The Huffington Post hails Anana Kaye’s work as, “Gorgeous. Rich and strong, yet tender and translucent.” Now, the celebrated Nashville-based artist—a native of the Republic of Georgia—joins the distinguished roster at Meridian (ECR Music Group) for her forthcoming new album, Are You There?, and its lead single, “Cordelia.” Alongside her long-time musical collaborator and co-writer Irakli Gabriel, Anana Kaye has made an album for a world at its tipping point—a world of both beauty and tragedy—and she meets that world head on.
With “Cordelia” out now, we took some time to hear from Anana Kaye. Read below to learn more about Anana Kaye, the story behind “Cordelia,” and what’s to come.
Hi Anana Kaye! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
Anana is my given name. It’s an old name from Georgian mythology. Kaye came naturally when I decided to shorten my last name.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I’m from Tbilisi, Georgia. I live in Nashville now.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I attended a classical music school as a kid and played piano, so music was always part of my life. But, I really began pursuing it as a career when I met my musical and life partner, Irakli Gabriel. I followed him to the U.S., and we started writing and recording music together.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
Flavorful. It’s rooted in songwriting, but it isn’t tied to one genre or mood. The song has to stand on its own in the most stripped down way, but then the fun is figuring out arrangements, sounds, tones during the recording process, which is usually translated in live performances.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
I find cooking very creative. It’s intuitive and grounding. It’s not too different from songwriting and recording. All about the right ingredients, having some plan, but leaving room for improvisation.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Kate Bush, Bob Dylan, amongst others.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
When the songs stop belonging to me. When someone tells me a song helped them put words to something that they couldn’t articulate before.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
Learning when to step back, listen, and let the work speak for itself.
Now onto your release, “Cordelia.” What inspired this song? What is “Cordelia” about?
It’s hard to say what songs are about, but this one was inspired by and based on William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Irakli and I were writing with David Olney at the time and also performed several times at the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. These are timeless themes and can be interpreted in a myriad of ways creatively.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “Cordelia?”
The work of Sergei Parajanov, the brilliant Armenian film director maybe. The shoot itself was very impromptu, we didn’t plan much at all.
What was the creative process like when making “Cordelia?”
The structure and the lyrics came together rather quickly, but finding instrumentations and making decisions required quite a bit of experimentation, which is very fun, but can also be quite frustrating.
How long did it take to complete “Cordelia?”
Too long, but in a way that felt necessary. Writing didn’t take a long, but the recording did and was rather…layered. It evolved over time and required sitting with uncertainty until it revealed what it wanted to be. Colors had to come to life on their own, I suppose.
What is your favorite lyric in “Cordelia” and why?
The “Are You There?” refrain. We ended up naming the album after it. I like it because it can hold different meanings depending on who’s listening.
What message or messages do you hope fans take away from “Cordelia” and your music in general?
I think the meaning shifts depending on who’s listening and where they’re coming from. If the music leaves room for people to reflect or feel something in their own way, that’s enough for me.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
The new album, Are You There?, is gonna be available in March 2026. We have a few selected dates scheduled, I’m sure more will be added
Where can we follow you on social media?
https://www.instagram.com/ananakaye
https://www.facebook.com/AnanaKaye
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
