The Anchoress (musician)
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The Anchoress is the stage name of Welsh-born multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and author Catherine Anne Davies. Davies was born in Glynneath, Wales but at 10 weeks old was taken to Australia with her parents before returning to the UK at the age of four, where she grew up in
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,
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, England.


Biography

Davies formed The Anchoress in 2013. The Anchoress's debut album '' Confessions of a Romance Novelist'', co-produced by Paul Draper, was released on 15 January 2016 via
Kscope Kscope is an independent record label that is part of Snapper Music, and a sister-label of Peaceville. It is dedicated to artists in the progressive rock genre. The label has released albums by Steven Wilson and his projects Porcupine Tree ...
. The album was named amongst the ''Guardian'' critics' Albums of the Year, won HMV’s Welsh Album of the Year, Best Newcomer at the PROG awards, and a nomination for Welsh Music Prize. In July 2016, The Anchoress supported and duetted with
Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
at the Eden Project and again supported the band in June 2017, before duetting on 'Little Baby Nothing' at the Q Awards in October 2017. She supported Simple Minds on the UK leg of their Acoustic Tour in May/June 2017. In 2017, Davies co-wrote and engineered 5 tracks on long-term collaborator Paul Draper's debut solo album '' Spooky Action''. She performed with Draper on his 6-date UK tour in September 2017 and appears on keyboards and vocals on the live album ''Spooky Action: Live At The Scala''. From 2014 until July 2018, Davies performed in
Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for " Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United ...
, contributing additional guitar, vocals and keyboards. She met
Jim Kerr James Kerr (born 9 July 1959) is a Scottish singer and the lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. Ot ...
, the lead singer and one of the principal songwriters in Simple Minds, when both were in The Dark Flowers, a band assembled to record a 2013 album of songs based on a
Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned half a century. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any write ...
book. She has also performed live with
Ed Harcourt Edward Henry Richard Harcourt-Smith (born 14 August 1977) is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released six studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, ''Here Be Monsters'', was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Priz ...
at
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
, as well as
Martha Wainwright Martha Wainwright (born May 8, 1976) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She has released seven critically-acclaimed studio albums. Wainwright is the daughter of musicians Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III ...
. In 2018, she duetted with
Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
on their song "
Dylan & Caitlin "Dylan & Caitlin" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released on 9 March 2018, taken from the album '' Resistance Is Futile'' (2018), and written by James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore. It is a duet between the band and The A ...
", released as a single and on their album '' Resistance is Futile,'' as well as appearing on the
Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for " Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United ...
album '' Walk Between Worlds''. In October of the same year she appeared as a co-host on the
BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
show about
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
's White Album, alongside
Martin Freeman Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Freeman's most not ...
and John Simm. In October 2019, Davies launched a new podcast series entitled "The Art of Losing" taking on the topic of loss and grief, with guests including the producer and engineer
Mario McNulty Mario J. McNulty (born December 1978) is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer and audio engineer based in New York City, United States. He has worked with David Bowie, Prince, Nine Inch Nails, The B-52s, Julian Lennon and many other w ...
and playwright Patrick Jones. Her second album of the same name was released in March 2021. The first single "Show Your Face", featuring guest guitars from James Dean Bradfield, was premiered by Steve Lamacq on BBC 6Music and the accompanying video premiered on NME.com. In March 2021, Davies released her second album '' The Art of Losing'' which was named amongst the "Best Albums of 2021" by numerous publications, including ''The Sunday Times'', ''Prog'' magazine, ''Record Collector'', The Line of Best Fit, ''The Sun'', ''Yorkshire Post'', and Classic Rock. Davies was nominated for Self-Producing Artist of the Year at the 2022 Music Producer Guild Awards. In November 2022, Davies was granted a six-month stalking protection order against longtime collaborator Paul Draper. The former
Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band, formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. It was announ ...
lead singer was accused of stalking Davies and sending “abusive and sexually orientated” messages after their romantic relationship ended in 2018.


Solo and side projects

Prior to The Anchoress project, Davies self-released music under her own name and as Catherine A.D. In 2009, Davies performed with
London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symp ...
as an artist-in-residence at London's South Bank Centre. Through this role, she wrote with
Riz MC Rizwan Ahmed (; ; born ) is a British actor and rapper. As an actor, he has won an Emmy Award and has received nominations for a Golden Globe and three British Independent Film Awards, and as a rapper he has won an Academy Award for the shor ...
and collaborated with Nitin Sawhney. In 2011, under the abbreviated A.D. guise, Davies released the single ''Carry Your Heart'', and a mini-album entitled ''Communion''. NME described ''Communion'' as an "understated but beautiful mini-album" when naming it one of the 20 best "cult/experimental" albums of 2011. She also released a collection of covers entitled ''Reprise''. The release featured re-interpretations of songs by Friendly Fires,
Sleigh Bells Sleigh Bells may refer to: * Sleigh bells, a type of bell which produces a distinctive 'jingle' sound, especially in large numbers. * Sleigh Bells (band) Sleigh Bells is an American musical duo based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2008 and ...
,
Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognit ...
,
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and " Give Me One Reason". Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...
,
Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...
, Hurts,
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,
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,
Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...
and
The Magnetic Fields The Magnetic Fields (named after the André Breton/Philippe Soupault novel '' Les Champs Magnétiques'') are an American band founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is the group's primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist, as well as fr ...
. The Anchoress appeared as a guest vocalist on the March 2017 limited 7" vinyl release of "Fend For Yourself" by the band
The Pineapple Thief The Pineapple Thief are a British progressive rock band, started by Bruce Soord in 1999 in Somerset, England. History Early years Founder Bruce Soord started The Pineapple Thief as an outlet for his music back in 1999. Soord released the ...
. In June 2016, Davies co-wrote and played on EP ONE with long-term collaborator Paul Draper, as well as featuring on guest vocals on the song "No Ideas" with
Steven Wilson Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corrosi ...
. She also co-wrote and performs on 2 tracks on the follow up release, EP TWO, released in November 2016. In 2017, Davies co-wrote and engineered five tracks on long-term collaborator Paul Draper's debut solo album Spooky Action. Davies is also a member of The Dark Flowers "super-group". The project was started by songwriter and producer Paul Statham in 2009. She appears alongside vocalists
Jim Kerr James Kerr (born 9 July 1959) is a Scottish singer and the lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. Ot ...
,
Kate Havnevik Kate Havnevik (born 27 October 1975) is a Norwegian film composer, songwriter and singer. Her debut album, the critically acclaimed electronica-infused ''Melankton'', was released in March 2006 on iTunes and April 2006 (on physical CD) in Norw ...
, Dot Allison, Peter Murphy, Shelly Poole,
Helicopter Girl Helicopter Girl (born 15 August 1963) is the stage name of Jacqueline Margaret “Jackie” Joyce, a musician from Perth, Scotland. She was born to a Scottish mother and Ghanaian father. She was previously a member of the groups Mouth Music an ...
and Remi Roughe. In an interview with Clash, Davies said "It’s basically a project put together by a guy called Paul Statham who’s a songwriter/producer and he had this idea to make a dark country record, kind of like the ‘Paris/Texas’ soundtrack." Davies also appeared as a backing vocalist on
Emmy The Great Emma-Lee Moss (born 4 November 1983), known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is an English singer-songwriter. She has released four studio albums, ''First Love'', ''Virtue'', ''Second Love'' and ''April / 月音''. She sings in English and ...
's debut single "Secret Circus". In 2020, she released two singles under her own name with former
Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...
and
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guitarist
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entitled "The Breakdown" and "Sabotage (Looks So Easy)". On July 22 in NME they announced the release date of their collaborative album "In Memory Of My Feelings" via Needle Mythology.


Writing

Davies has a PhD in
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
and queer theory from
University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...
, and has published a book entitled ''Whitman's Queer Children'' about
epic poetry An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...
through Bloomsbury Publishing. Davies has written about film-maker David Lynch for the NME, and has interviewed
Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
and
Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
for Drowned in Sound.


Discography


Studio albums

* '' Confessions of a Romance Novelist'' (2016) * '' The Art of Losing'' (2021)


Live albums

* ''Live at the London Palladium'' (2020)


Collaboration albums

* ''In Memory of My Feelings'' (2020) with
Bernard Butler Bernard Joseph Butler (born 1 May 1970) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the first guitarist with Suede, until his departure in 1994. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of hi ...
(under her birth name)


EPs and singles

* "What Goes Around" –
Too Pure Too Pure was a London-based independent record label formed in 1990 by Richard Roberts and Paul Cox. The label gained prominence after the release of PJ Harvey's debut album '' Dry'' in 1992, and subsequently found further success in the lat ...
Singles Club release, 7" (2014) * ''One for Sorrow'' – Hiraeth Records, 12" EP (2014) * ''What Goes Around'' – EP (2015) * ''Doesn't Kill You'' – EP (2016) * ''You and Only You'' – EP (2016) * ''Reprise 2: The Covers Collection'' – bandcamp, EP (2020)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Anchoress (musician) Welsh musicians Living people Year of birth missing (living people) people from Glynneath Alumni of University College London