Anna Lynch’s debut single “Wake Up” isn’t just a first release; it’s a full-body exhale. Marrying jazz-laced instrumentation with pop warmth and soul-searching lyrics, the Manchester-based newcomer crafts a sonic reminder that we’re allowed to break, bloom, and begin again.

Stream: “Wake Up” – Anna Lynch

When Anna Lynch sings, it feels like the world softens – like it might be safe to feel everything at once.

The Manchester-based artist steps into her solo era with “Wake Up,” a stirring debut that fuses jazz-tinged warmth with soul-baring lyrics and quietly powerful vocals. Known for her presence in Manchester’s vibrant live scene, Lynch now emerges with a sound that’s entirely her own: introspective, intricate, and endlessly inviting. From Pollard Yard songwriting sessions to late-night revelations about identity, womanhood, and healing, she’s crafting music that doesn’t just speak – it listens.

In conversation with Atwood Magazine, Lynch opens up about writing through rock bottom, the sonic fingerprints that make her music unmistakably hers, and what it means to bloom (and wither) in the spotlight – without ever losing yourself.

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:: stream/purchase Wake Up here ::

:: connect with Anna Lynch here ::

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Stream: “Wake Up” – Anna Lynch

A CONVERSATION WITH ANNA LYNCH

Atwood Magazine: “Wake Up” is such a stunning debut. What made this the right song to introduce yourself to the world as a solo artist?

Anna Lynch: Thank you! I love this song, I think it may have been the first song we wrote and it just felt so right. Last year I hit rock bottom, and “Wake Up” is all about waking up to all that you are, to all that you have and to all you can be. This song is a rebirth and it’s all about loving yourself. “Wake Up” had to be out first, and I will forever remember this song as the start of this journey.

You’ve spent years performing in Manchester’s music scene with other bands – what did stepping out on your own for this project feel like emotionally and creatively?

Anna Lynch: It felt scary at first, but it just feels so right. I truly believe not creating made me feel like a part of me was missing, and I feel so aligned and connected to my creativity right now. As a tiny tiny artist, it is hard to see how I can get to where I want to be – but my anchor point is how good this feels and how happy it makes me. The more I create, the more I want to create. Writing is my happiness.

The song was written on a summer’s day in a shipping container at Pollard Yard (we love an aesthetic origin story). Can you take us back to that session with Rhys Jiang? What sparked the magic?

Anna Lynch: Love that question so much – it literally made me smile reading it. Ahead of that session, we had met up for a coffee to discuss Rhys producing me, and I’m so glad I reached out. He has brought out the best of me as an artist. That day was a gorgeous sunny day. We started (and still do) every session with a coffee – we walked to ‘Off The Press’ in Ancoats for our fix – and then came back and started working on “Wake Up.” I can’t remember the exact time frames, but what I do know is this chorus flowed to me so easily. Over the following months, we nurtured this song to what you now hear. The magic was just in the song – it had to come out. The energy in the room was so calm and safe.

You’ve said this track is about “waking up to yourself” and embracing your own complexity as a woman. Was there a moment in your own life that helped this lyric take shape?

Anna Lynch: I think last year, after hitting rock bottom, I truly just had to turn inward. I had to look at the way I was talking to myself, the way I felt about myself – and quite literally wake up to what was really there. Wake up to the way people loved me, saw me, and try to harness that kinder mindset towards myself.

“You can bloom and wither and still be beautiful.” That line lingers. How did you land on that sentiment and what does it mean to you personally?

Anna Lynch: Similar to the above – rock bottoms have you blooming and withering. One of the biggest things I’m trying to work on is a deep self-worth that’s unwavering, not bound to outcome or success but that just exists within the blooming and the withering. This line, I guess, asks: can you still love yourself in the hard times?

Your sound beautifully fuses jazz instrumentation with soul-pop textures. What drew you to this particular blend – and did it come naturally?

Anna Lynch: I think it somewhat came naturally. People have always noted my “tone” vocally. I grew up completely and utterly spellbound by Amy Winehouse – her lyrics, her voice, her shows – just magical. That has influenced me for sure. I’ve always loved to sit in the lower part of my range. That part of my voice feels so right and natural.

You’ve cited artists like Laura Marling, Amy Winehouse, and Olivia Dean. What have you learned from them – not just musically, but as women in music?

Anna Lynch: Laura Marling is a newer love than Amy, but I went to watch Laura in November after becoming a fan very late in her career – and the second she sang, I cried. I was mesmerized by her vulnerability. It felt like less was more with Laura. She was so herself, and I loved how she took up space. I guess the main thing is how inspired I am by women who are so successful and stay true to their sound. That’s my grounding point: above all else, my music has to be authentic to me.

Were there any sonic or lyrical elements you knew had to be part of your debut to feel authentically “you”?

Anna Lynch: I don’t think this was conscious at the start – it was exploring: what is my sound? Now I think we’ve worked out what I love in a song. I love reverb and BV stacks. I love warm-sounding “mm”s. I love the way my producer Rhys makes his drums sound. I love a song to be joyful but lyrically heavy.

You mentioned your upcoming music will explore mental health, identity, and the female experience. Which of those themes do you feel most urgently called to write about right now – and why?

Anna Lynch: Now that I’ve written about 11 songs in this body of work, I’ve really dealt with the immediate stuff that was going on – mostly mental health struggles. I’ve processed a lot through my songs. Right now, I feel called to write about things I haven’t spoken about yet – heavier things, but also lighter ones. I’m intrigued by how I can write from a happier place now that things feel so much better for me. I’d love to hear more of my joyful songs and what they feel like.

“Wake Up” feels both deeply personal and universally empowering. How do you strike that balance in your songwriting?

Anna Lynch: I love that. I think that’s what I mentioned above – I want that warm, uplifting sound but with heavy and true lyrics. As an artist, I don’t want to shy away from big feelings. I want to bare it all in my songs. “Wake Up” is very on-the-nose but still uplifting. I think the horn section really helps with that too.

From intimate showcases to upcoming headliners – how does performing live shape your connection to these songs? Any nerves (or rituals) before stepping on stage?

Anna Lynch: We just played my first headline at Band On The Wall, so we had a few rehearsals ahead of it – and truly, that experience just made me love this process a thousand times more. It made me feel even more connected to the songs. Hearing them with a live band and all the gorgeous parts in real time is the most insane experience. I’d say I love them all more now. I am so proud of these songs. From playing them live, I feel like they’ve grown stronger.

How was your headline show at Band On The Wall?

Anna Lynch: My show happened on Wednesday. It was the most surreal, magical experience and the best night of my life. It was my first show and 100 people came down – which to me is huge. I was terrified no one would come. My band were incredible, the feedback has been amazing, and yes – just a night I will cherish in my heart forever more. Watch this space for show announcements.

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With her voice resting somewhere between a whisper and a sunrise, Anna Lynch reminds us that self-love isn’t always loud –

– it’s often learned in quiet moments, hard truths, and the songs we write to survive. “Wake Up” is more than a debut – it’s a declaration. Of healing. Of heart. Of hope.

And if this is only the beginning, we can’t wait to follow every word, note, and heartbeat she puts into the world next.

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