Album & Interview

Anna B Savage: Directly connected to nature

At peace with herself and the nature around her: Anna B Savage feels musically at home.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/City Slang, Katie Silvester)

The young Brit Anna B Savage searches for ways out of her own insecurities in her folk music. With her third album "You & I Are Earth", the 25-year-old has delved deep into the landscape and soul of Ireland and created an album full of cool beauty.

Anna B Savage made her first appearance in Austria as part of the 2016 Viennale program. The young talent was just 16 years old at the time and attracted the attention of artists such as Father John Misty and Jenny Hval with her distinctive voice and picturesque folk songs. Her first EP, simply titled "EP", is a sonic amalgam of jazz, folk, singer/songwriter and art pop. However, the tours and live performances that go with it come a little too soon for Anna. The fears about insecurities and self-doubt sung about in her early songs spread again in reality and drive the introverted artist off stage. She got out of a bad relationship, quit her annoying job and started working on music again. In 2020, her debut album "A Common Turn" fizzles out in the turmoil of the pandemic, followed in 2023 by the introspective "in/Flux", with which she comes to Vienna's B72 for her first proper show.

Musical household
"I found the second album much easier than the first," she tells the Krone in an interview, "before 'A Common Turn' I was extremely insecure. I had never written an album before and had no idea how to do something like that. The second time around, I knew what to expect and it was much easier for me to open up and collaborate with others." Savage comes from a musical household and was brought up on classical and jazz music. Both her mother and father sing and as a child she would see them rehearsing daily at London's Royal Albert Hall, performing Bach compositions. "For a while I had to force myself to write songs and work on them," she recalls, "it was supposed to be fun, but it wasn't always. I had to realize that first."

Her third album "You & I Are Earth" is being released these days and, as the title suggests, the now 25-year-old lets herself fall deep into the world of nature. The songs were written in the picturesque Irish countryside. She completed a Master's degree in music in Dublin in 2020. Composers and writers from the land of sheep inspire her just as much as her two Irish teachers, who introduced her to the art of poetry a decade ago in Manchester. Savage delves into Irish literature, learns a lot about the country's history and is inspired by the landscape. In recent promo pictures, for example, she buries herself deep in mossy landscapes, showing that, in a constantly alarmed world of rapture and indignation, she likes to root herself in what really defines being and life.

New forces unleashed
The new album follows on seamlessly from its predecessor musically, but is more life-affirming and positive in its basic presentation. As if Savage's move from London to Ireland had freed up new energy. As early as the opener "Talk To Me", listeners are enveloped by the sound of the sea and gentle strings. The open display of intimacy is not a stylistic device, but a pure necessity in the British artist's work. The pandemic has shaken her up once again. "I was incredibly cautious and also anxious. I then moved away from London because the confines of the city became too much for me at the time. Maybe that's why it took me longer to find my way back in and feel comfortable." The new album also deals with zeitgeisty themes between duality and transformation - things that Savage feels and senses as a person and musician.

The album title is borrowed from a 17th century plaque that Savage saw in a London tailor's shop. The saying perfectly reflects the artist's sentiment and approach to life. The album convinces with a vulnerability that is clearly brought to the fore, but does not hide from reality. "I Reach For You In My Sleep", "The Rest Of Our Lives" and the unofficial Ireland anthem "Donegal" convince with an elegant, very cozy presentation, which lives above all from Anna's expressive voice. "I don't just make music, I have many passions. Painting, knitting and cooking are all part of it. All these outlets are a necessity for me." Becoming one with the earth and connecting with nature are the cornerstones of her gentle work, which is a calming antithesis to the hectic pace of everyday life.

Art is essential
A live return to Austria would also be desirable for Savage, but is still open at the moment. During her last rendezvous in Vienna, she spent the day visiting various museums to find artistic inspiration. "My mother also likes to paint and I've been visiting galleries for as long as I can remember. For me, they are just as much a part of my overall understanding of art as music and museums." "You & I Are Earth" is another chapter of unadulterated and pure sound art, the kind that can only be created by people who don't see music purely as an outlet for fame and success. "For a while, I sent my freshly written songs to two people I trusted. I always got the same feedback: one person thought the song was brilliant, the other not good enough. And they took it in turns. This taught me that I inevitably have to separate myself from each song and tolerate the feedback from outside. Since then, I've found it much easier to go out in public with songs."