Rising Star Anna Goldsmith Drops Electrifying New Wave/Grunge Anthem “Brain Boyfriend”
Ever thought you were in a relationship and found out too late you weren’t? It’s easy to feel like a fool, isn’t it? Well, Innisfil, Ontario’s Anna Goldsmith is here to tell you not to beat yourself up over it. After all, there are far healthier ways to deal with the realization that the love connection you had thought so genuine was all in your imagination.
Like blaming the other person for it.
On her invigorating new single, “Brain Boyfriend,” Goldsmith reflects on an ideal pairing that turned out to be a mirage. And the strategy she hits on for deflecting her shame is to blow a rousing raspberry of “How dare you”—while keeping it out there that this thing could still work, just in case anybody’s listening.
“I’m done wastin’ all my tissues/ We can work around your issues,” she challenges, teeing up an irresistible chorus that washes away all the nights of tears and denial with a promise that her “brain boyfriend” may yet be hers—“You just don’t know it yet.”
“I had the idea for the song when I was in California one summer,” Goldsmith reveals. “I was talking with this guy and he led me on. I really thought he liked me, but when I admitted my feelings for him, he said he didn’t feel the same.”
Yep, we’ve all been there. But few of us have been able to reply with a musical statement as sardonically satisfying as “Brain Boyfriend,” which Goldsmith calls “a new wave/grunge combo, and fun dance music that’s conveying the classic angry teenage girl: Me.” That’s undeniable, although the track’s echoey wall of sound harks back even farther, putting it squarely in the tradition of great girl-act indignation.
Pretty sophisticated for a 17-year-old, especially one whose past singles have tended toward earnest and uplifting anthems of empowerment like “Shine.” (She’s also released covers of Blondie’s “One Way or Another” and The Kinks’ “Father Christmas.”) Then again, Goldsmith is the epitome of a quick study, having only started taking vocal lessons eight years ago and now already finding herself well on the path to her first full-length album. Along the way, she’s become a seasoned live performer too, with appearances at Toronto’s legendary El Mocambo club and Revival Bar, Friday Harbour in her hometown of Innisfil and the Chelsea Music Hall in New York City. Just this year, she captivated a riveted audience at the legendary Cameron House for Canadian Music Week.
Also, as part of her busy 2024, she won the National Association of Teachers of Singing’s (NATS) annual National Student Auditions for commercial music in Knoxville, TN, topping a roster of 1,000 entrants and 400 semifinalists. And you can both hear and see her on the film festival circuit as well: She has an acting role in With Grace Productions’ short Sara Snow and the Seven Dancers, for which she wrote and recorded the song “Shine.”
When she isn’t pursuing her artistic muse, Goldsmith lives up to the can-do spirit behind her songs by volunteering with groups that provide needed support to at-risk youth. Now, we ask you: Could any guy assemble a better “brain girlfriend” if he tried? And if your instinct is to answer “yes,” please consider that it might be all in your head.
What have you been up to since we last talked?
I have been working on songwriting; I worked with the Canadian Musicians Co-operative this summer and was able to gig a lot locally! I was also a part of YOUTH DAY Global, and i showcased with Canadian Music Week!
“Brain Boyfriend” touches on the relatable experience of unrequited love. What was the emotional journey like for you when writing this song?
I wrote this song when I was in California, two summers ago, when I was very confused and questioning if I should continue talking to this guy back home. I was very conflicted, and I didn’t really understand why this relationship felt so distant. Later, after the trip, I found out that it was a situation of unrequited love, and I was just disappointed.
The track blends new wave and grunge with a fun, danceable sound. What are you listening to now that influenced this?
For this track I wanted something unique, fun, and very Anna Goldsmith. I thought by combining new wave and grunge sounds like those of Courtney Love and Blur, I would come out with the exact vibe and feel for my “Brain Boyfriend”. I love grunge and new wave music, and I’ve been listening to The Cranberries, Hole, and Blur, specifically the song, “Girls and Boys”.
You’ve covered iconic songs like Blondie’s “One Way or Another” and The Kinks’ “Father Christmas.” What have you learned about doing covers that have helped you as a songwriter and artist?
I think doing cover songs is very important, especially performing them, because firstly, it’s a great way to practice your performance and secondly, it is crucial in an artist’s journey to find their unique style and their unique image. By performing or singing cover songs as an artist, you have creative liberties and can make each song you sing your own. So you’re singing a unique, and never heard before version of it that is fully you.
You’ve already performed at legendary venues like El Mocambo and Cameron House. What’s that like?
Performing at these venues has been a goal of mine since I was young. I have always had a hunger for performance and having the opportunity to perform at these venues, to be honest, was a life-changing experience. One of my first performances as my own artist when I was really getting into punk and grunge genres, I performed at the El Mocambo and it reminded me that I am meant to perform, I am meant to sing, and I meant to make people feel something.