NYC-based blues rock artist Anna Rose has been making a name for herself with her attention-grabbing live shows. She recently took that live show to the festival circuit, as she was one of the featured artists as part of this year’s Summerfest: The Emerging Series. Previous acts who’ve been a part of The Emerging Series include X Ambassadors, Walk the Moon, and The Mowgli’s.

Having just released a new EP, titled Strays In The Cut, and with more concert dates in the works, here are 10 other things you should know about Anna Rose.

She Loves the Blues Because They’re All About Emotion

“There are so many great blues guitar players, but it’s never about, at least for me, it’s never been about the playing, it’s been about the way that they play, the way that they’re singing, what’s behind all of that music. That was always it for me. Somehow, just so simple, and so powerful.”

Her Life Was in Transition While Writing Her New EP, 'Strays In The Cut'

“I didn’t feel like I fit into a category, either in my life, or in the music business,” Rose explains. “There’s a lot (on the EP) about my struggles with the music business, and how difficult it is right now. Also, in my personal life, I was approaching getting married. That can be an incredible thing, and also, as a very independent person, strikes some fear. I think there’s a lot of that in there.”

A Recording Studio Meltdown Turned Into a Personal Epiphany

“My favorite moment from the recording sessions was actually the hardest. We were in the studio, and I was working with the whole band, and with Kevin (Salem), my producer and co-writer, and I had this moment where I felt like I wasn’t being heard, and I just stormed out, and I fully had this meltdown. I’d never really had a meltdown in the studio, or at least one that was about the work, and it was so hard, but it’s my favorite moment because I learned so much from it. I learned I have to speak my mind, I have to speak my opinion. So much of that is in the lyrics of this EP, so it was appropriate that I was having these moments of needing to assert myself. It was the hardest moment, and probably my favorite of all of them.”

She Prefers Her Music to be Raw and Real

“It’s really easy to overproduce something,” Rose says of the recording process. “It’s much harder to just let it be the way it is.”

The blues rocker continued that thought, adding, “The way that we make records now, you can question yourself over and over and over again. It’s why I’ve thought very seriously about starting to record to tape, or something like that, because sometimes you can’t get out of your own head.”

She Started Playing the Guitar at Five Years Old

Rose remembers her first guitar, saying it was “a really really shitty, ice blue, Squier Strat. It was a little 3/4 sized one.”

The first songs she played on it were Beatles songs.

As a Child, She Slept With Her Guitar

“I would fall asleep with my guitar next to me in my bed. That was almost like my stuffed animal, in a way.”

Rose notes there’s at least one way in which it wasn’t exactly like a cuddly teddy bear, saying, “It’s a really clunky stuffed animal, and you can hurt yourself with it.”

Her Father, Composer Alan Menken, Would Take Her Out of School to Watch his Disney Recording Sessions

“When he had his big sessions, Hercules is one I remember really vividly, he would take me into the studio with him. I was so lucky, I would get to see these 60-70 piece orchestras recording his music live, doing these live cues of the score of the movie. He nurtured what I was already loving. He would take me out of school to do that. He would call the school and say, ‘I’m taking Anna on an educational field trip, this is part of her education,’ and it did end up being that.”

She Worked With the Legendary Phil Ramone

“I recorded three demos, and he took my stuff to Blue Note,” she remembers.

Rose didn’t land a deal through those demos, but she also wasn’t at a point in her life where going indie was a consideration. “I wasn’t ready,” she says, “or I wasn’t brave enough.”

She Once Performed With The Stooges

Back in 2010 Rose shared the stage with The Stooges, performing “Gimme Danger” with the band. During her first trip to rehearse with them, however, she was a bit of a nervous wreck. “They were rehearsing ‘Raw Power,’ and I walked in, and they were in the middle of playing, and I just walked back out and shut the door because I was so nervous. I was like, This is The Stooges, they’re standing there playing ‘Raw Power,’ I’m going to try to not actually shit my pants in front of them, so I’m just gonna leave the room for a second. Then I hear them stop, and they’re like, ‘Was that her?’”

A Chili Pepper Left Her Borderline Speechless

While new players were rotating in following her on-stage performance with The Stooges, Rose was approached by a member of Red Hot Chili Peppers, who let her know he was a fan. “I was walking off stage, Chad Smith from the Chili Peppers was walking on stage to replace Scott Asheton on drums. He’s so tall, and I’m so small, he looked down and said, ‘Killer voice,’ and all I could say back was, ‘Chad Smith.’ I said, ‘Chad Smith’ and he just looked at me and smiled and walked on the stage ... Maybe I’ll get the chance to make it up to him, and actually say more than just his own name."