ANNA DUBOC

Once in a Blue Moon

“Anna Duboc is as charming, soulful and engaging a performer onstage as she is a masterful vocalist/producer in the studio.”
— Jonathan Widran, The Music Connection

On her new EP Once in a Blue Moon, Anna Duboc makes heartbreak dance. Launching a bold new chapter in her career, the 20-year-old singer, songwriter, vocal arranger and producer takes the intimate candor that has defined her earliest work and places it inside a broader, more adventurous musical palette—one filled with propulsive pop-rock, soulful grooves, layered harmonies and striking vocal dynamics.

The EP features an extraordinary roster of musicians—including Rhonda Smith (Prince), Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting), Gary Novak (Alanis Morissette), Tom Crouch (Billie Eilish), and Vixen (Halsey)—whose performances complement Anna’s increasingly ambitious songwriting while never overshadowing her distinctive artistic voice. The result is a compelling seven-track collection that can be playful one minute, bruised the next and unexpectedly introspective after that, reflecting an artist who is learning that artistic honesty doesn’t always have to sound sad.

With more than 68 million streams and numerous singles since 2021, Anna has already established herself as an unusually insightful and expressive young vocalist and songwriter. Yet Once in a Blue Moon reveals something equally important: she is becoming increasingly confident about the type of songwriter she wants to be. Rather than chasing commercial accessibility for its own sake, she is discovering that strong hooks, memorable melodies and sophisticated production can coexist naturally with the vulnerability and truth at the heart of her storytelling.

“I always want to be full of truth when I’m writing,” Anna explains. “I would never sacrifice the truth of a song or the meaning of a song for a catchy hook, because that’s what makes it human.”

That philosophy has roots in an unusually broad musical upbringing. Growing up in a creative family, Anna was surrounded by music through her mother, Carol Duboc, a songwriter who has written for artists including Patti LaBelle and Tom Jones. Anna began writing songs as a child, developing her voice across pop, jazz, musical theater and contemporary singer-songwriter traditions. Her formal training at the renowned Adderley Conservatory further expanded that foundation, while her theatrical experience taught her how music, character and storytelling can work together.

She later starred as Velma Kelly in Chicago at Los Angeles’ El Portal Theatre and portrayed Hermes in Hadestown Teen Edition at Center Stage Santa Barbara. That background continues to inform her commanding live presence, whether performing with her own band at venues such as The Mint or appearing alongside artists including Katy Perry, Kenny Loggins and Andrea Bocelli. For Anna, however, performing has always been part of a larger creative process. She has increasingly become involved in the architecture of her recordings, thinking more deeply about chord movement, production, vocal arrangements and the ways different sounds can advance a story.

That growth can be heard immediately on “Give Me the Night,” the opening track of the EP which demonstrates her expanding command of pop songwriting. An easy, throbbing bass line and gentle percussion establish a relaxed pulse before her smooth, sultry midrange enters. Jangling guitar, colorful harmonies and a soaring chorus give the song immediate accessibility, while its story reveals a more complicated reality. Written as a serious relationship was beginning to deteriorate, the song allowed Anna to transform disappointment into something lighter and more carefree. “It taught me I don’t have to be depressing all the time,” she says. “Even in a tough situation, you can still write something fun about it.”

That freedom continues into “Toxin,” where romantic confusion becomes a sleek, muscular pop-rock track. A moody acoustic guitar opening and intimate vocal gradually give way to thumping rhythm, exotic percussive touches and forceful guitars. Anna moves from understated verses into a high-energy chorus, layered harmonies and a distorted guitar solo, capturing the contradictory pull of someone who can seem both irresistible and harmful.

The progression from “Toxin” to “Object of Affection” reflects another important dimension of her development. Beginning with the audible scrape of fingers across acoustic guitar strings, “Object of Affection” examines the experience of trying to help someone struggling with addiction while gradually recognizing that the relationship itself has become destructive. Guitar strumming accelerates as tension mounts, doubled vocals intensify the psychological pressure and the production eventually expands into a cinematic power-ballad passage.

The song also demonstrates Anna’s instinct for lyrical precision. Her closing realization—“I didn’t want to be your object, I just wanted your affection”—transforms the title itself. What initially sounds like a conventional romantic phrase becomes an examination of the difference between affection and objectification, and the desire to be valued as a person rather than reduced to someone else’s needs.

That willingness to let difficult subjects coexist with accessible songwriting extends back to “Lily,” the breakthrough that helped open a new chapter in Anna’s writing. Released during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, with 100 percent of its proceeds benefiting organizations supporting survivors, the song grew from a songwriting assignment about metaphor into a deeply personal meditation on betrayal, trauma and healing, drawing inspiration from the biblical “lilies of the field.” “Lily,” “Toxin” and “Object of Affection” established a pattern that continues on the new EP: Anna can confront complicated subjects without allowing the subject matter to dictate the musical form.

“Willing to Give” provides another example. A mystical opening and elegant piano create an intimate setting before the rhythm kicks in and the song erupts into an edgy, guitar-driven chorus surrounded by harmonies. By the final section, elaborate vocal layers, high notes and a wailing guitar solo turn an uneven relationship into a full-scale reckoning.

“Boy Next Door” moves in an entirely different direction. Bright, jangling guitar, a driving beat and colorful vocal accents introduce a sharper, more mischievous Anna, while the hook-driven chorus gives the song an exuberant pop-rock quality. She considers it a significant departure because she had not previously explored the genre so directly, and the experience has made her increasingly interested in further genre-bending.

The most introspective track may be “Roadkill,” where descending piano chords and subtle ambience support a raw meditation on turning 20, uncertainty, wasted potential and the fear that life may be moving faster than she is. As percussion and harmonies gradually expand the arrangement, a private reflection becomes something much larger. “I love finding ways to write about things that aren’t just relationships,” Anna says. “I think just the stage of life is such a great thing to write about.”

The title track, “Once in a Blue Moon,” closes the EP with a moody, hypnotic blend of throbbing rhythm, Rhodes-like keyboard colors, atmospheric production and richly layered vocals. Its imagery of rain, regret and memories of someone who remains difficult to escape gives the collection a fittingly unresolved conclusion, leaving Anna suspended between remembrance and release.

Across the EP, she demonstrates a more nuanced understanding of how songwriting, vocal performance and production can function as one. She has also discovered that she does not have to showcase the full power of her voice in every performance. Softer singing, subtle textures and the layered harmonies she has loved since childhood have become equally important expressive tools.

That represents a significant evolution from the young artist who once felt she had a fixed idea of how she was supposed to write. Anna now approaches each song according to what its story requires, beginning with an instinct for melody and sound and gradually finding the balance between what is musically compelling and what serves the lyric. “I want people to relate to it,” she says, “but it’s more important that a song is real and human and true to me.”

With Once in a Blue Moon, Anna Duboc is discovering just how many different colors that truth can have. She moves effortlessly from carefree pop and muscular rock to intimate confession and introspective songwriting, bringing each perspective the same instinct for honest reflection and expression. Most importantly, she is learning to trust her own instincts rather than write toward an algorithm, a trend or someone else’s definition of success.

At 20, Anna is no longer simply demonstrating what she can do. She is beginning to define why she wants to do it—and what she wants her music to say.

ANNA DUBOC

​Once in a Blue Moon

“Anna Duboc is as charming, soulful and engaging a performer onstage as she is a masterful vocalist/producer in the studio.”
— Jonathan Widran, The Music Connection

On her new EP Once in a Blue Moon, Anna Duboc makes heartbreak dance. Launching a bold new chapter in her career, the 20-year-old singer, songwriter, vocal arranger and producer takes the intimate candor that has defined her earliest work and places it inside a broader, more adventurous musical palette—one filled with propulsive pop-rock, soulful grooves, layered harmonies and striking vocal dynamics.

The EP features an extraordinary roster of musicians—including Rhonda Smith (Prince), Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting), Gary Novak (Alanis Morissette), Tom Crouch (Billie Eilish), and Vixen (Halsey)—whose performances complement Anna’s increasingly ambitious songwriting while never overshadowing her distinctive artistic voice. The result is a compelling seven-track collection that can be playful one minute, bruised the next and unexpectedly introspective after that, reflecting an artist who is learning that artistic honesty doesn’t always have to sound sad.

With more than 68 million streams and numerous singles since 2021, Anna has already established herself as an unusually insightful and expressive young vocalist and songwriter. Yet Once in a Blue Moon reveals something equally important: she is becoming increasingly confident about the type of songwriter she wants to be. Rather than chasing commercial accessibility for its own sake, she is discovering that strong hooks, memorable melodies and sophisticated production can coexist naturally with the vulnerability and truth at the heart of her storytelling.

“I always want to be full of truth when I’m writing,” Anna explains. “I would never sacrifice the truth of a song or the meaning of a song for a catchy hook, because that’s what makes it human.”

That philosophy has roots in an unusually broad musical upbringing. Growing up in a creative family, Anna was surrounded by music through her mother, Carol Duboc, a songwriter who has written for artists including Patti LaBelle and Tom Jones. Anna began writing songs as a child, developing her voice across pop, jazz, musical theater and contemporary singer-songwriter traditions. Her formal training at the renowned Adderley Conservatory further expanded that foundation, while her theatrical experience taught her how music, character and storytelling can work together.

She later starred as Velma Kelly in Chicago at Los Angeles’ El Portal Theatre and portrayed Hermes in Hadestown Teen Edition at Center Stage Santa Barbara. That background continues to inform her commanding live presence, whether performing with her own band at venues such as The Mint or appearing alongside artists including Katy Perry, Kenny Loggins and Andrea Bocelli. For Anna, however, performing has always been part of a larger creative process. She has increasingly become involved in the architecture of her recordings, thinking more deeply about chord movement, production, vocal arrangements and the ways different sounds can advance a story.

That growth can be heard immediately on “Give Me the Night,” the opening track of the EP which demonstrates her expanding command of pop songwriting. An easy, throbbing bass line and gentle percussion establish a relaxed pulse before her smooth, sultry midrange enters. Jangling guitar, colorful harmonies and a soaring chorus give the song immediate accessibility, while its story reveals a more complicated reality. Written as a serious relationship was beginning to deteriorate, the song allowed Anna to transform disappointment into something lighter and more carefree. “It taught me I don’t have to be depressing all the time,” she says. “Even in a tough situation, you can still write something fun about it.”

That freedom continues into “Toxin,” where romantic confusion becomes a sleek, muscular pop-rock track. A moody acoustic guitar opening and intimate vocal gradually give way to thumping rhythm, exotic percussive touches and forceful guitars. Anna moves from understated verses into a high-energy chorus, layered harmonies and a distorted guitar solo, capturing the contradictory pull of someone who can seem both irresistible and harmful.

The progression from “Toxin” to “Object of Affection” reflects another important dimension of her development. Beginning with the audible scrape of fingers across acoustic guitar strings, “Object of Affection” examines the experience of trying to help someone struggling with addiction while gradually recognizing that the relationship itself has become destructive. Guitar strumming accelerates as tension mounts, doubled vocals intensify the psychological pressure and the production eventually expands into a cinematic power-ballad passage.

The song also demonstrates Anna’s instinct for lyrical precision. Her closing realization—“I didn’t want to be your object, I just wanted your affection”—transforms the title itself. What initially sounds like a conventional romantic phrase becomes an examination of the difference between affection and objectification, and the desire to be valued as a person rather than reduced to someone else’s needs.

That willingness to let difficult subjects coexist with accessible songwriting extends back to “Lily,” the breakthrough that helped open a new chapter in Anna’s writing. Released during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, with 100 percent of its proceeds benefiting organizations supporting survivors, the song grew from a songwriting assignment about metaphor into a deeply personal meditation on betrayal, trauma and healing, drawing inspiration from the biblical “lilies of the field.” “Lily,” “Toxin” and “Object of Affection” established a pattern that continues on the new EP: Anna can confront complicated subjects without allowing the subject matter to dictate the musical form.

“Willing to Give” provides another example. A mystical opening and elegant piano create an intimate setting before the rhythm kicks in and the song erupts into an edgy, guitar-driven chorus surrounded by harmonies. By the final section, elaborate vocal layers, high notes and a wailing guitar solo turn an uneven relationship into a full-scale reckoning.

“Boy Next Door” moves in an entirely different direction. Bright, jangling guitar, a driving beat and colorful vocal accents introduce a sharper, more mischievous Anna, while the hook-driven chorus gives the song an exuberant pop-rock quality. She considers it a significant departure because she had not previously explored the genre so directly, and the experience has made her increasingly interested in further genre-bending.

The most introspective track may be “Roadkill,” where descending piano chords and subtle ambience support a raw meditation on turning 20, uncertainty, wasted potential and the fear that life may be moving faster than she is. As percussion and harmonies gradually expand the arrangement, a private reflection becomes something much larger. “I love finding ways to write about things that aren’t just relationships,” Anna says. “I think just the stage of life is such a great thing to write about.”

The title track, “Once in a Blue Moon,” closes the EP with a moody, hypnotic blend of throbbing rhythm, Rhodes-like keyboard colors, atmospheric production and richly layered vocals. Its imagery of rain, regret and memories of someone who remains difficult to escape gives the collection a fittingly unresolved conclusion, leaving Anna suspended between remembrance and release.

Across the EP, she demonstrates a more nuanced understanding of how songwriting, vocal performance and production can function as one. She has also discovered that she does not have to showcase the full power of her voice in every performance. Softer singing, subtle textures and the layered harmonies she has loved since childhood have become equally important expressive tools.

That represents a significant evolution from the young artist who once felt she had a fixed idea of how she was supposed to write. Anna now approaches each song according to what its story requires, beginning with an instinct for melody and sound and gradually finding the balance between what is musically compelling and what serves the lyric. “I want people to relate to it,” she says, “but it’s more important that a song is real and human and true to me.”

With Once in a Blue Moon, Anna Duboc is discovering just how many different colors that truth can have. She moves effortlessly from carefree pop and muscular rock to intimate confession and introspective songwriting, bringing each perspective the same instinct for honest reflection and expression. Most importantly, she is learning to trust her own instincts rather than write toward an algorithm, a trend or someone else’s definition of success.

At 20, Anna is no longer simply demonstrating what she can do. She is beginning to define why she wants to do it—and what she wants her music to say.