Ana-Marija has been in love with music her entire life. She started to sing before she could even speak and showed a strong creative urge in creating art very early in childhood. She read poetry as a child and composed melodies to express the emotions the words made her feel. That way she could sing her favorite poems over and over again.
Ana-Marija decided she wanted to be a professional singer when she was 11 years old, but that was a secret she kept to herself. She assumed that everyone wanted to be a singer, actor, performer and that people would tell her that it was a foolish dream. Regardless, her parents recognized her talent and sensed her love for music, so they enrolled her into music schools and funded her vocal coaching for years.
Even as a 12 year old, Ana-Marija realized she had to have original songs if she wanted to be a recording artist, so she started to study the structure of songs she liked. She would write lyrics, invent melodies and record them onto tape recorders. Very quickly songwriting became more than a desire to have original music and turned into a method of expressing her feelings and coping with the reality around her. It was a way of escaping the world but also embracing it and understanding it better.
When she turned 26 she firmly decided to take matters into her own hands and launch her musical career. In the summer of 2014, she released her first single "Samo Isus može" in Croatia, which was one of the most anticipated Christian singles of the year and is still a frequently requested song on the radio. That was the moment that officially marked the beginning of Ana-Marija Saric's professional music career.
Her music is mainly pop that tends to dip its toes or entire body into other genres, shift between or melt together indie folk, soul, rock pop, baroque pop, synth pop, Americana and country. She composes very melodically which is probably a result of a childhood wrapped up in Disney songs as well as her love for musical theatre. She tones down occasional ‘dramatic’ flares in her music with indie folk and loves to create large and rich vocal harmonies, something she picked up from half a life-time of being a part of church choirs and classical music choirs. Sometimes she strips a song bare to reveal its core, but other times creates the loudest party to which all instruments are invited.
Ana-Marija writes music mainly to understand herself and the world around her. At times she starts with a thought, a lyric, a melody, while other times the music and lyrics pour out together, a feeling she describes as a powerful uncontrollable force inside of her.
Her best songs come from the most honest, raw and strongest emotions. She often writes about her own personal experiences. However, she is an anthropological soul that yearns to connect with and understand other people around her and therefore sometimes pulls inspiration from their life stories.
In the future, Ana-Marija aims to reach an international audience who can connect to her music. She intends to produce music through albums and promote them on international tours. She no longer wants to sit around for a record label, producer or manager who will open doors for her – she will open them herself. She is taking the music into her own hands with full artistic and managerial control over her work.
Ahead of her is her first big musical project – her debut album.
‘During these past couple of years I encountered repeated rejection and it dampened my spirit which was already heavy from years of battling depression. Somehow though, the songs that came out of my heart during that time are motivational and encouraging. They go places and open topics that are rarely discussed. They lay out the truth bare, with no metaphors, no disguises. I truly believe they have the power to help someone express and cope with their own struggles, whatever they may be, or to open one’s eyes and capability to see and understand a loved one who is struggling. These songs have been my healing and still are, every day, and it is my wish that they can help someone as they have helped me. That’s why I write songs. Music is one of the most powerful forms of magic we have and it can heal broken hearts, mend wounds, and erase scars. I am blessed and honored to be one of the souls holding the pen.’