Meet Anna Dine, dream pop songstress with a cynicism showered in glittering synths and lush harmonies.

The Sydney artist tackles topics like body image and grieving wrapped in a shimmering indie pop package inspired by Clairo, Benee and Last Dinosaurs. ‘kind 2 me’ is Anna Dine’s debut single. The track made waves by winning the prestigious Sonora Song Competition in 2025 which fully sponsored the creation of the song. ‘kind 2 me’ is a song that punches you in the gut- it’s a song for anyone who has been deprived of the bare minimum, invalidated and ruthlessly gaslit. The track combines lyrical drama with lush synth production to illuminate the powerlessness of being enmeshed in a relationship with someone who won’t treat you with basic dignity. Despite the information we got, we had to dig a little deeper with Anna herself.

Anna, 'kind 2 me' is an incredible effort that's been cooking for just the right amount of time! How are you feeling being so close to release day? 

Thank you so much! It's been overwhelming and manic in the best way. Triple J was kind enough to debut the single on unearthed ahead of the release on Tops which is surreal, so there's been a lot of excitement already. It's taken some time to put 'kind 2 me' out, but it's given me enough time to get my head around everything. It was written during a very turbulent and toxic period of my life, so it feels really blissful to be able to release it with more distance because I'm in a much more positive place now. It's kind of like hearing an old diary entry which is bittersweet, but I’m mainly just grateful that I've gotten to this healthier point and really grateful for all of the people who have been involved with the release and everyone who has supported me along the way so far and made this possible. 

There's so much to 'kind 2 me' here - are there details we should keep our ears out for during our first listen to the new track?

There's a few things I would look out for! I also put a lot of love into the vocal arrangement, so I'd say listen out particularly to the second verse and the ending chorus where there's some cool harmony layers and backing vocals. There's also some cool drum fills in there which are a bit quirky going into the verses, the drummer who played on the track had to print off sheet music to play them exactly as they were written which is a funny detail in the track. I like adding in some wacky sounds so I really love the sound that opens the track, and I would also say to listen out for the layered synth riffs which are in the instrumental sections.

You won the Sonora Song Competition with your debut track, definitely one of the biggest indicators of who we have on our hands. What's the next hill you're looking to conquer?

My main goals are putting out as much music as possible and touring! I'm in the process of organising a NSW tour later this year right now, but down the track international touring is the main dream. 

A lot of music in different spaces lately will change genre in the middle of the song, often to the point of losing its direction. What's your tip for staying true to the vibe for the whole track? 

I suppose it depends on what your intent is! I'm all for being experimental if that's your intention and always appreciate risks being taken in songwriting and production. If your intent is to stay true to the vibe of the whole track, I suppose I would say honouring whatever vibe or inspiration that spurred the song and trying to keep that at the forefront. To be honest, I often find that the time away from a track often gives extra perspective and new experiences which can really benefit the song, even if the direction is adapted or changed a bit. 

As a highly-skilled musician with a brand new streaming presence, there's a lot of uncertainty around how to get your music out there and featured - are there changes you'd make to the whole process to make it more accessible to other artists?

In a perfect world, I would change a lot! It's an insanely corrupt industry unfortunately and artists are being exploited more and more each year by the platforms that we upload to, so I would love to change the fact that we make essentially nothing from streams! I think Sydney in particular as well struggles to uphold our live music scene, so a push from the higher ups to promote live music and bring it to public attention would make releasing music less daunting. 

How are you celebrating your release? Is there a launch party happening soon for 'kind 2 me'? 

Yes! I'll be playing a 'kind 2 me' single launch party gig on the 25th November at Sneaky Possum Chippendale! It's going to be a big night and I'll be playing with a full live band which doesn't happen too often these days. There's also going to be some extra fun things: free bracelets, a launch bear that everyone gets to sign and my plush mascot Peplum will be showcasing his custom outfit which is being tailored for the launch as we speak. It'll be supported by my friends Winter in Estonia and you can find tickets online or in my socials bio! 

Catch the new track from Anna here.