Danish songwriter/composer Agnes Obel will be making her North American debut next week in Austin at SXSW. Agnes will play three special shows plus her US radio performance debut on KCRW. The live session with KCRW will air on Saturday, March 19 at 4:00pm EST / 3:00pm CST. After gracing stages in Austin, Agnes will make her way to New York City for a special one-night only performance at Rockwood Music Hall on Tuesday, March 22.
Agnes has made waves overseas since releasing her debut album Philharmonics on Play It Again Sam. PIAS America is proud to release the album in North America on April 12. The album was hailed by critics who have compared Agnes to artists such as PJ Harvey, Joanna Newson and even Roy Orbison. Philharmonics topped the charts in her native Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium and in France, where it was certified Gold on January 21, which just so happens to be St. Agnes Day.
Listening to Philharmonics, it’s easy to see what’s made Agnes such a success. Stripped down and centered around her evocative voice, Philharmonics is a striking work. Opening with the haunting instrumental of “Falling, Catching,” the song melds into the plaintive ballad “Riverside,” which was recently featured on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” Perez Hilton featured “Riverside” on his site, calling it “exquisite” and saying it “hits our sweet spot.” The lilting harp-based tracks like “Just So” and “Beast” rub shoulders with the poignant melodies of “Avenue.” “Brother Sparrow” begins as a mournful elegy that morphs halfway through the song into an upbeat bit of chamber folk. Agnes covers John Cale on “Close Watch,” which Chris Douridas from KCRW said, “triumphs over the original but makes you ever so grateful all over again for Cale’s lyrical brilliance.” (Download “Close Watch” here on Facebook.) From start to finish, the album is as beautiful as it is sparse.
Agnes Obel Tour Dates:
03/17: Austin, TX @ PIAS & Topspin SXSW Event @ The Belmont (305 W. 6th St. – 7:00pm)
03/18: Austin, TX @ Fontana SXSW Show @ Speakeasy (412 Congress – 1:20pm)
03/19: Austin, TX @ Official SXSW Showcase @ St. David’s Historic Sanctuary (301 E. 8th St. – 7:30pm)
03/22: New York, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall (9:30pm)
