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

- LineofBestFit

http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/the-anchoress-announces-debut-lp-confessions-of-a-romance-novelist

- XS Noize 

http://www.xsnoize.com/track-of-the-day-the-anchoress-popular/

- Digital Spy 

http://www.xsnoize.com/track-of-the-day-the-anchoress-popular/

- Louder Than War

http://louderthanwar.com/listen-new-single-from-the-anchoress/

- FAME

http://www.famemagazine.co.uk/2015/10/15/the-anchoress-announces-debut-album-confessions-of-a-romance-novelist-and-shares-popular/  

- GodIsInTheTV

http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2015/10/17/news-the-anchoress-announce-the-release-of-debut-album/

-Vanyaland

http://www.vanyaland.com/2015/10/20/nada-serf-listen-to-the-anchoress-buoyant-new-piano-pop-single-popular/

- Gigslutz

http://www.gigslutz.co.uk/the-anchoress-announces-debut-album-details-and-shares-lead-track-popular/

- Backseat Mafia

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

The Remix with Eddy Temple Morris

Had a little chat with Eddy Temple Morris on Friday night and played a little sneak preview of something new… I’m up two songs into the show. Listen back here- https://www.mixcloud.com/sohoradio/the-remix-with-eddy-temple-morris/

Great review in this month’s Mojo of the Hannover show on the Big Music 2015 European tour…

Performing with Simple Minds at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.

And so, after three months of touring Europe and the UK with Simple Minds, I’m finally home! Everything has an end and what a ride it’s been since leaving my house to start rehearsals in early December 2014. I’ve had a blast on tour and met so many great people along the way…

If you missed out on the merch stall during the tour, there’s now a small number of signed 12" vinyl of the One For Sorrow EP for sale in my Bandcamp store (signed by me and co-producer Paul Draper, while stocks last). Please send a note with your order if you’d like yours personalised:

https://iamtheanchoress.bandcamp.com/album/one-for-sorrow-ep

And so to the album…This time last year the first single ‘What Goes Around’ was being released as a limited 7". It’s been a tough year since then. So many obstacles have been thrown in the path of completing the record and there’s been times where it has seemed like the only sane option would be to walk away and give up. But, as I’ve finally been putting the finishing touches to the album on my rare days off on tour over the past few months I think about how I would have loved my Dad to have seen it released, how thankful I am for all the incredible people who have contributed along the way, and wonder if I’d have known how tough it would be, would I have been put off this path? And then I think of Beckett: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better…” In short, release news coming very soon!

For now I’m off to unpack my suitcase as I’m back home for just a week before we fly off to Las Vegas to perform at the Billboard Music Awards. So many exciting things are happening at the moment, so just time to say thank you all for supporting me in some way or other, by coming to see a show or downloading a track.

Catherine xox

Live Photos by Vince Barker.

Once Upon A Lie has been playlisted by BBC Introducing and will be played every day next week!

You can download the track for free here: http://bit.ly/19hf3OX

Photo by Alan Wild.

Did an interview with the Guardian about my multi-tasking life…

http://gu.com/p/45m5d/stw

Review of the One For Sorrow EP in this month’s edition of Loaded.

“From sleazy stomping blues to pulsating piano pop, welcome to the oddly unsettling world of Welsh multi-instrumentalist Catherine Anne Davies. It’s epic, constantly evolving dark pop with acid spiked lyrics and a truly effecting voice.” - Mikey Jonns, Loaded.

Wow! What a start to the year! The mighty American institution that is NPR includes me in their 2015 picks. “As sharp as a bloody blade…” and the video has had over 10k plays in the first 24 hours!

I’ve been such a huge admirer of Ann Powers writing for a long time so it’s a honour to be included in her list for 2015.

Read the full article here.

Fred Perry Ones To Watch 2015

Thanks to Fred Perry for including me in their Ones To Watch for 2015!

“A self-described ‘revenge-pop’ artist, Catherine Anne Davies, AKA The Anchoress, makes animated pop music with a sinister, obsessive edge. Heading on a major EU tour with Simple Minds, she will be dropping her debut album in June 2015.”

Magical few days in the studio with Bernard Butler. Album 2 may be ready before Album 1 at this rate…!

Les Inrocks

Great review of Long Year from the amazing Les Inrocks. How’s your French…? ; )

“Behind this barbaric sound sensual and group name trompe-l'oeil hides one Catherine Anne Davies. One imagines indeed Welsh savage, dark thoughts and nervous gestures, suspicious and tense like a young PJ Harvey when she greeted the press with a fork in her hand in the Dorset countryside. But the miracle here is the mixture of bitterness and luxuriance - rubber boots and satin shoes - which made the unprecedented magnitude of these songs as comfortable at CBGB’s as in Broadway theatres. Gothic and flamboyant then.”

http://www.lesinrocks.com/2014/12/18/musique/anchoress-long-year-11540907/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter