Happy New Year everyone! I’m thrilled that Versions was included in both the Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday’s best albums of 2023 plaudits. If you’ve not yet got a copy, there’s still a very limited number of vinyl bundles remaining over on Bandcamp.
Thanks to everyone who has supported the album.
Catherine x
Guess who’s woken up to a fabulous ★★★★ album review in The Sunday Times?
“Teases out details and dark corners… raises them to another level.”
Huge thanks to Dan Cairns for such flattering words about the new album.
Read the review in full here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-new-albums-of-2023-so-far-6rrrvdnfk
‘Versions’ is out now on CD, vinyl and download.
Huge thanks to Tim De Lisle for the glorious ★★★★ review in today’s Mail on Sunday for the new album:
“With Versions Davies has another winner…”
Was definitely not expecting a full page spread!
Read the review in full in today’s paper or online here:
I'm very honoured that last night I had the pleasure of speaking with BBC Radio Wales' Adam Walton for an in-depth 40 minute interview (yes you read that right!) to celebrate the release of the new album next week.
It's not often that you get the privilege of being granted so much air time by the BBC and an interviewer who is also so insightful and thoughtful that you discover new things about your own work across the way.
A huge thank you to Adam and to the BBC for being so generous with their time to support the release of Versions. I think it's probably one of my favourite radio interviews I've ever done!
If you have some time today to listen to the interview in full I'd highly recommend heading over here while you potter on a Sunday.
Listen back from 1h15 into the programme here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qzch
There’s a lovely ★★★★ review for ‘Versions’ in this month’s issue of MOJO magazine.
I’m always incredibly grateful for the journalists that take the time to really listen and absorb what it is you’ve spent such a long time trying to make and do. Have always been and will always be a huge fan of writing about music as much as I am of listening to it and creating it. It’s sad to see that so much of the music press has been decimated by the changing times and I’m still such a huge advocate of subscribing to print magazines and really savouring reading them cover to cover every month. Make sure you pick up a copy to read the verdict in full.
The album is out October 6th and there’s VERY limited stocks of the vinyl remaining. Preorder from Bandcamp or from your independent record stores Rough Trade and Burning Shed.
I’m very excited to announce the release of my new album ‘Versions’ on October 6th 2023 via the recently revived Drowned In Sound label. The album brings together 10 of my favourite re-imaginings of songs by the likes of Depeche Mode, The Cure, Nirvana, Nico and Halsey.
The album will be available on both limited edition Eco Mix vinyl (strictly limited to 1000 copies only) and signed gatefold CD with 12 page full colour booklet and exclusive additional CD bonus track - a previously unheard acoustic guitar version of ‘Friday I’m In Love’ featuring the instrumental talents of Charlie Cawood.
Preorders are open now exclusively on Bandcamp (it’s also Bandcamp Friday, so they don’t take a cut today).
We expect these to fly out the door (the previous EPs sold out in less than 24 hours) so be quick if you want to secure your copy:
iamtheanchoress.bandcamp.com/album/versions
There’s a special discount if you want to purchase both physical formats together as a bundle, which will mean you get the signed CD with exclusive bonus track as well as the full liner notes. I wanted to do something a bit different for this release and the choice to press on Eco-Mix vinyl was partly conceptual, partly ethical. Each record pressed will be a completely unique combination, reworked from leftover wax pellets which feels very apt for the concept of the album, as well as being a more eco-friendly method of production and a lovely collectors item for those that really value physical objects.
I love the idea that, like the collection of songs being pieces of other people’s imaginations, this record is quite literally made up of unused parts of other records.
LTD EDITION LP + SIGNED CD SPECIAL BUNDLE
I’ve been working hard on this over these past six months, re-recording and mixing 10 of my favourites. I hope you like what I’ve chosen - it was an almost impossible task to choose which ones to whittle it down to so that we could press this onto a single vinyl.
The extended wait for the physical album has also been due, in part, to the loooooong manufacturing times for vinyl these days ( - thanks Taylor…) as the format sees an ever growing resurgence in popularity.
The artwork has been beautifully put together again by my long-term design collaborator Scott Robinson who also worked on the design and layout of my first two albums. You can expect a really stunning visual package that we have closely collaborated together on.
SIGNED GATEFOLD CD (+ BONUS TRACK) AND 12 PAGE LINER NOTES BOOKLET
Versions CD Tracklisting:
1 Enjoy The Silence (Depeche Mode)
2 Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order)
3 Climbing Up The Walls (Radiohead)
4 Friday I’m In Love (The Cure)
5 Pennyroyal Tea (Nirvana)
6 These Days (Nico)
7 Martha’s Harbour (All About Eve)
8 The Tradition (Halsey)
9 This Is Yesterday (Manic Street Preachers)
10 Sweetness Follows (R.E.M.)
11. Bonus Track (CD ONLY) Friday I’m In Love (Acoustic Version)
Preorder your copy now for delivery by 6th October 2023
Thanks as ever for your support, and let’s make this Bandcamp Friday a really special one!
Catherine x
This weekend was such a dream, performing with my childhood heroes Manic Street Preachers at Glastonbury Festival in the blistering heat.
To mark the occasion, my reworking of ‘This is Yesterday’ will be released at midnight tonight across all streaming platforms.
Presave it now for a chance to win a pair of tickets to my upcoming autumn tour: https://lnk.fuga.com/ThisIsYest
Thank you for all of your kind words about the set. The internet can sometimes be an unkind place but I am truly overwhelmed at the positive reaction to tackling such a sacred cow, especially from a fanbase that is hugely protective of their history. I’m honoured that the band entrusted me with this precious song that means so much to so many people (me included).
You can watch me performing both ‘Your Love Alone’ and ‘This Is Yesterday’ on the BBC iPlayer to see the band in their full glory!
The full set from the Isle of Wight festival was also broadcast on Absolute Radio, including me also duetting on ‘Little Baby Nothing’.
Catherine x
Thrilled that The Sunday Times named “Bizarre Love Triangle” as one of their “hottest tracks” this week!
“…this take on the New Order track is a characteristically beguiling and insightful reading.”
The brand new video by JJ Eringa for my new single Bizarre Love Triangle is premiering over on NME right now along with a lovely chat about touring, the new album and synth queen Gillian from New Order.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-anchoress-on-covering-new-order-bizarre-love-triangle-album-tour-europe-brexit-3429289?
Thrilled to be shortlisted for this year’s Music Producers Guild - MPG awards in this category alongside such talented folk as Hannah Peel and Blood Orange (Devonte Hynes).
It’s such an honour to be recognised for my production skills, having pushed against the tide for so long. I love making records and getting creative in the studio, both for The Anchoress and in collaboration with others.
If you’d like to chat about me producing on your project or would like to work with me on a remix, drop me a line to discuss.
First show back at Rockaway Beach and what a way to make a re-entry as the lead review in today’s Mail on Sunday!
“𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒔 - 𝒂 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓-𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒙”
What a start to the year! Tickets for the the tour in May are on sale now! And so very pleased that it’s being talked about why I couldn’t play for so long and the importance that mitigations such as using air filters that have made it possible to start doing my job again. Massive thanks to everyone who’s been so patient x
Read the review in full here: https://www.mailplus.co.uk/edition/showbiz/music/250153/music-after-covid-hiatus-its-anchoress-away
Huge thanks to the Mail on Sunday for including the forthcoming Anchoress tour alongside Self Esteem, Coldplay, and Elton John in their tours to look forward to in 2023. Rubbing shoulders with rock royalty here!
Read the artcle in full here: https://www.mailplus.co.uk/edition/showbiz/music/246925/music-from-the-arctic-monkeys-to-coldplay-the-best-gigs-to-see-in-2023
It is such an honour to be nominated for Self Producing Artist Of The Year at this year’s Music Producers Guild - MPG Awards. It means a huge deal to me to be recognised in this category.
Since getting my first multitrack as a teenager, through to getting to watch the greats such as Dave Eringa at work in more recent years, I feel so honoured to be recognised for my production work for a record that takes in everything from uber traditional studio techniques, to recording in a cupboard, to remote drum recording with Sterling Campbell (before the world had even heard of Covid!). I’ll be forever proud of what I was able to achieve on The Art Of Losing as a summation of everything I have learnt so far in my career.
Can’t believe how many album of the year accolades The Art of Losing has got now!
The Sunday Times Magazine - 25 Best Albums of 2021
Prog Magazine - Album of the Year #1
Record Collector Magazine - Best New Albums of 2021
The Line Of Best Fit - Best Albums of 2021
The Mail On Sunday - 12 Best Albums of 2021
Metro - Best Albums of 2021
Yorkshire Post - Album of the Year
The Sun - #3 Album of 2021
Classic Rock Magazine - Best Albums of 2021
musicOMH - Best Albums of 2021
God Is In The TV - Best Albums of 2021
Superdeluxeedition - Best Albums of 2021
At the Barrier - Albums of the Year
What did I miss? It’s been hard to keep up! So grateful to everyone who’s written about the album. When you release something so early in the year it’s usually very hard to be remembered by the time the end of year awards are dished out so I’m truly thankful that the record has meant so much to people that it’s stayed in the memory so long after it’s release xx
Another lovely nod from the mighty The Line Of Best Fit for including the album in their Best of 2021 list. https://bestf.it/3DOkW3N
Enormously grateful (and slightly overwhelmed) at all the love the record is getting after everything I went through to make it and release it. Someone asked me this week what it feels like to have so much recognition for the album. "A mixture of relief, vindication, disbelief and numbness" is all I can say at this point!
More absolutely MASSIVE news today as the album has been made one of the Sunday Times Albums of the Year. It was a career highlight earlier this year to be the Sunday Times’ album of the week and named as one of their 7 best albums of the year so far. Now they’ve crowned me as one of their albums of the year!
Such a massive honour for me and enormously grateful to everyone who’s written such lovely words about the record over the past nine months.
Read the list of 25 albums in full here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/25-best-albums-of-2021
Another day, another Album of the Year list! Thrilled to be at #14 in Record Collector’s Best New Albums of 2021.
Over the moon that so many publications are choosing to feature my album in such a stellar year for music. Here’s to many more people discovering The Art of Losing
Wonderful to be rubbing shoulders with Self Esteem and James Blake in the Mail on Sunday Albums of the Year last weekend.
Huge thanks to Tim de Lisle for being such a champion of The Art of Losing and also for the production namecheck It’s little things like this that mean we can slowly turn the dial on making it normal rather than a novelty for women to be in the role of producer, mixer or engineer.
Absolutely thrilled and flabbergasted that The Art of Losing has been named #1 Album of 2021 by Prog Magazine 🎉❤️🙏🏻❤️ Can’t believe that the album is at #1 in a year when Steven Wilson has released an album So appreciative of all the support the Prog community has given to the album and everyone who’s played a part in the album release. Such an eclectic list this year.
The new issue is in shops now and you can also buy your copy online here: https://www.magazinesdirect.com/az-single-issues/47052423/prog-magazine-single-issue.html
2022 TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED! I cannot wait to finally be able to play songs from ‘The Art of Losing’ for you all on my first proper headline tour Join me in 2022 for all this and more...
11th March - Guildford Boileroom
12th March - Gloucester Guildhall
13th March - Hebden Bridge Trades Club
14th March - Hull Central Library
28th April - Cambridge Storey Fields
1st May - London Queen Elizabeth Hall
2nd May - Brighton Komedia
3rd May - Bristol Thekla
5th May - Nottingham Rescue Rooms
6th May - Birmingham Institute
25th May - Manchester Deaf Institute
26th May - Liverpool The Leaf
11th June - Wakefield Long Division Festival