London, UK · art-rock

Anna Calvi

1 upcoming festival

Operatic guitar heroine — twice Mercury-shortlisted, all flamenco-flecked drama and white-knuckle restraint until the Telecaster finally erupts.

Anna Calvi is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from London. Classically trained on violin before turning to guitar, she plays a Telecaster in a style that draws on flamenco phrasing and reverb-heavy tremolo as much as on rock lead playing.

Her songs pair that guitar work with a dramatic, wide-ranging voice and arrangements that hold back before opening out, and her writing has dealt directly with gender and desire. Two of her albums have been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

art-rock