Angel Olsen
| Angel Olsen | |
|---|---|
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Angel Olsen performing at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn, November 12, 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 22 January 1987 |
| Origin | St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Genres | Folk, folk rock, indie rock, alternative country |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Jagjaguwar, Bathetic |
| Associated acts | Bonnie "Prince" Billy and the Cairo Gang, Cap'n Jazz, Wilco, Cass McCombs |
| Website | www.angelolsen.com |
Angel Olsen (born January 22, 1987) is an American folk and indie rock singer and guitarist who was raised in St. Louis, Missouri[1][2] and currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina.[3] She has recorded and toured as a backing singer with Bonnie "Prince" Billy and the Cairo Gang,[4] before embarking on her own career.
Career
At age three, Olsen was adopted by a foster family that had cared for her since shortly after her birth. The difference in years between her and her parents left an impression. “Because there are so many decades of difference between us, I became more interested in what their childhood was like,” she says of her parents, both of whom still live in St. Louis. “I fantasized about what it was like to be young in the ’30s and ’50s, more so than other kids my age.”[3] Olsen explained that “my mother just has this capacity for children.”[3] Despite early adolescent aspirations to be a “pop star”, her interests later shifted in high school. Olsen became more introverted, interested in punk rock and attending Christian rock shows. She began learning the piano and guitar and writing her own music.[3] Two years after graduating from Tower Grove Christian High School, Olsen moved to Chicago.[5]
After releasing her first EP, Strange Cacti,[6] and a debut album, Half Way Home,[7] on Bathetic Records, Olsen signed with Jagjaguwar,[8] ahead of her first full-band record, Burn Your Fire for No Witness,[9] which was released on 17 February 2014.[10][11] Olsen's third full-length album, My Woman, was released on September 2, 2016.[12][13]
In addition to her work with Bonnie "Prince" Billy and The Cairo Gang, Olsen has collaborated with a number of other notable figures of American indie rock, including Tim Kinsella of Cap'n Jazz and LeRoy Bach of Wilco.[14] Her collaboration with Kinsella and Bach, as well as with Chicago poet Marvin Tate, resulted in the album "Tim Kinsella sings the songs of Marvin Tate by LeRoy Bach featuring Angel Olsen," which the group released on Indianapolis label Joyful Noise Recordings on December 3, 2013.[14]
Discography
Solo
Albums
- Strange Cacti (LP edition) April 2011, Bathetic Records.
- Half Way Home (LP edition) Sept 2012, Bathetic Records.
- Burn Your Fire for No Witness (CD/LP/Cassette) February 2014, Jagjaguwar (for cd/lp) and Bathetic (limited cassette pressing)
- My Woman September 2016, Jagjaguwar. (UK #40)
Cassettes
- Strange Cacti (Debut Cassette), July 2010, Bathetic Records.
- Lady Of The Waterpark (Covers Cassette), September 2010, Love Lion Records.
Singles
- Sleepwalker (7", "Sweet Dreams"/"California") January 2013, Sixteen Tambourines.
- Intern (Single) June 2016, Jagjaguwar.
With Bonnie Prince Billy
- Island Brothers (Vinyl 10"), February 2011, Drag City Records.
- "Wolfroy Goes to Town" (CD/LP), October 2011, Drag City Records.
- "Now Here's My Plan" (CD/LP), July 2012, Drag City Records.
Other contributions
- Tim Kinsella Sings the Songs of Marvin Tate by LeRoy Bach featuring Angel Olsen (LP) December 2013, Joyful Noise Recordings.[15]
- "Attics of My Life" for the 2016 Grateful Dead compilation album Day of the Dead.
References
- ↑ "Angel Olsen Playlist - Adding Some Glam To The Gloom". Nme.com. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
- ↑ Paul Lester. "Angel Olsen (New band of the day No 1,676) | Music". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
- 1 2 3 4 Bevan, David (March 24, 2014). "Angel Olsen Will Be Heard". Spin. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
- ↑ Powell, Mike (October 10, 2011). "Interviews: Will Oldham". Pitchfork.com. Pitchfork. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
- ↑ Appelstein, Mike. "Angel Among Us: An Oral History of Angel Olsen's Time In St. Louis". Retrieved 2016-09-01.
- ↑ "Strange Cacti 12 EP". Bathetic Records. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
- ↑ "Half Way Home". Bathetic Records. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
- ↑ "Angel Olsen". Jagjaguwar. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
- ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay (February 17, 2014). "Angel Olsen: Burn Your Fire for No Witness Album Review". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
- ↑ "Angel Olsen Breaks Down Her Smoldering New Jagjaguwar Debut". Billboard. 2014-02-13. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
- ↑ Fred Thomas. "Burn Your Fire for No Witness - Angel Olsen | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-02-17.
- ↑ Pearce, Sheldon; Monroe, Jazz (June 6, 2016). "Angel Olsen Announces New Album My Woman | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ↑ Dolanon, Ciara (August 31, 2016). "Album Review: Angel Olsen – My Woman". consequenceofsound.net. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
- 1 2 Joyful Noise Recordings. "Tim Kinsella sings the songs of Marvin Tate by LeRoy Bach featuring Angel Olsen". Joyful Noise Recordings. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ↑ Fred Thomas. "Tim Kinsella Sings the Songs of Marvin Tate by LeRoy Bach". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
External links
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