Growing frustration with major label bureaucracy, Anna promptly relocated herself to Berlin and on to a Beat Poet influenced road trip across California, where she fell in love with Joshua Tree, settling there to write poems and songs in isolation.

She says: „I have the feeling that ‘Boom‘ is like an antithesisto the stillness of the desert where even the gentlest note, every single wordyou speak, almost every thought you have echoes like a ‘Boom‘ in themiddle of the desert. I think the song somehow reflects and captures theisolationism of the desert quite well. The lyrics of the song are actuallyabout the most cold-hearted and evil human who does whatever it takes for self-preservation.This person kind of resembles a cult leader, having the complete control overothers. You are not able to sense the evil powers or inabilities but if you do,you are not able to escape anymore, unless the person decides to throw you awaywhen you are all emptied and sucked out and of no use to that person anymore,somehow like a vampire of love”.

Holed up in an abandoned hut in themiddle of the desert, she called up her friends, Daniel Brandt, from Germanacoustic techno ensemble BrandtBrauer Frick, and Matthias Biermann, from disco pop band Roosevelt, who both happened to bein LA at the same time. They set up an improvised studio and enthralled by thevastness of the desert, began to jam out a raw and minimalistguitar-driven sound. The first song, recorded on the first night was adesert-rock track called BOOM,with Anna singing into a distorted microphone while creating a pulsing beat ona cowbell.

Inspired by the session in the Joshua Tree, Anna moved to London whereshe teamed up with a group of immensely talented musicians - Emily Linden,Laura Williams and Cheryl Pinero. In the summer of 2018 thegirls, now named FRIEDBERG, began playing a clutch of secret shows thatgarnered immediate interest from various tastemakers and led to asingles deal with London indie label LGM Records (GoldheartAssembly, Amaroun) and Free Trade Agency (The National, The War On Drugs).

Anna explains: „I asked them if theywould like to go for a jam and so we locked ourselves into a rehearsal spacefor 5 days, jamming the new songs I had brought back from California. I wasjust overwhelmed by the energy of us 4 together and how good it sounded afteronly a few days of rehearsals. We decided to hit the stage at an open mic nightin London, and got a great reaction from the crowd so itwas clear for us that we should stick together as a band and take it fromthere. FRIEDBERG was born”.