Q&A with Annika Rose
Interviewed by Olivia Emigh
I met Annika Rose and her manager, Alice Dabell, at the Norma Kamali presentation during New York Fashion Week in September. Annika struck me immediately, almost like a cartoon character come to life. There was something magnetic about her and she managed to stand out in a crowd of stylized attendees. Annika handed me one of her self-published newspapers, and as someone who also works in print and publication, I was instantly intrigued.
When I asked about it, Annika explained that the newspaper began as a way of reclaiming her narrative and transforming emotional fallout into art. That blend of humor, defiance, and emotional intelligence made perfect sense once I started listening to her music.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Annika was already playing in bands by age ten. Born into a musical family, her career began early: covering Led Zeppelin at ten, signing to a girl group at thirteen, and being dropped from a major label at fifteen. Instead of giving up, she went independent and developed a sound influenced by Paramore, Joni Mitchel, and Alanis Morissette.
Alchemizing Pain, Building Worlds, and Finding Light
Today Annika has more than 70,000 Spotify followers and millions of streams. She is proving that building worlds, trusting intuition, and owning your story can create impact. Her single “I’M GOOD. I’M GREAT.” follows the release of her Broadway and Bond EP. The writing took place between New York and Los Angeles and was inspired by a whirlwind romance she describes as “the lie I told myself through gritted teeth to stay alive.”
The choice of a comic book store for our shoot felt intuitive. It matched her world perfectly. Her universe is bold, surreal, and self-referential in the best way. As Labelgrid put it, “Marketing does not need money. Annika Rose turned a street newspaper into promo and fan merch. Offline sparks online.”
Her universe now extends beyond music and into physical world-building. The second edition of the Bond St Bulletin was released alongside “TAKE OFF.” on November 7, blurring the line between storytelling, satire, and real-world distribution.
Annika Rose posing with a copy of her self-published newspaper.
Photo: Alyssa Tranbarger (@alyssatranbargerphoto)
HMUA: Nahla Simone (black-lotus.studio)
Your newspaper project: How did it come about, and what did you want it to express?
As an independent artist funding my work out of pocket and leading the creative as a full-time practice, it isn’t always feasible for me to play shows consistently. Even though live performance is the part that matters most to me. Being in a shared physical space, meeting someone’s eyes, and experiencing something communally within a specific environment is at the heart of why I make music.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to create those kinds of connections in real life without relying solely on shows. It felt intuitive to land on a format that could do that while also giving me more room to contextualize what’s being explored in my music, stories that often extend far beyond what three minutes can hold.
The newspapers help build out that universe. They offer a tangible, in-real-life point of entry that feels more engaging to me, while also carrying a sense of uniqueness and rarity that makes the experience feel special.
Your August track release (“I’M GOOD. I’M GREAT.”) felt raw and cinematic. What story were you telling, and how did the rollout feel?
I was telling the story of surviving something I knew was killing me but felt paralyzed inside of. The spiral and the song began in New York. It was finished in Los Angeles after the worst had already happened. For much of the writing, I was still in it, convincing myself in real time that I was genuinely okay.
The hardest part was accepting that even the most discerning people can get caught in a landslide when someone is skilled at being harmful. My instinct has always been to help others find their own goodness rather than recognizing that some things are not mine to teach or fix.
The rollout became cathartic. Bringing the project back to the street where everything began, distributing the papers, and rewriting the story for myself in a new light helped me reclaim a sense of agency. For the first time in a long time, I felt empowered again.
This story does not belong only to me. Being able to validate a community of people who were or still are trapped in something destructive has become an exchange of shared recognition, hope, and healing.
“Being independent means I get to play — experiment with visuals, character development, clothing, and world-building. I wanted to move away from screen culture and bring the art into real life.”
What’s next for you? Shows, collabs, projects?
I’M FINISHING NEW MUSIC! AHHH!!! The next EP… and then hopefully an album. It’s been my dream since I was a little girl: a full, cohesive body of work, meticulously crafted through stories, transitions, themes, and visuals.
I’m also creating the next newspaper, which will now accompany every song release. I want to build a rabbit hole for people to fall into: music, visuals, real-world touchpoints.
Fashion is also a huge part of my world. The intersection of music and fashion thrills me, and I’m excited to see where it leads. Playing live is my favorite part of all this, so there will be plenty of shows and hopefully another tour soon. I’m all about REAL LIFE SHIT, we need that more than ever.
Annika Rose posing at Anyone Comics in Crown Heights.
Photo: Alyssa Tranbarger (@alyssatranbargerphoto)
HMUA: Nahla Simone (black-lotus.studio)
What’s your go-to “typical Annika” look?
White blouse, black tie, black shorts, white socks, Doc Martens, a black star above my lip, and dark eyes.
I call her Sir Nik.
She’s fearless, powerful, and absolutely sure of what she came here to do. She’s the woman who dares to take up space and speak up, no bullshit. She lives inside every woman who’s been silenced or undervalued.
Because we make the world go round, and sometimes all it takes is a suit and tie to remember that.
If there’s one thing you want people to know about you right now, what is it?
“I am your friend.”
What’s clear is that Rose isn’t just releasing singles, she’s building an interconnected universe. Each song comes with its own newspaper, visuals, characters, and physical ephemera. The goal, she says, is to “build a rabbit hole people can fall into.”
Annika Rose posing at Anyone Comics in Crown Heights.
Photo: Alyssa Tranbarger (@alyssatranbargerphoto)
HMUA: Nahla Simone (black-lotus.studio)