A powerful, smoky, stylish, passionate cover version of the Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy number by the acclaimed British singer and guitarist, returning with a haunting duet with the US artist, their vocals intertwining in a song about intimacy beyond romance - the quiet, profound love found in friendship, out on Domino. “So many songs are about romantic love,” Calvi explains. “But I wanted to highlight the romance of the chosen family, the depth of connection that isn’t tethered to heteronormative ideals. It's such a powerful song about the yearning for intimacy. I love inhabiting other people's songs. When I sing someone else's words, I feel like I'm getting closer to myself somehow, because the songs I choose express something I can't articulate.”
The video – directed by Alexander Brown – shows the intimacy of friendship during a night out, as a moment between two friends is remembered over and over; it also shows the subtle defiance it takes for two women to have a free and happy evening without letting any stranger disturb the beauty of their bond.
Calvi’s reappearance has been eagerly awaited given that this is her first new music since she brought her trademark atmospherics and visceral guitar to the score for seasons 5 and 6 of BBC’s Peaky Blinders, whose final episode aired in 2022. Calvi’s scores were widely released in early 2024.
Calvi also recently launched her own Substack entitled Carving Silver In Strange Weatherwhere she will be sharing unreleased songs and instrumentals, playlists, released and unreleased live performances, alongside her own thoughts and explorations on artistic obsessions. The first chapter on The Guitar – Depravity and The Divine has recently come to a close. Read it and sign up to further chapters here.
To explore and enjoy more by Anna Calvi, see also the other embedded links below.
Well you're my friend
(That's what you told me)
And can you see
(What's inside of me?)
Many times we've been out drinking
And many times we've shared our thoughts
But did you ever, ever notice
The kind of thoughts I got?
Well you know I have a love
A love for everyone I know
And you know I have a drive
To live I won't let go
But could you see its opposition
Rising up sometimes?
That its dreadful end-position
Comes blacking in my mind
And that I see a darkness
And that I see a darkness
And that I see a darkness
And that I see a darkness
And did you know how much I love you
Is a hope that somehow you
Can save me from this darkness?
Well I hope that someday, buddy
We’ll have peace in our lives
Together or apart
Alone or with our wives
That we can stop our whoring
And pull the smiles inside
And light it up forever
And never go to sleep
My best unbeaten brother
This isn't all I see
Oh no, I see a darkness
Oh no, I see a darkness
Oh no, I see a darkness
Oh no, I see a darkness
And did you know how much I love you
Is a hope that somehow you, you
Can save me from this darkness?
A playlist of Anna Calvi videos:
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