Anita Lester
Anita Lester’s Sun And Moon And Stars searches for connection in a disconnected world
Listen to any of Anita Lester’s songs, and you’ll find yourself entranced by the inner workings of her deepest thoughts.
Written in the middle of 2020, her new single Sun And Moon And Stars masterfully captures feelings of connectedness in a time of uncertainty and isolation.
“Walking through the usually bustling streets of St Kilda and feeling the dead air was quite a profound thing to witness every day. I was feeling so alone but also feeling so connected with the quietness of that moment in the world,” she says.
Anita Lester is a Melbourne–based musician, writer, and artist. After releasing her debut EP, Erato in 2020, her new music encapsulates the lessons she’s learned amid a globalpandemic.
“Everyone has these very inner tumultuous worlds, but there’s something so much bigger that connects us all” she says.
Like many artists and musicians, Anita found herself stuck for inspiration when the world shut down last year. “I’ve been writing music since I was a young teenager and it usually comes out quickly and easily, but [in 2020] I only wrote 1/50th of what I usually would in a year.
“Even though there’s been less of it, the quality of the music I’ve made, I think, has been more substantial and considered,” she says.
In Sun And Moon And Stars, Anita uses the universal experience of the pandemic as her muse, creating an experience listeners can relate to. Her folk–centric style is honest and raw.
“I’m trying to not write about my romantic experiences. I think a lot of artists chase the romantic muse, but a lot of my music is centred around the universe and the world we live in.”
After a year of Zoom calls and livestreams, Anita is still experiencing the impacts of the pandemic on live performances.
“When I get up on stage now, it’s simultaneously the best feeling in the world but also completely terrifying. Everyone I know who is playing music again feels like an imposter in their own industry” she says.
Anita will be performing a stripped back show at Sydney’s Giant Dwarf Theatre on July 8 that will treat listeners to an intimate night of unique storytelling.
“It’s kind of the first gesture to the world of my new sound. I have a dynamic presentation of the different instruments that I play and the types of stories that I tell between me and an instrument.”
Jul 8, Giant Dwarf Theatre, 280 Cleveland St, Surry Hills. $20-$25+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.giantdwarf.com.au
By Tessa Pelle
