Interview with Annika

Where are you from?
I was born in Hanau, Germany and grew up there. I first came to the States in 1998 but at the end of my year I met this gorgeous cute guy called Hippydan. Since then I've been back and forth between Germany and the US. I now consider both home, Germany and the Pacific North West.

What kind of music did you listen to?
I grew up with hardly any music. As a teenager I tried all kinds of different styles, from country to punk to metal. I got stuck on industrial and acoustic folk stuff with tons of percussions. My favorite band now is Madison Greene. Check them out at www.MadisonGreene.com, they rock.

What got you into Celtic and Medieval music?
The same cute hippy that brought me back to the US. He had just started getting into Celtic music when we met. I bought him the German medieval bagpipes which got both of us into medieval music. He's a Major chords kind of a guy, very happy up-beat music, I'm into the Minor chords, the majestic melancholy music. We've met in the middle, with Celtic and medieval music.

What are some of your goals as a musician?
Right now we play Celtic AND medieval music. I really want to see the styles merge more, so that we'll end up playing Celtic-medieval music. I also dig African drumming and I'm antsy to include that into our music. Eventually we want to add heavy guitars to the mix and psychedelic sounds. I can't wait to find a healthy blend of all of these elements, because I don't think that kind of music exists anywhere but in my head right now, and I can't wait to hear what it will really sound like. I also want to learn more instruments. The pipes are first on the list, followed by concert flute and more.