Hopes & Fears

Scandi duo anamē release sophomore studio album ‘Hopes & Fears’ on Anjunabeats

‘Things just feel more personal - we’re on the same rollercoaster of happiness and trepidation as everyone we speak to.’

Responsible for instantly recognisable records, including ‘The Best Part’ (with Bien), ‘Anywhere’ and ‘Gratitude’ (with label head honchos Above & Beyond), Marcus Schossow and Thomas Sagstad, a.k.a anamē, embark on a new chapter with ‘Hopes & Fears’, set to be released on Anjunabeats in February 2025.

Adding a Scandi flair to the melodic house world in the last four years, the pair have celebrated storytelling and songwriting at the heart of everything they do; be it their debut ‘Beautiful World’ album or multi-million streaming remixes for Armin Van Buuren or Franky Wah.

‘When we announced Beautiful World over a year ago, we wanted to bring our audience along with the journey of writing the album’, says Thomas. ‘Anjuna trusted us to pull back the magicians curtain on the A&R, art, and marketing process of the album and we’ve met people around the world that want to talk as much about the process as the music that came out of it. Those meet ups, dinners, and drinks kept us sane on the road while away from our families and were equally inspiring and encouraging for what we’re doing’.

‘Hopes & Fears’ is an honest reflection of how Marcus and Thomas feel about the world around them and the connections they’ve made worldwide. An emotive, highly charged, statement driven record, that ultimately leans to the lighter side of life.

With their second studio album, the duo continues their history of bringing in incredibly talented collaborators. Jenny Rossander, better known as Lydmor, is an incredible Danish pop artist, one of the biggest in that territory, whose cultural heritage includes five albums, sold out headline shows across Scandinavia, co-produced albums with Who Made Who’s Thomas Holding, and author of a best selling book, charting her journey through the electric arts world over the last 10 years.

‘A live wire - show stealer - natural performer, Jenny’s at the heart of our writing process. The ambiguity and poetry of everything she does ultimately leads to songs people want to scream at the top of their lungs. She’s also always at the end of the phone - the songs on this album are born out of being together, investing in each other's emotional state, and letting it play out in the music we’re writing’ Thomas says. The focus track of the album showcases that sentiment with ‘Hopeful’, as well as ‘Hero’, a poignant Lydmor tale of one-sided love.

The duo has made a point with this album to focus more on their home Nordic territories this time around, growing from their upbringings in Sweden and Norway. In keeping with the theme of home, their collaborators mostly fit the bill. Lydmor’s voice is front and center on four different tracks and continues to attract her Danish fan base to anamē’s music. Norwegian pop singer-songwriter Moyka makes an appearance on the album with anamē reworking her 2019 hit ‘Colder’.

The album also sees anamē working with Swedish singer-songwriter Welt on ‘It Can Be Better Now’. Released in November 2024 as a double-a side, with Lydmor’s ‘Hero’, ‘It Can Be Better Now’ quickly gained traction in the United States, working its way to the #1 record on SiriusXM Chill. It is an emotional, slow-burning, deeply-yearning tale that kicked off anamē’s 2024 set in Mexico City during the Above & Beyond Group Therapy 600 show - online now. The Swedish artist writes lyrics based on her own experiences and feelings, which the listener can hear in her heartfelt vocal delivery.

Longtime anamē fans will also be excited to see Bien return on their third collaboration with the track ‘Happy To Be Alive’. The US-based trio struck gold with anamē in 2021 when their hit track ‘The Best Part’ went viral on social media, and recently passed over 100M total streams. ‘Happy To Be Alive’ continues the familiar happy, summery and melodic house vibe that has been so well received on their previous works with anamē.

With eleven out of the twelve songs on the album featuring a vocalist, anamē’s latest body of work is truly a lesson in teamwork and collaboration with their fellow creatives. Also appearing on the album are Biishop, Bri Zoli, and PEARL, all lending their unique voices and incredible songwriting to the project.

"For us, Hopes and Fears builds on the journey we started with our first album, which was about finding beauty in the world around us. Back then, the way we experienced the world felt far less bleak than the stories we were being force-fed. This new album is about holding onto hope when the times feel increasingly uncertain—a search for light in the dark and the belief that even in the shadows, there’s always a glimmer of light worth fighting for” - anamē

anamē’s ‘Hopes & Fears’ album will arrive in 2025, followed by a North American DJ tour to follow in Spring.