Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
We’ve known of Anna Calvi for almost a year now, a good friend introduced us through her extraordinarily powerful live show - and in the scale of live shows this year, it’s second only to HEALTH at the Lexington (which I’ve already mentioned 15 times and referenced many others). Alas, we’ve been sat on some MP3s for far far to long and I’m so pleased I can share.
Calvi doesn’t belong to a ’scene’ - she’s neither Chess Club, or Hip East Londoner, she’s not part of a neon-rave movements and she’s not especially DIY (although you should totally check out her videos here which slightly contradict), infact, I find her an absolute revelation - someone of genuine musical skill who writes songs with flair, passion, love and beautiful technical ability. I’ve seen mouths fall to the floor as she plays guitar in the style of a virtuoso with such verve and sensuality that a collective surrender soon domino’s across the room. Does anyone else deliver such theatrical passion so beautifully as Calvi right now? The band are all classically trained and like all the best band bring great skill to the table. Love this if you’re a secret love of Tarantino movies, PJ Harvey and dark noir.
- 88 days In My Veins
Discography
Blackout was played on Xfm's Xposure, by dj John Kennedy,who is a great supporter of Anna Calvi's music.
Photos
Bio
Anna Calvis unique blend of dark atmospheric romantic pop has already caught the attention of Londons elite; flanked by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons with whom she is recording an EP, and also by Mercury-Award-Nominated Dave Okumu of The Invisible with whom she recorded No More Words. Anna is currently writing songs in a dark underground basement using her trademark Telecaster guitar, vintage harmonium, and layers of choral like vocals and violins.
Anna Calvis intensely mesmerizing live performances also showcase her fierce mastery of the electric guitar, which continues to win over new audiences. Backed by Daniel Maiden-Wood on drums and Mally Harpaz on percussion / harmonium Anna has just finished a UK tour with Johnny Flynn, and supported Micachu and the Shapes (Rough Trade), The Golden Silvers (XL Recordings), The Invisible (Accidental Records), Laurel Collective (Domino Records), The Brute Chorus, Carina Round, and Kaki King to name a few.
I'm half Italian, brought up in London, but spent a lot of time in Rome. All my family play music. My influences are Django Reinhardt, John McLaughlin, David Bowie, Nick Cave, Velvet Underground, Roy Orbison. Although I love pop music my guitar playing and song writing is also heavily influenced by classical music, namely Messeian, Ravel, and Debussy.
I see my songs as mini films; I want to take the listener into another world for the space of a song. I always want to create a real sense of atmosphere. It is really important to me that the music dictates the story as much as the lyrics do - much like a film score. Both musically and visually I want to evoke a sense of passion, I'm interested in portraying romance which at the same time feels mysterious and sometimes dark; the songs often summon a sense of outside danger, of forces which you can't control, at the same time within a landscape which sounds beautiful.
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