From the far reaches of New Zealand’s South Island, Anna Rowley makes folk music that feels quietly alert to the world’s fractures.
Writing from the stillness of Lake Hawea, Anna Rowley‘s songs balance warmth with unease, shaped as much by open skies as by the cultural noise filtering in from afar.
A longtime admirer of Paul Simon’s emotional precision, Rowley crafts melodies that ease you in before asking harder questions.
‘Will To Trust’ captures that tension perfectly: born during the pandemic’s fog of misinformation, it pairs sober reflection with a buoyant, banjo-led pulse.
This playlist traces the sounds, stories and protest spirit that fed its creation – and just quietly, you couldn’t really call yourself a Kiwi without Bob Marley turning up somewhere – as this playlist gently, and truthfully, proves.
Will To Trust – Inspiration Playlist
Old Town Road – Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus
I love this crazy mix of country and rap. Two different worlds collide to make a song with an unusual flavour that somehow sounds so good.
Ain’t Got No Money – Justin Townes Earle
I love the stomping beat in this song.
Broken Bones – KALEO
Again I really enjoyed the old school vibes of this song. It’s a slave song so it has a story to tell, which adds to its intensity.
Papa Was A Rolling Stone – The Temptations
For me this is an iconic soul song that cleverly conveys the heavy emotion of a wayward father.
Ode to Billie Joe – Nancy Wilson
This song has an intriguing narrative style that pulls me in and leaves me speculating about the meaning of the song.
Eve Of Destruction – Barry McGuire
A great protest song that highlighted social issues and fears of the time.
Little Lion Man – Mumford and Sons
The banjo in this song is amazing and gives the song an extra frantic vibe.
All The Debts I Owe – Caamp
Again, the banjo sound in this song was something I was keen to include in my own recordings.
Redemption Song – Bob Marley
The simplicity of this song allows us to hear the amazing textures of Bob’s voice and lets the power of his words soak in.
Say It Ain’t So – Weezer
The reggae-ish beat is great in this song and sounds so good with the travelling bass. Then the raw vocals add some excellent emotion.
Who Would Jesus Bomb – Jordan Smart
Another great protest song that does a great job of getting listeners to think about their views on war, politics and faith.
Better One – Anna Rowley
This song is off an earlier album of mine and I wanted to create another song with a similar stomping beat.
