Anna Schneider confronts the quiet chaos of being alone in new single 'Bad Dream'
- Veronica Zurzolo
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
Photo Credit: Emma Daisy
West Australian singer-songwriter Anna Schneider unveils her tender new single Bad Dream, a misty-eyed, spiralling, and playful ode to isolation, dread and the inner landscapes we often try to escape - out 27 June.
Bad Dream finds Schneider at her most honest, channeling an emotional intensity that echoes her inspirations; Julia Jacklin, Alice Phoebe Lou and Big Thief, while carving a sound uniquely her own. Laced with fluttering vocals and intricate arrangements, the track builds into a swirling dreamscape, both playful and intimate.
Written shortly after another reluctant move, Bad Dream captures the feeling of an agoraphobic nightmare. “It’s a song about stagnating. That feeling of being isolated and drowning within the walls of your home, and the debilitating frustration between what is and what could be.” explains Schneider, continuing “Since I was a child, I have always had extremely vivid nightmares, where I can wake up and recount every detail like a cinematic piece. I was often afraid to go to sleep because I felt like I would just be terrorised by my own brain. Bad Dream is about that fear of being alone with your thoughts, whether in your dreams or in the monotony of our everyday spaces.”
Produced by Daniel Carrol at RADA Studios (Stella Donnelly, King Gizzard, Katy Steele, Carla Geneve) and mastered by Zac Barter (Mick Flannery, Jack Davies), the song features instrumentalists; Jay Cernohorsky (Luci), Bob Tweedie, Tess Dwyer-Long, Marley Donnan-Cook (Tash Sultana, Demon Days), Jack Hill (Noah Dillon) and Chet Morgan (Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks).
From a whisper to the track’s closing moment of chaos, live piano, pedal steel, and layered vocals dissolve into a dreamlike wash, evoking the familiar sounds of Weyes Blood and Bedouine. It’s a sonic landscape that feels both delicate and apocalyptic.
Bad Dream is the latest in a string of impressive achievements for Schneider, who recently performed at Panama Festival (TAS) in 2025; won the 2024 RAC Limelight Award; has supported Dan Sultan, Eskimo Joe, San Cisco, Noah Dillon and Great Gable, and played sold-out shows on an East Coast tour alongside Jack Davies in 2024.
With a voice that commands stillness and songwriting that resonates long after the final note, Anna Schneider continues to shine as one of the most captivating new artists in Australia’s contemporary music landscape.
Anna Schneider’s new single Bad Dream is out now.
Comments