Anna Calvi
BIOGRAPHY
There are people who love Mumford and Sons, and The Invisible, and Lightspeed Champion. There are people who think that the fact that Anna Calvi has been working with the first two names on that list and is constantly talked up in the press by the latter means that she warrants your attention with no further research. But though by hearing of such associations might well be your way of initially learning of Calvi’s work, you should not approach it with them in mind. Here is a woman whose music is very much a thing of itself – personal, intimate and untainted by anything as fleeting as a current trend or scene.
“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.” So ends Anna Calvi’s CV.
Things don’t get much more complicated than that. Anna Calvi is a singer who plays a Telecaster guitar, with two striking things about her – how well she sings and how well she plays the Telecaster guitar. She’s also a dab hand at arrangements, the moulding of moods (be they dark and atmospheric or endearingly romantic – often, both jostle for space), and layering harmoniums, vocals and strings without her birdlike vocals ever getting pushed out of focus. Live too, she’s mesmerising – currently backed by Daniel Maiden-Wood on drums and Mally Harpaz on percussion and harmonium, shows have been undertaken with The Golden Silvers, Peggy Sue and a whole two tours worth with Johnny Flynn, kindred spirits each one.
Recently signed to Domino Records (Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Animal Collective), you can expect some of her curious magic to be placed on to record in the not too distant future - she's currently in the studio with long time PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis. For now, we leave you with a tantalising handful of live dates for the coming months, and a trio of exclusive videos of Anna performing at a Club Rockfeedback evening at London’s Hoxton Bar and Kitchen back in February.
TOUR DATES:
23/6/10 – Nouvea Casino, Paris
25/7/10 – Secret Garden Party, Cambridge
31/7/10 – Field Day Festival, London
6/8/10 – Standon Calling Festival, Hertfordshire
EXCLSUIVE VIDEOS:
BLACKOUT – EXCLUSIVE FOR ROCKFEEDBACK TV, LIVE @ HOXTON BAR AND KITCHEN, LONDON, 25/2/10
I’LL BE YOUR MAN – EXCLUSIVE FOR ROCKFEEDBACK TV, LIVE @ HOXTON BAR AND KITCHEN, LONDON, 25/2/10
NO MORE WORDS – EXCLUSIVE FOR ROCKFEEDBACK TV, LIVE @ HOXTON BAR AND KITCHEN, LONDON, 25/2/10