Andrea Wittgens finds emotional clarity on her most personal album yet, "Big Dreams Little Earthlings"
After two decades of making music, Andrea Wittgens isn't afraid to let you in. With her new album Big Dreams Little Earthlings, the New York-based Canadian alt-pop artist strips it all down to the core: emotions, contradictions, and a voice that carries both weight and warmth.
Ten tracks deep, the album explores everything from addiction and grief to anger, healing, and hope. But instead of drowning in the heaviness, Wittgens lifts it into the light—layered in synths, cinematic swells, and melodies that nod to the drama and shimmer of 80s pop.
“This album is the freest I’ve ever felt in my songwriting,” she says. “It took me a long time to get to where my music came from pure self-acceptance.” Co-produced with Ainjel Emme (John Legend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Anthony Lopez (The Voidz, Charli XCX), the album blends poetic storytelling with lush arrangements and experimental sounds.
The opener, All Your Sadness Bathed In Sunshine, is a haunting piano ballad that feels like a whispered confession. Her voice is fragile but clear—carrying the kind of emotion that can only come from lived experience. From there, songs like All The Golden Girls Are Dead (a bittersweet tribute to lost friendship) and Red (a furious, fiery anthem with Björk-like intensity) expand the emotional palette.
One standout? House of Heavenly Bodies, where ethereal vocals and dreamy synth layers turn heartbreak into something almost celestial. The album closes with the title track, a meditative, poetic reflection on human evolution—part lullaby, part existential surrender.
Big Dreams Little Earthlings marks a creative turning point for Andrea Wittgens—one that began during the pandemic when, after a decade of co-writing, she found herself creating music completely on her own for the first time. Wanting to give the new songs the release they deserved, she teamed up with a music branding and publicity expert who encouraged her to slow down, fully embrace her artistic vision, and connect with producer Ainjel Emme.
Taking that advice to heart, Wittgens dove into building soundscapes from the ground up, stepping away from her usual piano-led approach and immersing herself in a multi-layered, home-studio process. That shift led her Ainjel Emme, and the connection between the two artists was immediate and intuitive. In the studio, they worked side by side with a rare kind of creative ease. “Taking any unspoken male-female sexual tension or hierarchical weirdness out of the equation was a game-changer,” Wittgens reflects.
The result is a ten-track album that’s introspective, honest, and deeply human. It embraces all the messy contradictions of being alive and aims to connect without pretense. “I didn’t want to hide behind poetry, and bury my emotions in word gymnastics. On this record, I am the most honest I’ve ever been”.
Find Big Dreams Little Earthlings on all platforms and follow Andrea on Instagram