Ania - Poison
Indie-rocker and badass guitarist Ania Thomas unveils the music video for “Poison,” a track from her forthcoming EP, Ania In Chains, slated to drop later this year. Shot in Melrose, with the help of her USC friends, the budget for the video was $20.
Ania
Speaking to the video, Ania says, “I wanted the ‘Poison’ video to expose the inauthenticity of the beautiful and vibrant image that many people associate with Los Angeles. Hollywood glamor is a part of the city, but it’s got an angsty side, too. We all have an impact on the world around us. I want people to wake up and think critically, for themselves, and understand that we can all fight for change if we aren’t absorbed in our own image. Sometimes we’re blinded by it. But if we look up from our phones we can fight for change and a better future.”
Originally from Koszalin, Poland, at the age of 14, Ania emigrated to the U.S., where she went to a private school. Her detestation for the school found release in rebellion and rock n’ roll. Enrolling in Chicago’s School of Rock, she started learning to play the guitar. Later, after graduating high school, she studied music at USC on scholarship.
Citing influences such as Nine Inch Nails, St Vincent, Blondie, Tool, Rage Against the Machine, L7, and Alice in Chains, Ania’s unique sound fuses snarling female vocals, potent synth surfaces, and wicked guitar licks rife with diamond-chiseled muscle.
Ania’s voice, wistful and nuanced, reflects mysterious sonic symbolism atop skating timbres infused with residual flavors of unease.
In a recent conversation with VoyageLA, Ania related the pitfalls of making it in music, sharing, “When it comes to music you can’t control ANYTHING. It is out of your control how many people like your music, where it goes, what people think about it, etc. Also, sometimes you do not have the budget needed to accomplish your vision. You have to spend a lot of late nights staying up and working on your craft while ditching having fun with your friends. Some struggles include shallow people. By this I mean, having a lack of good friends who will give you a hand when you need it and this includes people who want to use you.”
“Poison” opens on a low-slung bluesy guitar leading to a dazzling display of expertise on her axe. Riding an undulating creamy rhythm made up of a fat, gooey bassline and tight percussion, “Poison” exudes a haunting nightmarish mood, simultaneously dreamy and ghostly. Kaleidoscopic luminous synth textures inject the tune with swirling filaments, as Ania’s gleaming guitar fills the melody with platinum surface colors shifting to darker, thicker tones.
Ania’s voice, wistful and nuanced, reflects mysterious sonic symbolism atop skating timbres infused with residual flavors of unease.
“Air is filling up with poison / And you keep breaking my shit.”
“Poison” is superb, delivering crème de la crème guitar savors, a beguiling rhythm, as well as a sense of imminence inherent in the brooding voice of Ania.
