If you haven’t yet crossed paths with Anna Graves, consider this your official introduction to your new musical obsession.
The Minnesota-born, Nashville-based Americana powerhouse possesses the kind of raw, unfiltered talent that makes you stop dead in your tracks. With a voice that glides effortlessly between aching folk intimacy and cinematic pop soaring, Graves isn’t just writing songs, she’s weaving spells. And the industry is taking notice.
Hand-picked by rock legend Stevie Nicks to open on tour, Graves has also shared stages with Americana royalty like The Head and the Heart and Maren Morris. Managed by The Core Entertainment (the juggernaut team behind Bailey Zimmerman, Josh Ross, and Cameron Whitcomb), she’s already amassed over 65 million global streams.
If her soul-stirring melodies sound familiar, you’ve likely heard them scoring pivotal moments in hit TV series like Netflix’s Ripple, NBC’s Brilliant Minds, The Chicken Sisters, and the Golden Globe-nominated sensation Nobody Wants This. Even chart-topping peers are taking notes — country star Shaboozey recently named Graves’ track “Hollow Bones” one of his top five favorite songs for Harper’s Bazaar.
Now, the rising singer-songwriter is preparing to release her highly anticipated debut album, America’s Greatest Burnout, arriving August 21 via Rounder Records. Following the release of the album’s resolute title track, Graves is giving fans another taste of the record with her vibrant new single “Goldmine.” Co-written with producer Davis Naish and featuring legendary pedal steel work by Marty Rifkin (Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty), “Goldmine” serves as a glowing light at the end of a tumultuous tunnel.
“One of the most important qualities we can hold on to as an adult is the ability to see the world with the wide eyes of a child,” Graves tells Celeb Secrets exlusively. “‘Goldmine’ is really about finding that part of yourself again — the version that believed anything was possible.”
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While America’s Greatest Burnout dives deep into the realities of modern exhaustion, high expectations, and falling off the horse, it’s ultimately an autobiography of resilience. Rooted in the pristine countryside of her family’s Minnesota farm—where she regularly steps away from the music industry hustle to foster rescue horses—Graves crafts an authentic narrative about dusting yourself off, reevaluating success, and finding beauty in the scuffed-up process of growing up.
To celebrate her new music, her upcoming summer single drop, and her massive 17-city North American headline tour kicking off this fall, we sat down with Anna Graves to talk studio tears, advice for her younger self, her tour bus essentials, and the real-life story behind the album’s intriguing closing track, “Honkie Was A Wise Man.” Keep scrolling for our full Q&A below, and don’t forget to let us know if you’re excited for Anna’s new album by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
Celeb Secrets: “Goldmine” is all about reconnecting with your inner child and celebrating the journey that made you resilient. Can you tell us more about the song and what made you want to release it now at this point of your career?
Anna Graves: “One of the most important qualities we can hold on to as an adult is the ability to see the world with the wide eyes of a child. The moment we lose our sense of wonder, exploration starts to disappear too. ‘Goldmine’ is really about finding that part of yourself again; the version that believed anything was possible. After everything this record explores, this song feels like the moment when I finally come back to myself with that sense of wonder again.”
CS: If you could sit down with the kid version of yourself back on the Minnesota farm and give her one piece of advice about the wild ride ahead, what would it be?
AG: “I’d tell her that the very things that make her feel like an outsider are going to become her greatest strengths. Your unique perspective comes from the places where you don’t quite fit in. I’d remind her that every day is a new beginning, every failure is a lesson, love is always closer than you think, and there’s extraordinary beauty hidden in ordinary moments if you remember to look for it.”
CS: You wrote “Goldmine” with Davis Naish and brought in a powerhouse band with players who have worked with everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Kacey Musgraves. What is one studio secret / memorable moment that happened behind closed doors while tracking this specific song?
AG: “I’ll never forget when Marty Rifkin (pedal steel for Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty) started recording pedal steel on ‘Goldmine.’ Davis and I looked at each other and started smiling uncontrollably, because we both knew instantly that we found the missing piece of the song. I got so emotional about it that I started tearing up. ‘Goldmine’ hadn’t felt finished yet before that moment, but once Marty’s pedal steel came in, it became one of my favorite songs on the album. It felt like someone had painted the sun in the picture, and suddenly it all made sense.
Celeb Secrets: You’ve described America’s Greatest Burnout as a story about “falling off the horse and picking yourself back up again as an adult.” For anyone reading who feels like they are currently face-down in the dirt of their own “burnout” phase, what is your daily ritual for dusting yourself off and finding the courage to try again?
AG: “Every morning I tell myself, ‘just do the best you can today, and be kind.’ Doing your best doesn’t necessarily mean working the hardest you can, but doing what’s best for your mind, body, and spirit… and showing up for what and who you care for the best you can. I’ve learned that leaving space for myself in the mornings to connect with my thoughts and intentions (before the world starts demanding) makes for better days. I pay attention to when I need to rest instead of always pushing through, as I’ve learned the hard way that burnout doesn’t produce your best work. Rest isn’t the opposite of progress, it’s often what makes progress possible.
CS: Your music has already landed on some massive shows, including Netflix’s Ripple and the Golden Globe-nominated Nobody Wants This. Can you describe what that moment was like for you when you heard your songs in these shows?
AG: “It still feels surreal. Anytime I catch a glimpse of how far my music has traveled I feel immense gratitude. Music starts with something so incredibly personal, and it always shocks me how it finds its ways across oceans and into other people’s lives. I think that’s the most beautiful thing about songwriting.”
CS: What is a show you are completely obsessed with right now that you secretly dream of hearing an Anna Graves song play over?
AG: “I would love to have one of my songs in a show with Jeremy Allen White. He’s such an incredible actor and I am moved every time he’s on screen, so it would be a dream to have my music in the background of one of his scenes one day.”
CS: We know you find your peace fostering rescue horses. How does stepping away from the music industry chaos and onto the farm change your writing process? Is there a specific lyric on this new album that was directly inspired by a quiet moment out with the horses?
AG: “The farm is where I remember who I am. I grew up riding horses, and continuing to foster and take care of them with my mom in Minnesota keeps me grounded when everything else feels like it’s slipping underneath me. Working with nature and animals has a way of slowing life back down and reminding you of what really matters, and doing something that’s bigger than yourself is one of the quickest ways to find perspective again.”
CS: Looking over the tracklist for America’s Greatest Burnout, there are some incredibly intriguing titles. Without giving too much away before August 21st, can you give us the inspiration behind the final track, “Honkie Was A Wise Man”? Who is Honkie, and what did they teach you?
AG: “Honkie was someone I met on a beach outside of Detroit when I was on tour last year. He had 9 fingers, an unforgettable story, and a way of seeing the world that stuck with me long after we met. Before we parted ways that day, he handed a cardinal feather that I still carry in my wallet. Honkie reminded me that the little joys we rush past every day are really the big joys in life, and that lesson became the inspiration for the song.”
CS: You are kicking off a massive 17-city North American headline tour this September. Tour life is notorious for being exhausting. What is the most unexpected, non-negotiable item you must pack in your suitcase to keep from experiencing your own literal “greatest burnout” on the road?
AG: “A really good pair of headphones, my Kindle, and snacks. Lots of snacks. Being hangry on the road is a dangerous thing… and probably keeping some deodorant nearby would be smart. Your bandmates will thank you later.”
CS: The title America’s Greatest Burnout is beautifully raw and honest. Since we’re Celeb Secrets, what is a literal “secret” confession about yourself (hidden talent, fun fact) that proves you’re just as wonderfully complicated and human as the songs on this album?
AG: “I’m a huge procrastinator, and I’m late to almost everything. I’ve always tried to work on these things but I just somehow always convince myself I have more time than I have. I will also never be a morning person, no matter how hard I try. The snooze button and I are in a very committed relationship.”
