Anna Shoemaker is an artist who’s long been on our radar, capturing the attention of indie fans with an affecting, lucid brand of ground-level pop music. Of course, we jumped at the chance to catch her live, currently on tour with fellow indie act Joe P as they make their way across the country.
The Singer’s Hits Kick Things Off
We caught her at the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a venue that lives up to its title with an intimate atmosphere and low lighting. Once she took the stage, it became apparent that this was a perfect match for what Anna Shoemaker brings to the table, entering with a minimalistic set-up of simply her, the guitar and a microphone. Beginning with her greatly affecting “Fields,” the lack of any additional bells & whistles placed her vocals and the twangy guitar that runs through so much of her catalog in the spotlight. For certain other acts, this would be a massive detriment, but given the almost private characteristic of her music, it absolutely played to her strengths.
After a brief introduction and an all-too-reliable intro about the song’s core themes, Anna Shoemaker worked into “It’s Depression,” one of her biggest streaming singles to date. Centered around wondering whether her strong romantic feelings are a reflection of something genuine or just a manifestation of a less-than-ideal headspace, Shoemaker’s vocal talents again carried the performance. However, disaster struck midway through with the sound entirely cutting out. As venue staff scrambled to remediate the issue, it became clear that this wasn’t just a brief technical glitch and the outage threatened to last an extended period.
Anna Shoemaker Spins A Pro Moment Out Of A Bad Hand
Rather than vamp to fill the indefinite stretch, Anna Shoemaker eventually picked the song off exactly where she left it, just sans microphone. After earnestly asking the crowd for quiet, a crop of long-time fans in the audience were able to craft a real “sing-along,” almost spinning the defiant single into a choir performance during the hook. Finishing to a notable crowd pop, the audio issues still remained, prompting the Philadelphia singer to veer off course and jump into Chapelle Roan’s “Casual,” producing the same harmony with the crowd (albeit with a bit of assistance from one of this year’s hottest commodities).
Midway through the cover, things jolted back to life and we were back on track. As the set progressed, fan favorites like “Close to the Sun,” “Hey Anna” and “Change My Mind” made appearances, the lattermost established by Shoemaker as a song she includes “because my friends love when I play it.”
A Preview Of What’s To Come For Anna Shoemaker In 2025
However, for the most dedicated section of the singer’s fanbase, the biggest intrigue came from the unreleased material. While it’s public knowledge now, she gave an early tease of her sophomore album coming in 2025, produced with help from frequent collaborator Constantine Anastasakis of the band Blonder. She then tipped off the release of her single “Game of Thrones,” also now on streaming platforms, built on an on-again, off-again narrative of breakups and makeups.
If one song was best fit for the intimate, emotional atmosphere of the night, it was “Back Again,” another cut from the 2025 project. Obviously, it’ll be easier to get a sense of the song’s production once released, but in this demo-like state, raw emotion truly propelled the track. The end of the song in particular, repeating the phrase “we’re gonna get it right,” foreshadows some seriously affecting material on this project.
Serving as opener can often be an unenviable spot, and being let down by equipment only amplifies those challenges, but Anna Shoemaker assuredly added a number of fans with how she handled it in NYC. Catch all of what she has out, including the new single “Game Of Thrones,” wherever you stream your music.
Elsewhere in our coverage, catch up on an album of the year candidate with Peggy Gou – I Hear You.
