Digital Cover: Anna Duboc and her New EP ‘Once in a Blue Moon’
Talent: Anna Duboc
Photos: Bing Putney
Words + Managing Editor: Chrissy Wang
EIC: Anthony Vu Cao
Executive Producer: Evan Xiong
Stylist: Kazue Mizushima
Hair + Make-Up: Janelle Detina
Stylist Assistant: Rin
Photo Assistant: Adam Hendershott
Production: Kinetic Media Group
Thanks: Platform PR
Cover Fashion Credits: Slip Dress by Tee Kei Upcycle @Shabon Melrose and Shoe by Cosy Island
At 19, Anna Duboc is stepping confidently into a new era. With more than 60 million streams and a growing reputation as a singer, songwriter, and producer, she has evolved from a promising young artist into a creative force with a distinct voice and vision.
Her upcoming EP, Once in a Blue Moon, reflects that evolution. Inspired by the past few years of her life, the project explores love, relationships, vulnerability, and the process of learning what—and who—is truly right for you. Songs like “Toxin” capture the emotional uncertainty of relationships that can feel both comforting and damaging, transforming deeply personal experiences into relatable pop.
For Duboc, authenticity is at the center of her artistry. She remains closely involved in the production of her music, from shaping its sound to creating and recording her own background vocals. At the same time, she has learned to embrace collaboration while staying true to her creative instincts.
As she prepares to perform new material at The Mint on August 28—just two days before her 20th birthday—the timing feels symbolic. It marks a goodbye to her younger years and a welcome to everything ahead.
With Once in a Blue Moon, Anna Duboc isn't simply looking back. She's turning the page—more confident, more self-aware, and ready for whatever comes next.
In this exclusive interview, Anna opens up about the creative process behind Once in a Blue Moon and life ahead.
“Toxin” feels like the beginning of a new chapter for you. What was the first emotion, experience, or idea that inspired the song?
I was in a relationship that had a lot of good in it and seemed right on paper, but there were also a lot of moments where I was hurting. We just didn’t connect on the level we needed to. What I needed, he couldn’t really give me and what he needed, I couldn’t really give him. We were both giving as much as we could, but it still wasn’t necessarily what either of us needed.
The line that really sparked “Toxin” was “speak of the devil, you walk right in.” I loved that idea because there was so much confusion in the relationship. It was almost like, maybe you’re the devil, but maybe you’re an angel because sometimes you’re so good to me. I couldn’t always tell whether the relationship was good for me or bad for me and at certain points, I didn’t even care because at least I had somebody.
You’re about to release Once in a Blue Moon, which will be your first body of work as an adult. How has your perspective on yourself and your music changed as you’ve grown from your teenage years into your twenties?
I’m actually almost in my twenties, not quite there yet! I think I’m still just as honest in my writing, but I’ve learned how to communicate what I’m feeling in a way that is vulnerable and true while also being relatable and digestible for the listener. When I was younger, there were songs I wrote that were almost too direct and personal to put out into the world. Now I think I’ve found a better balance.
My sound has also come together a lot more as I’ve grown. You go through so many different phases as a teenager and I feel like I’ve finally started to solidify what my sound and aesthetic are.
I’m also much more confident in the music I write and in what I do. I still care what people think, but I care a lot more now about how I feel about myself, my music and the choices I’m making.
The title Once in a Blue Moon is intriguing. What does that phrase mean to you, and how does it connect to the overall story of the EP?
“Once in a Blue Moon” was actually a title I had saved in my Notes app for a year or two because I just really loved it. I love the moon and I love blue, so aesthetically it also felt like the perfect way to introduce this world.
There’s also a song called “Once in a Blue Moon” that really ties the title into the larger story. The idea is that once in a blue moon, everything comes back to you. You suddenly remember the entire arc of a relationship or a situation from beginning to end.
That connects really closely to the EP because the project tells the story of the last few years of my life and me learning how to identify what is good and what is bad for me in relationships. It just felt right.
You’ve described your music as emotionally vulnerable and introspective. Is there a particular song on the new EP that feels the most personal or difficult for you to perform?
There are probably two. One is “Object of Affection,” which comes out August 28. It was originally written for a friend, but it also connects to things I’ve experienced personally. I’ve spoken before through my music about my experience with sexual assault, particularly in my song “Lily,” so “Object of Affection” touches on some very vulnerable subjects for me. It deals with the damage that addiction and unhealthy behavior can have on people and relationships, which is something I think is really important to talk about.
The other is a song called “Willing to Give.” It’s connected to “Toxin” and is about the same person. The first time I performed it live, the person it was written about was actually in the audience. That song was almost a confession to myself that this person didn’t have what I needed and wasn’t loving me in the way I needed to be loved. Admitting that out loud can be difficult.
“Toxin” explores emotional vulnerability through contemporary pop production. When you’re writing about difficult emotions, do you usually start with the lyrics, the melody, or the production?
It completely depends on the song. A lot of the time I’ll start with a chord progression and immediately dive into the lyrics. Other times, I’ll have a lyric already in my head and build the chords around that.
“Object of Affection” started with the chords, while “Toxin” started with the lyric. Every song seems to want to be written differently.
You’re not only a singer and songwriter but also a producer. How important is it for you to be involved behind the scenes and have creative control over the sound of your music?
It’s extremely important to me. I love collaborating and bouncing ideas off of another producer, but I’m always very involved in what the song ultimately sounds like. If I hear something and it doesn’t feel like me, whether it sounds too country, too dark or just wrong for the song, I’m going to say something.
I’m especially particular about my vocals. I want them to sound as real and almost live as possible. I also do all of my own background vocals. I write them, arrange them and record them myself.
Having creative control is really important to me, but I’ve also gotten much better at collaborating with new people. I’ve learned that you can be open to somebody else’s ideas while still remaining true to your own artistry.
The EP features incredible musicians such as Rhonda Smith, Vinnie Colaiuta and Gary Novak. What was it like hearing musicians of that caliber bring your songs to life?
It was so cool. I already love the sound of live drums, live bass and organic instrumentation, but then you hear musicians at that caliber playing your songs and it adds an entirely different element.
I’m really drawn to things that feel organic, whether that’s live instruments or vocals that still feel human and real. Hearing some of the best musicians in the world bring that to these songs was incredible.
You’ve already accumulated more than 60 million streams, which is remarkable at 19. Has reaching that level of success changed the way you think about your career, or do you still approach music the same way you did when you started?
I don’t think the streams themselves have changed the way I approach music. There’s definitely pressure now because of the internet and algorithms. There’s always this feeling of, “You need to put something out. You need to post. You need to keep feeding the algorithm.” I try not to let that dictate how I make music.
If anything, I take more time now than I did when I was younger. Back then, we would write a song and if we thought it was good, we’d put it out. I wasn’t necessarily thinking about whether it fit with everything else I was making.
Now I’m much more deliberate because I want people to understand who I am as an artist. I have a clearer vision for what I want my music to sound and feel like.
You’re often mentioned alongside artists like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo. What do you admire about artists of your generation, and what do you hope makes Anna Duboc’s music different?
I love the female empowerment that comes from all of those artists. When I was younger, I was also compared to Billie Eilish because I was making darker music. What I admire about all of them is that they’re powerful women who each bring something completely different to the table.
I also admire artists who aren’t afraid to speak about things they genuinely understand or have experienced. I think there’s something really powerful about a female artist using her platform to talk about issues that affect women, for example.
As far as my own music, I hope it can be a place where people feel comfortable being vulnerable. I never want somebody listening to me to feel like they have to compare themselves to me. I want the music to feel like a safe space where you can experience whatever you’re feeling without judgment.
You have a very strong storytelling quality in your music. When you write a song, are you telling your own story, creating characters, or sometimes doing a little bit of both?
Definitely both. Most of the time, my songs are inspired by things that have happened to me, but I also love completely making things up.
There’s a song on the upcoming EP where I took a title I had written in my Notes app for something totally different and turned it into an entire fictional story. It’s really fun.
I’ve noticed that when I’m writing upbeat, fun songs, I’m more likely to invent a story. When I’m writing about darker moments, it’s usually coming from something I’ve experienced myself or something somebody close to me has gone through. Sometimes I’ll even start with my own situation and then decide there’s a piece I don’t want to talk about, so I’ll create something fictional for that part. It changes with every song.
Your August 28 performance at The Mint is especially meaningful because it’s just two days before your 20th birthday. What does it feel like to perform these new songs publicly right before entering this next decade of your life?
It’s really exciting. It feels like both a goodbye to some of my older music and my younger years and a hello to everything that’s coming next.
I get to introduce this new music right as I’m turning 20, so it genuinely feels like turning a page. I love performing more than anything, so being able to mark this transition onstage feels really special.
You’ll be performing unreleased songs from the EP at The Mint. Is there one song you’re particularly excited or nervous to finally share with an audience?
There is one I’m really excited about that comes from a completely fictional story. I won’t say the title yet, but I’m a little nervous because it’s a different genre than anything I’ve released before.
It has a pop-rock sound with a little hint of country and it’s really fun and catchy. I’ve never actually sung anything in that style live before, so there are definitely some nerves, but mostly I’m excited for people to hear it.
Looking back at the music you created as a teenager, is there anything you hear differently now that you’re approaching 20?
Absolutely. There are songs where I listen back and think, “Why did you produce it like that?” or “Why did you write it that way?” I think when I was younger, I sometimes wanted to get every single thought into a song, so I would end up clunking sentences together because I was trying to say everything at once.
But I was young and that’s part of learning. There are also songs from the last three or four years that I’m still incredibly proud of and really love.
There are even a couple of songs where I listen back now and realize how differently I understand the situation I was writing about. At the time, I couldn’t necessarily see everything that was happening clearly. Hearing those songs now is almost like hearing a younger version of myself trying to make sense of something I understand very differently today.
With Once in a Blue Moon, what do you hope listeners understand about you that they may not have known from your earlier music?
Maybe that I’m fun! I think people have heard a lot of the more vulnerable or serious side of me through my music.
As I do more live shows and interviews, I hope people get to see that I’m not just somebody who walks onstage and performs songs. There’s a whole person and personality behind the music. I want people to get to know that side of me too.
If you could describe the Anna Duboc who walks onto the stage at The Mint on August 28 in three words, what would they be and why?
Excited, passionate and ready.
Excited because performing is my favorite thing in the world. Passionate because I genuinely love what I do and I love being able to share my art and my story with people. And ready because I feel ready for what’s next. I’m ready to go, ready to grow and ready to see where this next chapter takes me. GR8T
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