It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid. Well, sometimes there is, especially when one turns on a radio and gets beaten about the head and chest with "festive" records from every Tom, Dick, and Harry with their eyes on the prize. Good thing Anna Krantz is here with a remedy for all that in the form of her latest release '(Don't It Feel Like) Christmas Now.'

The song was inspired by Anna's realisation that Christmas comes earlier every year. "While I was living in the US, Christmas seemed to start with the first sighting of the red Starbucks coffee cup." Yes, for some of us it's a red coffee cup, for others it's getting thrown out of Brown Thomas for giving out about Christmas trees in September. Swings and roundabouts.

Talking of Christmas crimes, perennial pop purveyor Cliff Richard gave Anna a lift by recording her song 'Stardust' for his most recent album, Rise Up. "I was thrilled", said Ann, and who wouldn't be? "What an absolute honour from such a legend!"

Cliff isn't the only big name that Anna's been attached to, Ed Sheeran fans can find two of her co-writes with the red headed man on his 5 compilation which rounds up his early EPs.

Anna has been spending more time writing and recording in Dublin's fair city after meeting her current partner whilst in Ireland. "I finally gave myself permission to stop looking for love." This does sound like a song. Anna continues, "I decided to really enjoy myself as an ambitious, creative single woman and stop worrying about meeting my partner. I walked into the bar feeling very pleased with my new sense of inner contentment. I had cried all my makeup off during the day and was wearing what can only be described as pyjamas, doing an impression of clothes acceptable to be worn in public!" She's obviously never been to the shopping centre 'round my way. "I walked over to a table of friends and there, sitting amongst them was a Dublin man who turned out to be the love of my life. We took one look at each other and that was it. Within hours we were holding hands and planning our future together. It's all described in my song 'Old Fashioned Kind'." I knew it!

"I’m now based between London and Dublin," says Anna, "and I’ve had the honour of writing with some incredible people; The great Eleanor McEvoy, Jamie Lawson, Derek Ryan, Donna Taggart, Grainne Hunt and Eoin Glackin amongst others. As a lover of Irish music, having grown up listening to Mary Black and Van Morrison, it feels like real full circle experience to be making and performing music in Ireland."

While you're at it, check out Anna's gorgeous run at The Walker Brothers' 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'

https://open.spotify.com/track/16o1EmK0gtWcWbHOQu9D1W?si=I-Vse2z6RO-B-_swCIqa7g