It's a long scream in the car. Laughing until you cry. A hectic dance in the living room. The sun on your face. It's tension and release. Grief and joy. Love and pain.
Anna Smyrk's new album is all these things. Her first full length record, out March 20, dives deep into holding joy and pain together; a mix of comfort, sadness, and emotional release.
Produced and mixed by Anna Laverty (Courtney Barnett, Nick Cave), ‘Spectacular Denial’ explores denial in all its forms. Written after Anna's father passed away, the tracks move effortlessly between moments of grief and love, darkness and light, pain and hope. It showcases exceptional songwriting, driving indie-rock sounds, sweet alt-folk confessions, heart-wrenching lyrics and Anna's delicate yet powerful vocals, described as “truly astonishing” by Rolling Stone.
“The album doesn’t go in a straight line from grief to acceptance, because that has not been my experience at all. It’s more like waves of big feelings, positive and negative, over time. So I wanted to record to reflect that. The songs range from hopeful to thoughtful to despairing and back again.”
Anna Smyrk is a powerful singer and songmaker from Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). Her anthemic indie songs pair vulnerable lyrics with explosive arrangements and undeniable hooks.
Singles from the new record are already making waves. In the UK, Clash Magazine described one track as an ‘indie-folk wonder’ whilst tmrw magazine said the new music is ‘poignant, catchy and powerful’. The first single from the record reached number 4 on Australia's community radio rock charts, while Backseat Mafia calls the new music "truly magnificent" and describes Anna as "one of our favourite artists."
The last few years have been massive for Anna, with highlights including touring North America and Europe and official showcases at SXSW (Austin TX) and Folk Alliance International (Kansas City, MO).
Anna’s previous EP, Cortisol and Blue Light, was recorded in Nashville with award-winning producers Jake Finch and Collin Pastore (boygenius, Lucy Dacus). The record sizzles with smart songwriting and wry observations as it explores themes of fight or flight and the push/pull effect in relationships. The record charted on US college radio and singles were added to MTV in Germany.
She’s toured non-stop, supporting artists like Birds of Tokyo, Strands of Oak, Tim Rogers and Bachelor Girl and performing at some of Australia’s finest festivals (Woodford Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival), as well internationally at festivals like Mile of Music, WI. She’s showcased at international events all over the world, including NXNE (Canada), Folk Alliance International (USA) and Live at Heart (Sweden).
Described by Backseat Mafia UK as “a significant songwriter with an exceptional voice,” Anna Smyrk is a formidable artist on the rise.
