Photo Credit Laura Zeke Photography
Canadian country artist Annika Catharina is celebrating the November 1st music video release for her newest single, “Love and Hate”.
Along with 150K Spotify streams for the single already, Annika marked its release as the cover artist of Amazon Music’s “Poppin’ Country” playlist, along with editorial spots on Apple Music (“Today’s Country”, “Canada’s Country”, and “New in Country”) and Spotify (“North Country” and “Country Frontier”).
Written by Annika along with Parker Graye and the song’s producers The Renaissance (Dan Botch and Garrett Ward), “Love and Hate” is the third single of 2024 for the rising country artist out of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The music video was directed by Max Chadwick.
“Love and Hate” kicks off with an energetic guitar riff that slides into the song’s trademark drum beat to accompany Annika’s fiery vocal exploration of an overheated, tumultuous and doomed relationship.
Annika says, “Timing is everything. Sometimes two people are perfect on paper, but they’re together at the wrong time. Before long, they’re trapped in what feels like an endless cycle of passionate love, rising anger, and crushing anguish. After being in such a relationship, I know the highs and lows too well. All these years later, it felt like the right time to revisit and reflect on that experience and craft a song to capture all of those emotions. ‘Love and Hate’ emerged.”
What’s the story behind this “Love and Hate”?
A past relationship inspired Love and Hate! I remember listening to a lot of upbeat, almost outlaw rock-style country music last spring and thought that if I was going to sing about this previous relationship, an upbeat style and sound would compliment the message of love and hate well.
I remember writing the pre-chorus on my guitar while thinking this song was a mix of sass and pleading. There’s something about being stuck in an endless cycle that makes you happy, angry but also a little sad. After all, it is hard to see the purpose of it when you’re in the middle of it all.
Any life experiences drew you to write it?
Long ago, I was in a relationship where the timing was not right for us. Looking from the outside the relationship was great, and it should have worked, but there was something about the relationship that always felt like we were caught between loving and hating each other. Years later, I found myself reflecting on this relationship when one of my friends shared a similar situation that reminded me of my relationship in the past. I got into songwriting later in my music journey and knew this was a song I wanted to write and sing. If I had been writing during this relationship, it would have helped me process some of my feelings. Now was the time to address some of those feelings I once had and write out some of my thoughts.
What’s the main message behind it?
“Love and Hate” looks at the complicated relationship between two similar people who shouldn’t be together anymore. Sometimes, it’s hard to see if the relationship is worth all the ups and downs when you don’t take the time to step away and give each other space and the back and forth goes on forever.
How does this track relate to the previous two singles?
Both “What If “I and “Bandit” are about relationships. “What if I” is about going for all those what-ifs in life and dealing with the unknowns no matter how scary it may be. At the same time, “Bandit” is a mysterious song about want and desire, and stealing someone’s heart like a bandit.
Like my previous singles, “Love and Hate” is about a relationship. However, it isn’t so much about chasing the unknowns or stealing someone’s heart as it is about the endless cycle of loving someone and being disappointed.
Who are your favorite artists of all time and why?
This question is always hard to answer, and my answer is constantly changing. There are so many talented and inspirational artists that I look up to and aspire to be. I have always admired Mumford and Sons, The Glorious Sons, Kelly Clarkson, JJ Wilde, Nothing But Thieves, Zach Bryan, and Kacey Musgraves and recently was blown away by Charles Wesley Godwin at a concert. I’ve been following Charles Welsey Godwin’s music for years and waited for the day he’d come to Canada. He finally went on a North American tour, where I was fortunate to watch him live. I was in awe of his artistry, vocals, and stage presence!!
What inspired the music video and your visuals in general?
The music inspired me. The energetic guitar riff felt like it needed a visual encompassing my emotions and the “country” elements, such as the barn, the old truck, the field, and acoustic guitar playing. We were able to film the whole video in two locations: the road and my friend’s property on the outskirts.
What was the record or song that made you realize you wanted to be an artist in the first place?
Growing up, we played CDs, as many people did before streaming services. My family was also big on entertaining, having fun and being creative! The CDs we owned and frequently played were by Coldplay, Keane, Meatloaf, AC/DC, Kelly Clarkson, Fergie, Elton John, Evanescence, and The Chicks. These CDs made me feel alive while singing in the car, and I wanted to sing as much as I could. This is where musical numbers with actual singing started to take on major roles at family events and reunions.
Being a country artist, many would assume I grew up with country music playing all the time but that wasn’t the case. I was late to the country game until Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” and “Walking After Midnight” made me fall in love with it.
What are the main themes of your storytelling, and what other topics would you like to explore?
So far, my main themes have been about love and different types of relationships. I’d love to explore more stories that aren’t just centered around relationships and are about some of the other life experiences that I have had but haven’t touched on yet.
What do you think is the status of country music in Canada right now?
I think country music in Canada is booming, and country music in general is really taking off. I keep hearing people talk about how country music is cool again, and that is definitely true! So many great songs, collaborations, and artists are coming up through country music, sharing their stories that are undeniably great!!
What are your plans for 2025?
My plan is to release another single, “Dishonest,” at the start of 2025 and a short EP, “You And Me,” in the spring. I want to keep writing and releasing music and plan more live shows!
