Page 29 - BiTS_03_MARCH_2022

BiTS INTERVIEW: ANNEE LAMBERT-VICKERS (ANNEE 2CU)

Annee Lambert-Vickers is a born and bred New Zealander living in Auckland, NZ all her life.
Her band, now known by the ‘txt-spk’ name of Annee 2CU, is having a growing impact on the
blues scene in the Antipodes. Annee and her band have just released an album of fifteen tracks,
carefully curated from live recordings made over a longish period, as they played in towns up
and down the North and South Islands of their home country.

BiTS: Please tell me something about yourself, your upbringing and early musical influences.

Annee: I come from a large extended family who loved and appreciated music. It was encouraged
every chance we got. I sang as a child with my brother and my cousin, who also played piano on my
album ‘A Wildfire Out of Control’.

Annee and the band My Mum and Dad always supported my
singing. I was brought up in
Blockhouse Bay, Auckland and now live
on the North Shore, Auckland.

BiTS: When did you work with your first
band? Do you play any instrument?

Annee: I did play the piano for a short
time, but not, in my opinion, up to the
standard required for the albums.

Singing was/is always my passion. I
started performing in public initially
doing duo work with my cousin David. We would do this at school and then later at cabaret events
and restaurants.

I started my first band in 2005 and it was called “Annee and the Bandits”. This eventually evolved
into “Annee 2CU Blues Band” and now “Annee 2CU Blues” along with “Just Annee”[which speaks for
itself].
BiTS: Who are your major influences in your current musical personality and why?

Annee: My major influences have definitely been Elvis - his natural, off-the-cuff style is something I
really enjoyed as his music is truly heartfelt when performed and can go anywhere during a
performance which I love to do and his style of Blues is amazing. Gary Moore for his tones and
guitar work and Bob Seager for his great song writing and music style.

I have included several Gary Moore and Bob Seger songs on my albums.

BiTS: You have been called 'the blues siren of the southern hemisphere' (Lucas Campbell). How do you
feel about that? Is it justified?

Annee: I am incredibly flattered and honoured to have been called this. Lucas has been very
supportive of my music and his appreciation of our performances have given guidance to my style
and preference. We have performed and recorded one of his compositions – “An Achin’ In My Heart”
off our third album, “This Time, Cap’n”. We have some more of Lucas’ songs coming up hopefully in
future albums.

I would hope the title is justified as I believe Annee 2CU Blues is different in the sense that we try to
catch the soul and emotion of Blues by not altering or over-recording our albums; what you hear on