.

.

Interview with
ANNE-MARIE KEANE

(12th January 2026)

Interview by Dave Bruce

.

.

1. Have you always wanted to be an artist? When did you get the song writing bug?
a. I have always been drawn to making things. As a child it showed up first through movement and classical piano rather than songwriting in the traditional sense. I did not sit down thinking, I want to write songs. I was more interested in translating feeling into sound. The real turning point came when I realized music could tell stories without words. That discovery changed everything and pulled me fully into composing.

2. Briefly describe your journey to date.
a. I began as a child by studying classical piano and music theory. I was also a ballet dancer. I returned to school to get my Master of Music in Film Scoring with the intention of writing music for ballet. I already had a solid background in music composition. I wanted to further develop my musical storytelling voice.Over time that expanded into composing for ensembles, releasing original projects, and eventually building a life that blends music with exploration. I started racing sailboats in college, and met my husband at the US Olympic trials. We are now embarking on a voyage around the world. I started writing the music for Layers of a Woman while we were preparing for our voyage. With the album out, our adventure truly begins, and my commitment to storytelling through music continues.

3. How would you describe your sound? Why do you think fans resonate with your music?
a. My sound sits somewhere between classical minimalism and emotional storytelling. It is grounded in real instruments and human breath rather than perfection. I think listeners connect because the music does not tell them how to feel. It leaves space. People bring their own stories to it, and that shared openness creates resonance.

4. Layers of a Woman is being released while you’re living aboard your 60-foot sailboat, Alpenglow, mid–cross-Atlantic expedition. What does it feel like to release such an intimate body of work while physically moving across the world?
a. It feels exposed in the best way. There is something humbling about sharing such personal music while surrounded by something so vast and uncontrollable. The ocean reminds you daily that you are small, but also deeply connected to everything. Releasing the album from that place makes it feel honest and unprotected, which mirrors the spirit of the music itself.

.

.

5. This album grew out of your debut ballet, Untamed Woman. How did writing for dancers first shape the emotional arc of the album we’re hearing now?
a. Writing for dancers taught me discipline and intention. Every note had to serve the body in motion. That foundation shaped the emotional pacing of the album. Even as the music expanded beyond the stage, it retained a sense of physicality. You can still feel where a breath would land or where weight would shift, even without seeing the movement.

6. Each track explores a different “layer” of womanhood. Was there one composition that felt especially personal or challenging to write?
a. The most challenging pieces were the ones that included the human voice as an instrument. This was the first time I wrote for the human voice. The muscles of the tongue, jaw, and lips allow for incredible control over pitch, tone, and musical expression in real-time. I had to learn how to collaborate with the vocalists and tap into their unique vocal qualities to tell the story. For example, the track called “Grieving” started as a recording I made of Ursula Verduzco, the choreographer of Untamed Woman, singing extemporaneously. Her voice is so powerful, raw and multi dimensional that I took the recording and orchestrated a whole piece around it.

7. What parallels do you see between long-distance sailing — endurance, surrender, trust — and the themes of resilience woven throughout Layers of a Woman?
a. Both require trust. You prepare as much as you can, but eventually you have to surrender to forces beyond your control. Resilience is not about constant strength. It is about adaptation, listening, and knowing when to hold steady and when to let go. That
philosophy lives in both the music and the sailing journey.

8. The album is performed by the all-female Ensemble Mycelium. Why was it important to you that this music be interpreted through an entirely female ensemble?
a. I created Layers of a Woman as a story about Women and to celebrate our many layers of life, relationships, and emotions. It was important to have an all-women trio record the music for the album because they would intuitively understand its emotional landscape through their own life experience. Their interpretations added layers I could not have written myself.

.

.

9. Instrumental music relies purely on feeling rather than lyrics. What emotions or stories do you hope listeners project onto the album when they hear it for the first time?
a. I hope they project their own. I do not want to prescribe meaning. If someone hears strength, , sorrow, acceptance, freedom, or radiance , then the music has done its job. The album is meant to be a mirror rather than a message.

10. Living and creating in close quarters on a sailboat is a very different environment than a traditional studio. How has that lifestyle changed the way you compose or listen to your own work?
a. It has made me more selective and more present. There is no excess space, physically or mentally. I listen to my environment more carefully now. I love the music created by the natural world and by local musicians in the countries we visit. It fills my brain with sounds and ideas, and then I put on my headphones and find a quiet space to capture the music in my head.

11. Layers of a Woman expands beyond the original ballet score with new and extended
compositions. How did you know which pieces needed to grow beyond the stage?
a. Some pieces continued speaking to me after the ballet’s NYC premiere in June 2024. They felt unfinished, not structurally but emotionally. When music keeps asking questions after its initial purpose has been fulfilled, I know it wants to evolve.

12. Now that the album is officially out, what does the next chapter look like — more sailing, more performances, or new compositions inspired by where the journey takes you next?
a. We officially start our voyage around the world on January 18. We will be sailing from Antigua to the Panama canal and stopping along the way to experience the scenery, food and cultures of various Caribbean Islands. I will be telling the story of our sailing journey with music. Some people write blogs, I write music.

.

.

13. What tours and events are coming up? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
a. I will be living on our boat for the next 16 months as we sail around the world. Once the trip is done, I hope to have a body of work from which I can select tracks for a new album. This will be a very personal work about my voyage, the places I visit and the people I meet. Up until now, I have been working on projects for other people. I am both terrified and excited to write something just for me.

14. If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
a. I don’t consider myself much of a performer. I prefer writing music and having someone else step on the stage to perform it. But if I could spend time with a performer, I would want to spend time with Jon Batiste. I saw him in concert this summer and experienced the joy he has for making music and celebrating life. I watched him walk through Ford Amphitheater with his band, leading everyone outside, singing and dancing like we were walking through The French Quarter in New Orleans. I would love to move people with music like Jon does!

Now for some quickfire questions to get a little personal:
15. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
a. Sail across the Atlantic Ocean
16. What is the one topic you can talk about for hours?
a. Music – how it makes me feel and how it lets me express myself
17. What is the thing you like most about yourself?
a. My Optimism – I try to find the good in everyone and everything

Finally, let’s find out what your current (or all time) favorites are –
18. Album – The Lockdown Sessions by Elton John – I love how he collaborated with other artists
19. Artist – Lady Gaga – an extraordinary talented and creative woman
20. Movie – The Princess Bride – Great story and music score
21. Place to visit – Croatia – I loved sailing from island to island in crystal waters
22. Venue to play – My Living Room with my grand piano
23. Food – Oysters with mignonette sauce
24. Drink – Aperol Spritz
25. Person in History – Queen Elizabeth I – for her leadership and strength

.

.

Follow ANNE-MARIE KEANE
Website – Instagram – Facebook 

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB