- Anya Marina
Anya Marina is a singer-songwriter and radio disc jockey based in San Diego, Calif. Her music has been featured on the ABC television drama "
Grey's Anatomy " (and its second soundtrack) and on shows such as MTV's "The Real World ". Anya deejays onKBZT (FM94/9) in San Diego from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Monday through Saturday.Anya was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., and grew up in the
Silicon Valley area of California as a capricious child with Russian-Agnostic/Irish-Catholic professor parents (psychology and russian literature/math) and a younger sister. After finishing high school, Anya moved to Los Angeles as an aspiring actress. With stints in the British American Drama Academy (taught byRichard Dreyfuss , Marsha Mason, Anne Jackson andEli Wallach ) and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, Anya has also acted in television and film (in2001 , she starred in the feature film,100 Girls ). She eventually moved back home to earn a college degree in English and writing atSanta Clara University . She continued to struggle as an artist -- working in acting, musical theatre, music, improv and comedy -- but eventually found a job as a radio DJ on KSCU, Santa Clara University's college station.After graduating, Anya took a radio station job in San Diego with
Mike Halloran atXHRM-FM (92.5). After the station was bought out by another corporation, Halloran hired Anya at Y107 in Los Angeles before they both moved to Premium Radio 92/1 in San Diego's North County. After leaving that station, both disc jockeys landed at FM94/9.It was in San Diego that Anya played her first open mic night and began to write her own songs. She quickly developed a live stage act using what she learned as an actress, comic and impressionist. Her recorded debut was a five-song EP called "Exercises in Racketeering", which eventually led to a full-length album, "Miss Halfway", which was released in early 2005. Anya subsequently opened for such artists as
Jason Mraz andRhett Miller . She was named one of the "Best Unsigned" acts by San Diego CityBeat.The songs on "Miss Halfway" talk about her upbringing, ex-boyfriends and all the after-effects. Anya's album was also produced by Scott Russo, the frontman for rockers
Unwritten Law , along with Peter King fromThe Surfers . The record eventually earned a San Diego Music Award for Best Recording. The title track also landed on "Grey's Anatomy" and was featured as the fifth song on the secondGrey's Anatomy (soundtrack) disc along with The Fray,KT Tunstall , Gomez andSnow Patrol .The
internet radio stationKGRL featured her as their [http://www.kgrl.fm/fpa/anyamarina.php Flower-Powered Artist for March of 2007] . The feature includes an [http://www.kgrl.fm/fpa/anyamarinainterview.php exclusive interview,] [http://www.kgrl.fm/fpa/anyamarina.php#misshalfway CD Review of Miss Halfway,] and an on-demand audio stream of an unreleased Anya Marina track titled [http://www.kgrl.fm/fpa/anyamarina.php#tryit "Try It And Like It."]External links
* [http://www.anyamarina.com/ Anya Marina's official web site @ AnyaMarina.com]
* [http://www.kgrl.fm/fpa/anyamarina.php Anya Marina's Flower-powered Artist Page @ KGRL.fm]
* [http://www.vmix.com/anyamarina/ Anya Marina @ VMIX.com]Interviews
* [http://www.kgrl.fm/fpa/anyamarinainterview.php KGRL Exclusive Anya Marina Interview] (September 2006)
* [http://www.methodshop.com/music/interviews/anyamarina/ Anya Marina Interview] (August 2007)
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