Interview: Ana & Gene on Social Impact Songs, Survival Anthems and the Smile Waiting After the Storm –

Welcome back to A&R Factory, Ana & Gene, it’s great to have you back as you move into this new chapter of social impact anthems, and explorations of recovery, self-acceptance and hard-won joy.

Since we last spoke about your single, Narcissistic You, you’ve had major chart success, award wins and nominations, and now two new social impact songs. How does it feel to return with music that carries such a direct message for people who need it?

Hello and thank you for having us back and we are excited to write new music that has to deal with major social issues of what is going on in the world as we speak.  We had family and friends that were dealing with these Issues and it’s heartbreaking to see them going through it.  We were helping them by being an ear to listen too and by being one of their biggest cheerleaders.  So then that inspired us to write these two social impact song anthems to up lift the world and to who ever needs to hear them.

I Feel Alive So Alive speaks about addiction, recovery and fighting your way back. What made you want to turn such a painful, personal subject into something with pop-rock and synth energy behind it?

The reason why we chose a high energy genre like Pop Rock with added Synth is because the song is about charging through the pain to get to the finish line.  We put gloomy synth playing in certain parts that are painful and sad.   But then we have bright synth being played in the uplifting parts of the song along with the high energy of vocals, guitars and Pop drum beats.   Since the song is about winning the fight to survive we feel that is uplifting and bright.

Addiction can leave people feeling isolated, ashamed or written off. What did you most want listeners to hear in that song when they are trying to believe recovery is still possible?

We want the listeners to realize it’s ok no one is perfect and we all fall at one point or more in our lives.  Once we are down the only place we can go from there is right back up.  So don’t ever feel ashamed of being at your lowest and don’t ever give up the fight to live your life and the happiness you deserve.

Your single, See Me Smile, takes on self-acceptance and the freedom of loving your own uniqueness. Was there a specific moment or feeling that sparked that message?

Yes one of our friends started confiding in us about how her immediate family was treating her not so nice because she likes to dress like an Emo girl and always wearing everything black.  She also told us on how they would tell her that they were not liking her persona too.   That reminded us of how our family and a few so called friends and peers during that time treated us when we were teenagers and growing up.  We told her to not listen to them and just be who she wants to be and love the person that she is and smile.  We didn’t listen to the people who were trying to drag us down and take away our uniqueness.   That is why we are here as Ana & Gene today.

You recorded both songs while fighting pneumonia, and Ana lost her voice for weeks while you still had the Josie Music Awards deadline ahead of you. How intense did that month feel behind the scenes?

Oh my gosh that month was so very intense for us!  We were fighting adversity right from the start with so many delays, things going wrong at the studio and Ana catching pneumonia during the recordings and then I shortly after that.  When we were on our way to do the final vocal recordings for Ana since I done mine the week prior.  She was saying on how she does not feel well and is starting to get the chills and felt feverish.   She then said she does not care how crappy she felt she is still going to do her vocals even if it killed her!  All though I was agains’t it she pushed forward!  When we got there she started the process of loosing her voice too.  The engineer said that maybe we should schedule next week for her vocals.  She said no because by then she might not even be able to talk!  So she went inside the booth to sing.   I can tell that she was in pain but yet giving it her all as she was gasping at times to breathe.  She finished her vocals and being the professional that she is she had done an amazing job.

After being nominated at The Josie Awards last year for Keep On Giving You Love, did that deadline give you extra fire to push through when your bodies were clearly asking for rest?

Most definitely it did!!  We were on a deadline and where determined to meet it no matter what circumstances would arise.   Come hell or high water we wanted to get our social impact anthems into this years 2026 Josie Music Awards.  Also being a music professional no matter what happens you always have to meet your deadlines.  Also to let you know from our perseverance we actually got nominated this year for both of our songs.  The nominations are Social Impact Rock/Christian Rock for “See Me Smile” and Song of the year Pop Rock “I Feel Alive So Alive”.

Your music often carries big hooks, bright energy and serious emotional meaning underneath. How do you keep the message powerful while still making songs people want to sing at full volume?

Well, we keep the message powerful in our lyrics and the emotional depths behind it with the hooks.  But we also create some hooks in our melody as well to give it the high energy to carry it home.

With I Feel Alive So Alive and See Me Smile both landing as social impact anthems, what conversations do you hope they start with fans who are dealing with addiction, self-doubt or pressure to fit in?

Both tracks serve as a powerful lifeline designed to break the silence around mental health and prove that survival is a tangible, reachable reality. For fans battling addiction, “I Feel Alive So Alive” aims to destigmatize the struggle by framing recovery as a courageous battle rather than a source of shame; it uses the narrative of a counselor who won the fight to offer a living blueprint of hope, deliberately shifting from the grief of loss in the pre-chorus to a triumphant, upbeat chorus that celebrates winning the battle. Meanwhile, “See Me Smile” addresses the heavy burdens of self-doubt and social pressure by encouraging fans to strip away external expectations, own their personal identity, and find inner strength and mental wellness from within rather than seeking outside approval. Together, these anthems are meant to spark honest conversations, reminding listeners that they are never truly alone and that it is entirely possible to step out of a dark place, make a change, and genuinely feel alive again.

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Discover more about Ana & Gene via their website.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast