City Sound
Mastered by: Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios
