MFF2027: Olivia Chaney: News From Nowhere

Part of Manchester Folk Festival 2027. Support TBA. Born in Florence to a writer and painter-turned-academic, Olivia Chaney grew up listening to everything from Prince to Joni Mitchell to Henry Purcell. This eclectic mix of influences sparked a passion for songwriting nurtured at Chetham's School of Music and The Royal Academy. After showcasing at SXSW and a stint as lead singer for electronica outfit Zero 7, Olivia signed with Nonesuch, leading to collaborations with Kronos Quartet and a Grammy nomination for Offa Rex, a collection of Fairport Convention-era classics made with The Decemberists. Olivia’s first solo album (The Longest River), produced by Leo Abrahams, received rave reviews. Following this she recorded Shelter in NYC with producer-pianist Thomas Bartlett. These records established Olivia’s reputation as the author of an unmistakable brand of luscious and sophisticated music that explores inherited trauma, the clash of tradition and modernity, and the paradoxes of love. An EP entitled Six French Songs was released in September 2023, bringing together ballads from medieval crusader dirge to 60s pop classic Tous les garçons. Circus of Desire, released in March 2024, is the much anticipated third studio album from Olivia Chaney. Worked up over five eventful years, this collection of lovingly wrought songs was recorded in NYC with long-time collaborator, producer and musician Thomas Bartlett. Featuring an all-star line-up of friends old and new, including Sam Amidon, Nico Muhly and remixes by Dave Okumu, Oliver Coates and Vessel, Circus of Desire is Olivia set free. Olivia's latest single Dark Eyed Sailor released with the new Wuthering Heights movie, which the song features heavily in. This was recorded with producer Oli Deakin (CMAT) in his rural Lake District studio and is performed with her Indian harmonium.