Susan Anders – Now I’m a Kite (Zanna Discs, 2025)
American singer-songwriter Susan Anders returns with Now I’m a Kite, a new collection of introspective, enlightened, engaging and moving songs. Known for her literate lyrics and a genre-mixing sound that fuses Americana, folk-pop, and jazz, Anders recorded the album after relocating from Nashville to Santa Fe, New Mexico, a period marked by personal and geographical upheaval. She describes the songs as reflections on transition, climate anxiety, grief, forgiveness, and renewal.
After writing the material in Oregon, Anders and her longtime collaborator and husband, producer/guitarist Tom Manche, assembled a cast of musicians from both Nashville and Santa Fe to shape the final recording. The sessions included contributions from drummer Waldo LaTowsky, bassist Chazz Frichtel, and multi-instrumentalist Tim Lorsch, who added strings to “Mourning 101.” Pianist John Rangel played on “Float” and “You Can Go Ahead,” while Dana Cooper and Busy McCarroll lent their voices to select tracks. Other vocalists include Kim Weiss, Renee Hayes, Teri Lynn Browning, and Eddie, their dog and studio mascot, who made his disapproval known when playtime was delayed by tracking sessions.
Anders grew up in Berkeley, California, and earned degrees from UC Santa Cruz and San Francisco State. Her eclectic early career included fronting rock, jazz, and Motown bands across Northern California, delivering singing telegrams, and teaching doo-wop to Buddhist monks. In 1990, she met Manche in Los Angeles, where they formed the band Susan’s Room, which toured and released albums throughout the 1990s.
Following a move to Nashville in 2002, Anders launched her solo career, releasing Release (2005), Swimmer (2010), Loop de Loop (2016), and 13 Women (2021). Her songs have been recorded by a range of artists including the Four Bitchin’ Babes, The Irrationals, Renee Hayes, and The Viper Creek Band. In parallel, Anders has established herself as a respected vocal coach, working with thousands of singers such as Hillary Scott (Lady A), Dierks Bentley, Chase Bryant, and Joey Heatherton.
Buy Now I’m a Kite.
Author: Ryan Emmert
