the weird political and pagan folksongs of my upbringing, my dad's record collection, esp. the early sixties and the 1980s. the expatriate writers of a few generations including nin & miller, hemingway etc., lawrence durrell, james joyce and those guys, and the beats. guthrie, dylan, cohen, cash, waits. joni, ani, dar, tori, cyndi, rickie lee, gillian. talking heads, dire straits, peter gabriel, velvet underground. all my comrades including but not limited to rachel ries, robert blake, louis ledford, jonathan byrd, danny schmidt, matt fockler, devon sproule, michael chorney.
Sounds Like
TOUR VIDEOS
"1984" the day after the inauguration, London, Winter 09
"Lovin's for Fools" with Bon Iver, Paris, Fall 08
"Waitin for my Man" with Hamell on Trial (& Ani Difranco on vibraphone), Amsterdam, Fall 2008
"Namesake" with Michael Chorney, Cambridge, Fall 2007)
"Fearlessly emotive... Like Dylan, Cohen, and Welch, Mitchell weaves her stories into an effortlessly beautiful and cohesive tapestry with the skill of an artisan's carpenter, showing no seams." - ACOUSTIC GUITAR
"Girlishly sprite and brimming with innocence... brings to mind the hippie-throwback charm of Victoria Williams, though... people more commonly note a resemblance to '80s pop star Cyndi Lauper." - NO DEPRESSION
"the earthiness of Shawn Colvin, the child-like bite of Joanna Newsom, and the urban jumpiness of Ani DiFranco... lyrics are sprinkled with rosy similes ("you roll like the rolling waters/you rise like the bright morning stars") while they simultaneously touch on everything from politics ("Hobo's Lullaby") to literature ("Namesake," a reference to Mitchell's namesake, Anais Nin) to mythology ("Hades & Persephone")... These elements, as disparate as they might seem, come together as nicely as cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg..." - ALL MUSIC GUIDE
"In Mitchell’s universe, there is no light between the personal and the political, the venerable and the radical... her canary soprano and puckish melodies can obscure the bravery of her vision. She brilliantly intertwines the mundane and the profound, singing with the same intimacy about a carefree night on the town and wandering the warring towns of Israel. Her vivid snapshots of sweetly ordinary moments spin suddenly outward to bemoan the eternal woes of poverty and militarism. Evoking weary hobos, wayward trains, and the mythic power of ancient folk songs, she views the past with wistful longing." - Scott Alarik, BOSTON GLOBE
"a songwriter of startling clarity and depth, equally skilled at turning a melody or lyrical phrase into what you didn't know you needed until you heard it." – ACOUSTIC GUITAR
"And the big horns blowed and the pianos played / And the music rose to the old man's ears / I guess those were the olden days / I guess those were the golden years..." sings Anaïs Mitchell on her new record The Brightness. Such earnest nostalgia says a lot about the kind of art this Vermont native has been creating since entering the underground folk scene in 2002. At a time when the music industry is playing the role of the slickest of defense attorneys, using flash and dazzle campaigns to distract us from the fact that their clients are terrible, Mitchell is an artist who grew up on a sheep farm. She makes small-sounding, big-thinking folk albums that play like a front-porch serenade. If she feels in a bit of a time warp, you can't blame her.
Listening to this 25-year-old singer/songwriter perform her meticulously written songs, fervently singing them in a distinctive, almost childlike voice, you'd think it was her life mission to rouse the hearts and minds of her listeners with an acoustic guitar. But Mitchell wasn't always committed to the idea - "I used to tell people I wanted to be a journalist. There is a lonely egotism and self-composure to journalists. Not unlike artists, they're always traveling, always writing, loving their loneliness, feeling somehow that they have their finger on the pulse – worshiping the truth and trying to render it legible."
Despite her journalistic leanings, Mitchell started writing songs at age 17 and eventually started performing them live during her school days, which were punctuated by a remarkable amount of traveling. In a short period of time, Anaïs made several trips to the Middle East, and also spent time in Europe and Latin America, studying languages and world politics. This stunning, troubadour-like experience seeped into her music, and she became adept at fusing her passion for literature and journalism in her lyrics.
With a clutch of quiet, ambitious songs in her arsenal, Mitchell recorded her now out-of-print debut, The Song They Sang When Rome Fell (2002), in a single afternoon in Austin. It was also in Texas where Anaïs discovered the Kerrville Folk Festival, which honored her with the prestigious New Folk Award in 2003. Soon thereafter, with the help of Michael Chorney and Chicago-based Waterbug Records, Anaïs released her second album, Hymns For The Exiled, in 2004. The stirring collection of guitar and voice cemented Mitchell's status as a folksinger to watch, and the record eventually reached the ears of Ani DiFranco, a songwriter whose fusion of personal and political themes was a formative influence on a teenaged Mitchell. After seeing a few of Anaïs' captivating concerts, DiFranco signed the artist to her label, Righteous Babe Records.
"If you knew what Ani DiFranco meant to me as a young woman and a young songwriter… well, I was simultaneously elated and in total disbelief," Mitchell told a Vermont reporter after joining the RBRrrmy. "It seemed too good to be true."
The same can be said about Mitchell's Righteous Babe debut, which hit stores February 13, 2007. During the recording process, Anaïs lived above the studio, which was built into an old Vermont gristmill. She could wake up, shake the sleep out of her eyes and record tracks in her pajamas, resulting in a decidedly intimate listening experience. Spilling over with worldly metaphors, intense emotions and unshakable reverence to the art of song, The Brightness shimmers with creative spark.
Anaïs Mitchell is currently working on plans to stage her original folk-opera, Hadestown, based on the myth of Hades and Eurydice, as she continues to tour and do what she does best: pluck heartstrings and sing.
Ciao Anais ,thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot,and stupendous voice. compliments ..really. you are one of my prefeitis I feel great admiration for you, talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music. all the best.. from italy..and good week neal
Hey there Anais with the wonderful voice and stunning songs, we met when you hosted the Ballad Tree at Kerrville, really love your music..thanks for your friendship
Thank you so much Anais for honoring us with your precious friendship.... We hope your evening is blessed with Love and that the adventures of your Life feel like a ride on the mystery train of Pure Joy.....Thanks again !!
Your music stuns me every time, with its beauty, truth and fragility. You truly are an original songwriter of great depth, sorrow and joy. Keep up the great work.
Glad to see you're coming back through Kansas once again. It was great to meet you last time and see a great set. Looking forward to Manhattan and Lawrence...
Hello Anaïs Change of profile pick, hey? How cool you actually post someting to your own website under "comments"...How many artists do that? I met you in Girona last year, as you were at the merch.table with Ani. I'd like to invite you to listen to my songs and covers on my space. One is a parody of a famous song...See if you can spot which one. But most of all, it'd be very much appreciated if you could tell me what you thought of the voice behind.... Sending positive energy and bright light your way! Sophia Sebastian
Ciao Anais , Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your music and the splendid voice. talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music. all the best.. from italy neal