Lovely review of the album from the hard-to-please Dan Cairns in today’s
Sunday Times. It’s in part thanks to this writer that I started
making music at all after he raved about Jennifer Terran’s album The
Musician, which made me decide that I should teach myself to play the
piano. Album is out on Friday. X
The Firsties and Faves of Rising English Singer The Anchoress | NOISEY
To mark today’s album release, I spoke to Noisey about punching school bullies, hot chocolate that’s better than crack, fancying Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre, and what’s actually better than sex..
http://noisey.vice.com/blog/firsties-and-faves-singer-the-anchoress
CLASH interview The Anchoress
“As people we love to impose our own coherence on these things that are very much plotless - loss, failure, disappointment.”
I sat down for an (as ever) up-beat, in-depth chat with Sam Walker-Smart from Clash Magazine.
http://clashmusic.com/features/doesnt-kill-you-the-anchoress-interviewed
BBC Introducing features The Anchoress
Thanks to BBC6 Music for including You and Only You on its 2016 playlist. In fine company here!
Wales Online champions The Anchoress
Thanks to Wales Online for naming ‘Popular’ as one of the greatest Welsh songs of 2015. Honoured to be included in such fine company X
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/51-greatest-welsh-songs-2015-10667322
Head over to Clash Magazine who are premiering the brand new track “Doesn’t Kill You” today. “The song is about taking the chaos you find yourself in and
channelling it into something more positive. “You have to suffer…” The
piano crash at the end was brought to you by a combination of red wine,
codeine, and being forced to play through the pain of (what I didn’t
know at the time was) a detached ligament in my hand when it had all
gone a bit Bobby Fischer…“
http://www.clashmusic.com/news/track-of-the-day-1812-the-anchoress
Huge love to Steve Lamacq not only for playing the single on heavy rotation over the past few weeks but also for choosing ‘You and Only You’ as one of his picks on the #6musicrecommends show last night X
‘You and Only You’ was chosen as Record of the Day on the industry tastemaker tip sheet RoTd.
“Bold and ballsy, this is splendid and her best to date..”
Wow! Look what’s climbing up the Apple video chart. Have you seen my video for the electronic version of You and Only You feat. Philip Reach yet? Get your eyeballs over here. Currently climbed to no. 11!
https://itunes.apple.com/post/idsa.1b930107-99d9-11e5-a857-1300f6fdb803
After its premiere today on Digital Spy, you can now watch the brand new video for ‘You and Only You’ on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/FRMHzPXvZls
Keep your eyes peeled later this week for the Philip Reach version of the track and its special dance video…
Myself and Paul Draper have gone full-on gear porn for Drowned in Sound, talking about how ‘You & Only You’ was put together. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens in the studio, read this: http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4149583-planet-gear–the-anchoress-and-mansuns-paul-draper
I also spoke to the lovely people at Gigwise about my favourite Manics songs and their influence on my own music: http://www.gigwise.com/features/104129/anchoress-picks-her-best-manic-street-preachers-songs
In case you missed any of it, here’s a roundup of some of the online coverage so far for my new sngle, which features guest vocals from Paul Draper. The song has also been picking up lots of radio play from 6Music, Radio X and Amazing Radio, with Radio X premiering the Cenzo Townshend alternative string mix as their ‘Shock of the New’ last week, Q magazine premiere and Steve Lamacq bagging the first radio play and then hammering it all week on 6Music!
Q MAGAZINE PREMIER - http://www.qthemusic.com/12934/premiere-the-anchoress-you-and-only-you-ft-paul-draper/
CLASH - http://www.clashmusic.com/features/their-library-the-anchoress
GIGWISE - http://www.gigwise.com/features/104129/anchoress-picks-her-best-manic-street-preachers-songs
DROWNED IN SOUND - http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4149583-planet-gear–the-anchoress-amp-mansuns-paul-draper
XS NOIZE INTERVIEW - http://www.xsnoize.com/a-conversation-with-the-anchoress-paul-draper/
LOUDER THAN WAR INTERVIEW PT 1 - http://louderthanwar.com/interview-the-anchoress-and-paul-draper-mansun/
TLOBF - http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/the-anchoress-reveals-paul-draper-collaboration-you-and-only-you
BEAT MAGAZINE - http://www.thebeatjuice.com/trax/2015/11/26/13939/the-anchoress-shares-music-for-misfits-playlist/
VON PIP TRACK OF THE DAY: http://www.thevpme.com/2015/11/18/track-of-the-day-the-anchoress-ft-paul-draper-you-and-only-you/
AMASS (JAPAN) http://amass.jp/65045/
GIGSLUTZ TRACK OF THE DAY - http://www.gigslutz.co.uk/this-feeling-track-of-the-day-15-11-15-the-anchoress-feat-paul-draper-you-and-only-you/
STEREO ON BOARD - http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/194875/9
“If you can organise a seance I’ll do it with Ginsberg.”
I spoke to Clash about my favourite literature and its influence on the making of the album.
http://www.clashmusic.com/featu…/their-library-the-anchoress
Head over to Q Magazine for the online premier of the new single “You and Only You feat. Paul Draper”.
You can now preorder the 5 track digital EP here - http://smarturl.it/Anchoress_YAOY
Huge thanks to Steve Lamacq for premiering the new single today on BBC 6Music, which features guest vocals from Paul Draper.
The 5 track digital EP is out Jan 8th, just one week before the album release. Preorder info coming tomorrow X
‘Popular’ is featured on Spotify’s official “fresh finds” playlist of this week’s 'brand new tastemaker gems’. Thanks Spotify!
Been a bit of a whirlwind few days since ‘Popular’ was unveiled as the first taster track of my forthcoming album. Thanks to everyone who has blogged about the song and shared it on Twitter. We made it to no. 2 in the hype machine chart of most popular tracks this week, just above The Kooks ; )
Here’s just some of the places that have covered the track so far…
- TheQuietus premiere
http://thequietus.com/articles/19011-listen-popular-by-the-anchoress
http://www.xsnoize.com/track-of-the-day-the-anchoress-popular/
- Digital Spy
http://www.xsnoize.com/track-of-the-day-the-anchoress-popular/
http://louderthanwar.com/listen-new-single-from-the-anchoress/
http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2015/10/17/news-the-anchoress-announce-the-release-of-debut-album/
- Gigslutz
http://www.gigslutz.co.uk/the-anchoress-announces-debut-album-details-and-shares-lead-track-popular/
http://www.backseatmafia.com/2015/10/19/new-music-the-anchoress-popular-plus-album-news/
- Drunken Werewolf
http://www.drunkenwerewolf.com/blog/the-anchoress-announces-confessions-of-a-romance-novelist/
The Quietus and The Line Of Best Fit announce the release of the album via Kscope with The Quietus premiering the first taster track, ‘Popular’.
The track is available now when you preorder Confessions Of A Romance Novelist from iTunes.
“ It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not.” - Andre Gide
“Popular” is one of my older songs that made it onto the album after Paul E Draper (my co-producer on the album) heard my original demo amidst a bunch of tracks I sent over to him for consideration. It came out of something my Mum used to say to me all the time during some particularly tough years at my first school. Kids seem to have some innate sixth sense for difference and decided I was “weird” from the outset. It ended up with me and the other autistic boy being taught separately in the art room…Tall, lanky, and good at maths. Never gonna be popular… We had a brilliant time producing this track as I hope you can hear from all the crazy voices and ad libs. It’s rare that something turns out exactly how you hear it in your head. I spent an additional week during mixing on piecing together and extending the end reprise section (yes, it’s supposed to sound like that…). P-Dub, who mixed the majority of the album, had the patience of a saint with me. “Just one more change… I promise..”
Fun fact: There are 9 instances of the word “bastard” in the song.
A bit like my life…
Confessions Of A Romace Novelist is released on January 8th 2016 via Kscope.
PREORDER THE GATEFOLD CD DIGIPACK
PREORDER THE ALBUM ON iTUNES
I
joined a choir of Patti Smith, Devendra Banhart and Peaches in today’s
Guardian Film & Music to sing the praises of Ginsberg’s Howl…
You can read the piece online here: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/oct/08/how-allen-ginsbergs-howl-transformed-pop