Crafter of intricate, closely observed songs
“Her songs feel at once fresh faced and firmly rooted, driven by the whispery sensuality of her voice.”-The Boston Globe
“She creates an entire, detailed world in verse, and takes you there with beautiful and understated melody.”-Neil Dorfsman, Producer
Singer-songwriter, Antje Duvekot is poised to unveil her fifthstudio album, “New Wild West”, on September 15th. Accordingto Duvekot, this collection of songs marks the pivotal junctureof mid-life and represents a new rung on the ladder of healingfrom trauma. The songs on “New Wild West” signal a genuineshift in Duvekot’s relationship with some of the enduringthemes she has grappled with over the years. “On the whole”,says Duvekot, “my older songs sought to disarm trauma bybluntly acknowledging its destabilizing nature and creating aspace in which to exist with that sensation, both for myself andmy audiences. In contrast, the newer songs have the teeth andtenacity to openly confront and defy trauma. As such, I feelvery warmly towards this collection of songs. They are longoverdue dissidents”. Duvekot’s amplified voice in mid-lifecarries a protective fierceness that resonates across thealbum. Songs like “Girl on a Wire” and “Evolution” salute theperseverance we all apply to our human journey towardsfinding our voice. Duvekot says of hers, “I crawled into musicas a protective vessel when I was a teenager. It lent me safetyand allowed me to stay open and let in more continuoussunlight than I could have, otherwise. I want to pay back thatloan. Many of the songs on ‘New Wild West’ do that”....
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Crafter of intricate, closely observed songs
“Her songs feel at once fresh faced and firmly rooted, driven by the whispery sensuality of her voice.”-The Boston Globe
“She creates an entire, detailed world in verse, and takes you there with beautiful and understated melody.”-Neil Dorfsman, Producer
Singer-songwriter, Antje Duvekot is poised to unveil her fifthstudio album, “New Wild West”, on September 15th. Accordingto Duvekot, this collection of songs marks the pivotal junctureof mid-life and represents a new rung on the ladder of healingfrom trauma. The songs on “New Wild West” signal a genuineshift in Duvekot’s relationship with some of the enduringthemes she has grappled with over the years. “On the whole”,says Duvekot, “my older songs sought to disarm trauma bybluntly acknowledging its destabilizing nature and creating aspace in which to exist with that sensation, both for myself andmy audiences. In contrast, the newer songs have the teeth andtenacity to openly confront and defy trauma. As such, I feelvery warmly towards this collection of songs. They are longoverdue dissidents”. Duvekot’s amplified voice in mid-lifecarries a protective fierceness that resonates across thealbum. Songs like “Girl on a Wire” and “Evolution” salute theperseverance we all apply to our human journey towardsfinding our voice. Duvekot says of hers, “I crawled into musicas a protective vessel when I was a teenager. It lent me safetyand allowed me to stay open and let in more continuoussunlight than I could have, otherwise. I want to pay back thatloan. Many of the songs on ‘New Wild West’ do that”.
“New Wild West” is lush with the poignant poetry that is thehallmark of every Antje Duvekot release. The album’s title track,“New Wild West,” encourages someone in a historical position ofprivilege to accept impending progress with a gently patronizingsense of sympathy. “Open Waters” espouses authenticity andbravery, in contrast to “[those who] have volunteered to bechained by fear. From one pioneer to another: it’s not that wearen’t scared, but I’ll meet you there, out in the open waters.” “Girlon a Wire” revisits a tightrope metaphor that once ran throughDuvekot’s 2009 song “Vertigo,” where the protagonist feared “Iwill break all my bones; I lied about the Vertigo.” In “Girl,” theprotagonist, instead, “walks a tightrope in the eye of the storm…Iam the girl who out-dared gravity…you can keep your Phoenixand SpaceX and Richard Branson, this is me flying, this is medancing.” The opening track on the album, “Evolution,” echoes asimilar sentiment, celebrating growth (and literal evolution) andinviting us to “marvel at how far we came since the early dogdays of our prehistoric dawn. Back when the phases of the moonwere still just phrases without a tune…But I see you now andHoly cow, look at you now.”
Yet another testament to the powerhouse that is AntjeDuvekot, “New Wild West” is a sonic and lyrical knockoutthat marks a newly blazed trail in Duvekot’s songwritingcareer, celebrating the mid-life transition into a greatersense of self. As always, Duvekot deftly captures theessence of the collective journey that is the humancondition, and Mark Erelli hits it home with exquisitelyexecuted musical orchestration.
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