Susan Anders
Nashville, Tennessee, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Swimmer has songs with country, jazzy, or even a bossa nova feel to them. Anders makes subtle adjustments in her approach that make all of this work. She can sing in a sultry purr or add and bit of a bluesy growl, always in service of the song. It all makes Swimmer a nicely varied collection. - Darius Rips, Oliverdiplace
Swimmer opens with "Thirsty", a brilliant bit of pop songwriting laced with a soulful vocal line. Susan Anders' voice is untrained and full of character; esoteric and interesting. Anders dips into the well of brilliance again for "Always A Beginner", an edgy tune with both jazz and blues in its roots. It's about a lost soul who's always getting tossed about by the waves of life.
"I Can't Fix You" is a song of realization sung with a loving melancholy and resignation. Anders offers some sweet country accents in a solid arrangement that is sure to please. "Box Of Mom" is a great memorial/ode to mom and the ways she made life special; the song is catchy and sweet and could become a favorite for mother's day. Anders closes with "Forgiveness"-- Anders' melody is memorable, and it's a solid bow for Swimmer.
Anders shows occasional flashes of utter brilliance as a songwriter. As a vocalist she gives solid and impassioned readings of her songs that are charming and appealing in their own right. - Wildy's World
Swimmer/Susan Anders: Suppose you ever wondered what Rickie Lee Jones would have sounded like if she kept her trajectory true and sailed into middle age without worrying about letting it show. Well traveled folk/pop songwriter Anders comes right out of the box with a set that screams ‘middle age Rickie Lee Jones’ and now we know the theoretical answer. With a resume that shows she isn’t one to sing into her hairbrush in the bathroom mirror, this is solid state adult pop that isn’t for divorcees only. Fun stuff that digs in and won’t let you go. Well done.
- Midwest Record
Susan Anders' Swimmer is more than a musically well-made album. This splendid singer purveys a fresh and intelligent strain of pop of her own creation, always honest in expression.
--Frank-John Hadley
New England-based music critic - Frank-John Hadley
"This is music for adults: smart, witty, and insightful."
- Dirty Linen
"Excellent...strong, arrow-pure vocals and evocative lyrics."
- In Pittsburgh
"A soulful, commanding voice"
- The New Yorker
"A soulful, commanding voice"
- The New Yorker
"How come Susan Anders isn't a household name? She's a wonderful singer, an amazing songwriter, and just plain all-'round fine entertainer." - East Bay Express
Discography
Swimmer
Release
You Can Close Your Eyes Lullabies
Photos
Bio
"I thought I was a healthy girl and that was that, I thought that I would leave this world all parts intact, until the doctor called me back." Susan Anders isn't afraid of dishing the dirt on herself for a good song. Her honest and smart lyrics and her expressive alto are why The New Yorker has called her "a soulful, commanding voice". Bouncing back after a period of illness and writers block, Susan wrote and recorded her newest CD, “Swimmer”. These are not puppy-love songs for kids, but wise reports from mid-life. Susan sings about transcending a rocky childhood, a loved ones substance abuse, burying her mother, and the highs and lows of long-term relationships. Tying the songs together is Susan’s versatile voice. The album's highlights include "Love Beats Time", featuring dobro god Jerry Douglas, the haunting "I Can't Fix You", with Maura O'Connell adding vocals, and the joyous "I Forgot I Was Strong", a soulful collage of vocals.
Susan grew up in Berkeley, California, at the tail end of the Bay Area’s revolutionary wave. After music studies at UC Santa Cruz and SF State, she got herself into a bunch of weird and cool musical situations. Among the weird: delivering singing telegrams wearing a table around her waist, and teaching doo-wop versions of Beatles songs to Buddhist monks. Among the cool: stints in a cappella, rock, jazz and Motown bands that played throughout northern California.
In 1990 Susan moved to Los Angeles, met and married Tom Manche, and formed Susan's Room. The band released five albums of acoustic pop from 1992-2000.
Susan and Tom moved to Nashville in 2002, where she recorded her first solo album, "Release". Her songs appeared on albums from the Four Bitchin Babes, The Irrationals, Jordan Carter, and other artists.
Susan is also a vocal coach who has worked with thousands of singers, including Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum), Joey Heatherton, and Rose MacGowan. Her Iphone app Sing Harmonies was released in the summer of 2010.
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