Los Angeles-raised singer/songwriter Anika Erickson (known on Instagram as fancysnowpeas) is nearing the end of her first year at the University of Denver. Age, however, is no shortcoming for Erickson. At 19, Erickson and her band — consisting of Sam Shapiro on guitar, Leith Mcleod on bass and Jake Wehn on drums — have already produced several songs, available on Spotify, and performed over half a dozen times on DU’s campus and other local venues around Denver.
“They’re [the band] freaking amazing, and they also give me really great ideas. One of my songs that’s coming out before summer is called ‘Dramatic,’ and I recorded it with them. I didn’t really know what to do with the end of it, and they really helped me form it together… I couldn’t perform without them,” Erickson said.
Erickson is the living embodiment of the phrase “jack of all trades” as a versatile and adaptable artist. With experience in opera training and participation in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and classical piano lessons, Erickson’s love of music has flourished since an early age.
Listening to her music, it’s easy to hear a multitude of influences and unique ways of expressing herself through different tones, beats and instrumentation. Erickson is the lead vocalist for her band, and currently writes all of the songs they produce. “It’s a great outlet for me and very therapeutic. I write about things that I’m feeling or things that are going on in my life. I use music as a way to cope with something,” Erickson said.
Erickson described that her sound has more recently fallen into the pop-rock category, although she sees this genre as more of a generalization. Her songwriting style is purposeful and profound with lots of undertones of what she is experiencing and feeling. “It just comes out of emotions that are too strong to process, and I also get in my head a lot, so to put something on paper and have it be tangible — my feeling is tangible now, you know, it’s real because it’s right there on this paper,” Erickson voiced.
Her songs can vary from somber and gentle to upbeat and sonorous — a testament to her experiences growing up and dealing with changes in life. In addition, Erickson takes inspiration from events and sounds that most people would not notice or pay much attention to.
“I write songs about my life, but I really love just talking with my friends and taking notes on my phone of them telling a story and I find a way to weave that into a song. I feel like life is music and music just drives everything,” Erickson said. Her song “God’s Good Side,” which is set to be released in May, includes a beat derived from the sound of a motorcycle revving in an episode of Breaking Bad.
Erickson is currently enrolled as a recording and production major at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. As an out-of-state student, she has been able to find community in the music school. “From what I’ve experienced within the DU music community, there is such a talented group of people here. There’s so much passion, and it really drives the school. I’ve found such an incredible community of people here. I could really cry just thinking about them,” Erickson expressed.
While finding community, Erickson has also encountered problems that are representative of most creative industries — working in a male-dominated arena. “It’s insanely male-dominated, I love everyone in my band, but it’s kind of hard. Honestly, I’ve had a lot of times where I feel like I don’t fit in here. People try to tell me that I don’t fit in here, in their actions not in their words — like not taking me seriously — and I feel like this is a pattern in music in general.”
There is one thing evident about Erickson and her music: Her talent and voice exceed any expectations or assumptions about first-year music students, especially as a young woman in the school.
“Music doesn’t have a gender,” she said. “Whenever I am making music I don’t think of it, it’s just the implications that I have to deal with, that all women have to deal with. It can be stressful, but if you’re a woman in music you belong here, you’ve worked your way here and you deserve to be here just as much as anyone else. I can see gender being something that would scare people into not wanting to go into music, but don’t let that stop you. If you’ve got something to say and something to play, then do it.”
Erickson is planning on dropping her new single “God’s Good Side” on May 16 and has plans to release an EP in the near future. In addition, she’s planning on releasing a new song, “Oyster,” with a music video produced by undergraduate students in an MFJS class, Music Video Production, by June. “Honestly the fact that other people listen to my music is really weird to me. I make it just for myself because it’s fun, but the fact that other people have been vibing with it is super cool. I hope they can hear some of the struggles and maybe if they have a similar struggle they will know they’re not alone and know that if nothing else, I’m also going through the same feeling,” Erickson said.
Listen to more music by Anika Erickson on Spotify.
