Olivia Chaney

Last updated

Olivia Chaney
Olivia Chaney 2013.jpg
Olivia Chaney in October 2013
Background information
Born1982 (age 41–42)
Florence, Italy
Genres Folk
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar, harmonium
Years active2004–present
Labels Nonesuch Records
Website www.oliviachaney.net

Olivia Chaney (born 1982) is an English folk singer, pianist, guitarist, harmonium player and songwriter. Her debut solo album, The Longest River, was released on Nonesuch Records in 2015. Her follow-up solo album, Shelter, was released on Nonesuch on 15 June 2018. [1]

Contents

Biography

Olivia Chaney was born in Florence, Italy, and grew up in Oxford, England, studying composition, piano and voice. [2] Early influences include her father's record collections and his own renditions of early blues and '60s folk songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Fairport Convention and Bert Jansch. [3]

At 14, Chaney won a joint-first piano and voice scholarship to Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, which was focused on the classical repertoire. She then went on to attend the Royal Academy of Music in London, also on scholarship, where, as an improviser and songwriter, she studied in the jazz course. While at the Academy, Chaney spent much of her time experimenting and collaborating outside the traditional jazz course. [4]

Career

On graduating from the Academy, Chaney taught herself guitar and Indian harmonium, and began performing regularly as a soloist. She has also worked as an actress and singer/multi-instrumentalist at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Matthew Dunster's acclaimed production of Troilus and Cressida , and Lucy Bailey and Django Bates' production of Timon of Athens . [5] [6] Chaney has collaborated and shared stages all over the world with artists, composers, producers and bands including Robert Plant, The Decemberists, Kronos Quartet, Zero 7, Alasdair Roberts, Concerto Caledonia and The Labèque Sisters.

In 2010, Chaney recorded a self-released EP. [7] In 2011, she contributed to two compilations for grassroots label Folk Police. [8] [9] She also performed on the live release Revenge of the Folksingers with Scottish artist Alasdair Roberts and period performance group Concerto Caledonia on the Delphian label. [10] Chaney has performed with the Balearic Folk Orchestra, for whom she sang, arranged and played harmonium and piano on the group's Amy Winehouse cover, "He Can Only Hold Her", for a Q Magazine tribute. [4] She featured in Alasdair Roberts's 2013 album A Working Wonder Stone. [11]

In November 2013, Olivia Chaney was nominated for two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards: the Horizon Award and Best Original Song, for "Swimming in the Longest River", which is featured on her self-released eponymous EP. [12] At the same time, it was announced that Chaney had signed a record deal with Nonesuch Records. [3]

Chaney's debut album, The Longest River, was released on Nonesuch Records on 28 April 2015. [13] This release, which The Guardian hailed as "an enchanting and stately creation", was noted in a number of 'Best of 2015' lists [14] (including Uncut, Mojo and PopMatters). [15] [16] The Independent featured it in their Top 5 Albums of the Year, calling it "a landmark release". [17]

In 2017, Chaney was featured singing two songs on Folk Songs , an album with Kronos Quartet, and collaborated with American indie-folk band The Decemberists to release The Queen of Hearts , a joint album of reworked folk tracks under the name Offa Rex. In December 2017, it was announced that their collaborative record had been nominated for a Grammy Award by the Recording Academy for Best Folk Album. [18] [19] [20]

Olivia Chaney released a new solo album, Shelter, on Nonesuch Records on 15 June 2018. The album, which was produced by Thomas Bartlett, includes original songs that Chaney wrote in her family cottage in the hills of the North York Moors, as well as her performance of "Long Time Gone," written by Frank Harford and Tex Ritter and first recorded by The Everly Brothers, and Henry Purcell's "O Solitude." [1]

In July 2019, Olivia Chaney was nominated as BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards' Folk Singer of The Year. [21]

On 30 September 2019, Chaney was invited to play at Richard Thompson's 70th Birthday Celebration at the Royal Albert Hall in London. She sang Sandy Denny's song "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" and her own "House on the Hill." [22]

Circus of Desire, released in March 2024, is Chaney's third studio album, put together over five years. It was recorded in New York City with producer Thomas Bartlett.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Decemberists</span> American indie rock band

The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Meloy, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query (bass), and John Moen (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nonesuch Records</span> American record label company

Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records, and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Nonesuch has developed into a label that records critically acclaimed music from a wide range of genres. Robert Hurwitz was president of the company from 1984 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alasdair Roberts (musician)</span> Scottish folk musician

Alasdair Roberts is a Scottish folk musician. He released a number of albums under the name Appendix Out and, following the 2001 album The Night Is Advancing, under his own name. Roberts is also known for his frequent collaborations with other musicians and writers, as well as for being a member of the folk supergroup The Furrow Collective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Thile</span> American mandolinist and singer-songwriter (born 1981)

Christopher Scott Thile is an American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality, best known for his work in the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek and the acoustic folk and progressive bluegrass quintet Punch Brothers. He is a 2012 MacArthur Fellow. From 2016 to its cancellation in 2020, he hosted the radio variety show Live from Here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wu Man</span> Chinese pipa player and composer (born 1963)

Wu Man is a Chinese pipa player and composer. Trained in Pudong-style pipa performance at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, she is known for playing in a broad range of musical styles and introducing the pipa and its Chinese heritage into Western genres. She has performed and recorded extensively with Kronos Quartet and Silk Road Ensemble, and has premiered works by Philip Glass, Lou Harrison, Terry Riley, Bright Sheng, Tan Dun, Zhao Jiping, and Zhou Long, among many others. She has recorded and appeared on over 40 albums, five of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards. In 2013, she was named Instrumentalist of the Year by Musical America, becoming the first performer of a non-Western instrument to receive this award. She also received The United States Artists Award in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Watkins</span> American musician

Sara Ullrika Watkins is an American singer-songwriter and fiddler. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of Nickel Creek, the progressive bluegrass group she formed with her brother Sean and mandolinist Chris Thile. In addition to singing and fiddling, Watkins also plays the ukulele and the guitar, and also played percussion while touring with the Decemberists. In 2012, she and her brother played with Jackson Browne during his "I'll Do Anything" acoustic tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Moray</span> English folk musician (1981–)

Jim Moray is an English folk singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.

<i>The Crane Wife</i> 2006 studio album by The Decemberists

The Crane Wife is the fourth album by the Decemberists, released in 2006. It was produced by Tucker Martine and Chris Walla, and is the band's first album on the Capitol Records label. The album was inspired by a Japanese folk tale, and centers on two song cycles, The Crane Wife and The Island, the latter inspired by William Shakespeare's The Tempest. National Public Radio listeners voted The Crane Wife the best album of 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ana Silvera</span> Musical artist

Ana Silvera is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fernando Otero</span> Musical artist

Fernando Otero is a Grammy-award-winning Argentine pianist, vocalist, and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broom of the Cowdenknowes</span> Traditional song

"Broom of the Cowdenknowes", also known as "Bonny May", is a traditional Scottish love ballad,. It has been traced to the seventeenth century, but its exact origin is unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Amidon</span> American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Vermont

Samuel Tear Amidon is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain Man (band)</span> American folk music trio

Mountain Man is an American singing trio of women described as "nestled in the tradition of American folk" with a traditional Appalachian folk sound. They have earned acclaim from a number of music critics. They often sing a cappella, with a "sparse, haunting, hymnal beauty" sometimes accompanied by soft acoustic guitar, but with their voices "virtually unadorned", according to Guardian critic Paul Lester. The group toured with the vocalist Feist in 2011, and New York Times music reviewer Ben Ratliff described their performance as "creating shifting harmonies" which "worked perfectly".

This is a Nonesuch Records discography, organized by catalog number.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TwickFolk</span>

TwickFolk organises acoustic music events in and around Twickenham, south-west London. A registered charity, it is run, not for profit, by a small group of volunteers. It was established in January 1983 and is now one of the best known and most highly respected folk clubs in London and the South East of England.

The discography of The Decemberists, the indie/folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States.

<i>The Queen of Hearts</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Offa Rex

The Queen of Hearts is a collaborative studio album by English musician Olivia Chaney and American band The Decemberists, under their project name Offa Rex. It was released in July 2017 under Nonesuch Records.

<i>Shelter</i> (Olivia Chaney album) 2018 studio album by Olivia Chaney

Shelter is the second studio album by English folk musician Olivia Chaney. It was released on 15 June 2018, by Nonesuch Records.

<i>Folk Songs</i> (Kronos Quartet album) 2017 studio album by Kronos Quartet

Folk Songs is a 2017 studio album by American string quartet Kronos Quartet, featuring classical and roots musicians Sam Amidon, Olivia Chaney, Rhiannon Giddens, and Natalie Merchant. It has received positive reviews from critics and was followed in 2020 by Long Time Passing, a collection of Pete Seeger songs by the Kronos Quartet.

References

  1. 1 2 "Olivia Chaney's New Album, "Shelter," Out Now on Nonesuch". Nonesuch.com. Nonesuch Records. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  2. ↑ Philip Ward (26 July 2010). "Olivia Chaney". Brush on Drum. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Nonesuch Records Signs BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Nominee Olivia Chaney and Releases Debut Album in 2014". Nonesuch.com. Nonesuch Records. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 Chipping, Tim (June 2013). "A Voice in a Million". fRoots.
  5. ↑ Mark Shenton (2 June 2009). "Olivier Winner Kelly Joins Cast of Shakespeare Globe's Troilus and Cressida". Playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Lovely sounds for TravellingLight … Olivia Chaney: London". Travelling Light. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Olivia Chaney in session". The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe. BBC Radio 2. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  8. ↑ "The Oak, Ash and Thorn Project". Folk Police Recordings. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "The Woodbine & Ivy Band". Folk Police Recordings. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  10. ↑ Colin Irwin (2011). "BBC Music Album Review: Concerto Caledonia: Revenge of the Folksingers". Folk Police Recordings. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  11. ↑ Ben Graham (24 January 2013). "Review: Alasdair Roberts & Friends: Wonder Working Stone". The Quietus. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Nominees List". BBC Radio 2. BBC. 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  13. ↑ "Nonesuch Releases Olivia Chaney's Debut Album, "The Longest River," on April 28". Nonesuch.com. Nonesuch Records. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Spencer, Neil (12 April 2015). "Olivia Chaney: The Longest River review – an enchanting, stately creation". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  15. ↑ "The Best Albums Of 2015 – The Uncut Top 50 - Uncut". Uncut. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "Olivia Chaney, Rhiannon Giddens, The Bad Plus Joshua Redman Make Year's Best Lists from Uncut, Mojo - Nonesuch Records". Nonesuch Records Official Website. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  17. ↑ "Best rock and pop of 2015: Five top artists and one turkey". The Independent. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  18. ↑ ""Folk Songs" with Kronos Quartet and Singers Sam Amidon, Olivia Chaney, Rhiannon Giddens, Natalie Merchant Out Now on Nonesuch". Nonesuch.com. Nonesuch Records. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  19. ↑ "Offa Rex—New Project from Olivia Chaney, The Decemberists—Release "The Queen of Hearts," Out Now on Nonesuch". Nonesuch.com. Nonesuch Records. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  20. ↑ "Offa Rex, Randy Newman, "Lulu" Nominated for Grammy Awards". Nonesuch.com. Nonesuch Records. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  21. ↑ "BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2019 returns in October to Manchester". BBC.co.uk. BBC. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  22. ↑ "Richard Thompson 70th Birthday Celebration — a folk-rock convention at the Royal Albert Hall London". FT.com. Financial Times. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.