“Beautiful” – Mary Anne Hobbs (BBC 6Music) “Distinctive shimmering sound… so gorgeous” – Elizabeth Alker (BBC Radio 3) “Sure to transport listeners away from the qualms of the real world” – Wonderland
AVAWAVES, the international, contemporary virtuoso duo comprising Anna Phoebe and Aisling Brouwer, will release their third studio album, ‘Heartbeat’, on May 9th via One Little Independent Records. A transportive and euphoric meeting of violin, piano, and synth, the LP embraces a fusion of modern composition, ambient, and electronic styles while incorporating the pair’s acclaimed soundtrack work. Thematically, ‘Heartbeat’ represents strength, resolve, and moving forward. New single and title track ‘Heartbeat’ is an awakening. Immediately mesmerising and technically expansive, it’s about “the start of the day, resolution and resolve, an aching heart longing to lay its soul bare and share its innermost feelings. It’s about daring to be vulnerable”. It comes alongside the announcement of a UK tour this June. They explain that “the album is about peeling back all the layers we cloak ourselves in until there is nothing left but the source, and discovering the strength that resides there. We wanted this album to feel raw, honest, and intuitive. There are themes of resilience, determination, grit, and an optimism in forever chasing the dawn after dark. It’s the bursting of bubbles and realising how much lighter everything feels without them.” AVAWAVES are rooted in cinematic narratives, evoking emotional journeys of the heart and mind. They released their debut album, ‘Waves’, in 2019, followed by ‘Chrysalis’ in 2021. Together, they have played festivals around Europe, the Royal Albert Hall and at King’s Place for the award-winning podcast The Guilty Feminist. They also composed the original score for Savage Waters, a feature documentary narrated by Charles Dance. An intimate portrait of modern adventurers, it follows clues left in a 19th-century treasure-hunter’s journal that inspire a captivating journey to seek out and surf a mythical, never-ridden wave in some of the most remote and dangerous waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The score won Best Original Soundtrack at the 2022 Richard Harris International Film Festival. Last year, AVAWAVES composed the score for The Buccaneers, which featured original songs produced by Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa. The Apple TV+ drama series also featured a star-studded tracklist, including Sharon Van Etten, Miya Folick, Gracie Abrams, Breymer, and more. Aisling Brouwer is a Dutch/Irish film composer and producer who scored the BIFA-nominated anti-racist feature White Riot and soundtracked films like Lioness, Super Greed and Sky’s true-crime thriller The Child In The Box. Her projects have screened at film festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes, Berlinale, and Venice, as well as on major broadcasters such as the BBC, Netflix, Apple, and Amazon Prime. She has also worked on campaigns for the United Nations and Dior. Aisling is drawn to scoring stories of resilience and high intensity, darker narratives. Anna Phoebe is an award-winning composer and violinist who likes to break new ground with cross-genre projects. She has recorded and toured globally with multi-platinum selling bands, composed music for Royal Ballet School, European Space Agency and Cancer Research UK and earlier in 2024 she performed with Mary Anne Hobbs for 6 Music Festival, opening for The Smile. Anna co-presents BBC Radio 4’s Add To Playlist and is a regular guest on BBC 6 Music’s Roundtable. She is a board director for the Ivors Academy and an ambassador for Young Voices. Anna also features in Yasmin Alibhai-Brown's 2020 book Ladies Who Punch. New album ‘Heartbeat’ was produced and mixed with TJ Allen (Bat For Lashes, Portishead, Hannah Peel, Anna Calvi) and features vocals from Imogen Williams of Imogen and the Knife. This release marks a significant musical evolution for the duo, incorporating their soundtrack experience and returning to the collaborative process that shaped their debut record. AVAWAVES’ creative approach is grounded in live performance, crafting compositions by immersing themselves in the emotions of the space - a process challenged by lockdowns and physical distance. Drawing inspiration from visual elements, the duo creates soundscapes that evoke colours, scenes, and stories, akin to scores for an imaginary film. Anna and Aisling believe instrumental music provides a universal language that invites listeners to engage fully, embracing vulnerability and heightened individual emotions. For them, this openness to interpretation is where true meaning lies. Photo credit: Paris Seawell Art credit: Shrey Kathuria & Paris Seawell Live dates 06.06 - London, Lexington 11.06 - Brighton, Komedia Studio 19.06 - Manchester, Gullivers 20.06 - Bristol, Rough Trade Tracklist: - Heartbeat
- Earth
- Bones
- Mood
- Escape
- Nightdrive
- Rumour
- Sleep Tight
- Raindrop
- Crush
Music credits All tracks written, recorded and produced by AVAWAVES (Aisling Brouwer + Anna Phoebe) Imogen Williams - vocals on Heartbeat, Bones, Escape, Sleep Tight, Raindrop, Crush Klara Schumann - cello on Bones, Sleep Tight, Raindrop Ben Wright - guitar on Escape Phillipp Johann Thimm - cello & electronics on Crush Steinway grand recorded at Sender 49 by Dan White and assisted by Dani Evans on Heartbeat, Bones, Rumour, Sleep Tight TJ Allen - additional production and mix, plus co-producer on Earth, Nightdrive, Rumour and Sleep Tight Mastered by Guy Davie at Electric Mastering Follow AVAWAVES Website Twitter Facebook Instagram Spotify Youtube |
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