Austrian pop singer Anna-Sophie wrote parts of her single “Home” in Chicago and Toronto following a dispute with her team over her lifestyle.
The Bottom Line
- Anna-Sophie penned her single “Home” abroad after friction with her team over her work on a family farm in the Austrian region of Styria.
- The singer has worked professionally in music for five years and maintains her agricultural routine, noting that her father expects her on the tractor regardless of evening performances.
- In November, the pop act will launch a “Stecker raus-Akustik Tour” featuring pianos and a string quartet following an appearance at the Vienna Hofburg.
Inspiration from Chicago Parks to Canadian Falls
The writing process for “Home” spanned multiple international locations. The initial dispute with her team centered on the accusation “that I might not fit into the music world because I like staying at home on the farm too much,” Anna-Sophie said in an interview with the APA. The friction prompted her to leave both music and agriculture temporarily to spend two weeks in Chicago.
“I wanted to show: Yes, I am the country girl, but I can do city life too,” she explained. Sitting in a Chicago park and watching pigeons sparked a realization. “I thought: It only makes sense to combine my two worlds.” The resulting track features the lyric “I am from Austria,” a nod to Rainhard Fendrich. “I briefly thought: Hopefully he won’t sue me. Actually, it’s a homage to Austria,” she noted. She wrote the first verse in Chicago, the second in Toronto “at the Niagara Falls,” and completed the bridge during a flight back and in a Vienna studio.
Balancing Agricultural Life with Radio Hits
Despite five years of professional success and regular airplay, Anna-Sophie maintains her rural duties in Styria. “Everyone working in the music business knows that nothing is handed to you. You always have to stay on the ball,” she stated. “Honestly, a few years ago I never would have thought I’d even be played on the radio once.”
Public recognition has changed little of her daily routine. “My songs are much better known than my person,” she said. “Apart from occasionally being invited to two more drinks at the Buschenschank, nothing has changed. If I’m not on the tractor at eight o’clock, Dad scolds me, no matter if I had a gig the night before or not.”
| Tour Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Tour Name | Stecker raus-Akustik Tour |
| Launch Date | November |
| Instrumentation | Piano, String Quartet, Acoustic Guitar |
| Origin Venue | Vienna Hofburg Ball |
Transitioning to Acoustic Arrangements
The upcoming tour stems from a performance at the Vienna Hofburg, where she was invited to open a ball. Playing her original compositions on the piano accompanied by a string quartet, she decided to adapt her catalog for live acoustic settings. “All my songs are created at home at the piano. Therefore, the produced songs can be taken back to their original version,” she noted. The upcoming shows will feature stripped-down instrumentation utilizing a string quartet, piano, and acoustic guitar to show that radiopop can move in a classical direction.
