Aldous Harding

An artist of rare calibre, Aldous Harding does more than sing; she conjures a singular intensity. Her body and face a weapon of theatre, Harding dances with steeled fervor, baring her teeth like a Bunraku puppet’s gnashing grin. read more…

An artist of rare calibre, Aldous Harding does more than sing; she conjures a singular intensity.
Her body and face a weapon of theatre, Harding dances with steeled fervor, baring her teeth like a Bunraku puppet’s gnashing grin.

Her debut release with 4AD, Party (produced with the award-winning John Parish; PJ Harvey, Sparklehorse) introduces
a new pulse to the stark and unpopulated dramatic realm where the likes of Kate Bush and Scott Walker reside.

Igniting interest with her eponymous debut album released just two years ago, Aldous Harding quickly became known for her
charismatic combination of talent, tenacity and shrewd wit. The album drew attention and accolades from some of the most illustrious corners of
the music industry, receiving 4 stars in MOJO and Uncut, while UK blog The 405 hailed her a “toweringly talented song writer”.

Comprising a formidable clutch of songs, 2017’s Party sees Harding shape-shift through a variety of roles: chanteuse, folk singer and balladeer – all executed with her twisted touch of humour, hubris and quiet horror. In other words, she’s having a good time. Stretching her limbs with playful cunning; every note, word and arrangement posed with intellect and inventiveness.

Created in Parish’s hometown of Bristol, Party saw Harding depart her New Zealand base in the antipodes for an intensive two-week immersion in the studio. Articulating her ambitions for Party to Parish was a galvanizing process for Harding, met with stunning results. The pair developed a near non-verbal shorthand, audibly evident in a raft of musical contributions from Parish. Alongside such special guests as Perfume Genius’ Mike Hadreas (having worked with Parish and toured with Aldous, it only took asking once), there is an exhilarating sense of risk throughout the record as Harding’s muscular wingspan extends. Teased out with inflections of experimental instrumentation and arrangements; Party is always anchored by Aldous’s intimidating command of her own songs.

First single ‘Horizon’ is a lover’s call to arms, powerful for its brutal simplicity and rawness of feeling, love and loathing colliding to devastating effect. “Aldous Harding repeats the line as a mantra, as a truth, as a reality. It’s as if the gift of life is right here, with all its beauty and its limitations”, said NPR.

‘Imagining My Man’ commands an air of delicacy as Aldous explores the curiosity of a lover’s idiosyncrasies; steering listeners into a state of intense intimacy laced with hyperactive shots, dirgey saxophone and Harding’s aching voice. The track is one of two that Mike Hadreas lends his inimitably sultry vocals to, the other being the intimate Party closer ‘Swell Does The Skull’.

‘Blend’ sensitively ushers the mood of Harding’s flourishment throughout Party. Its opening lines a nod to the mood of Harding’s last record; sameness is quickly quashed with an electronic drumbeat and the announcement of AldousvHarding as an artist of stirring ambition and trajectory.

The album’s eponymous single ‘Party’ harks to Aldous’ earlier work; delicately pulling at the threads of a seemingly late-night love affair. Again, it’s not long until the rug is pulled out, with a searing chorus – Harding’s electrifying vocal accompanied by a choir of women and waves of percussive bass clarinet – piercing the balloon of expectations around Harding’s new record with effortless vigour.

Renowned for the captivating state of possession she occupies in live performance, Aldous Harding has won crowds the world over playing alongside Deerhunter, Frankie Cosmos and Perfume Genius, as well as to hoards of eager crowds at SXSW, Festival Les Indisciplinées, Rolling Stone Weekender, Visions Festival, The Great Escape, Golden Plains and more. Aldous’ 2017 touring schedule spans Europe, the US and the United Kingdom for much of the year, with Green Man, End of the Road Festival, Latitude Festival, Nelsonville Music Festival and more on the horizon.

News

• Aldous Harding returns with new music and a new album Feb 20, 2019
• Aldous Harding Talks About Her Intriguing New Song And Video Feb 19, 2019
• Daily Dose: Aldous Harding, "The Barrel" Feb 19, 2019
• Vinyl Me Please reviews Aldous Harding's performance at Pickathon 2017 Jul 25, 2017
• Guest DJ: Aldous Harding Jun 21, 2017
• Alt Citizen debuts Aldous Harding's new video, "Blend" Jun 19, 2017
• Stereogum praises Aldous Harding's new video "Blend" Jun 16, 2017
• Brooklyn Mag reviews Aldous Harding's show in Brooklyn Jun 16, 2017
• Pop Press debuts Aldous Harding's new video, "Blend" Jun 14, 2017
• Aldous Harding’s Songs Won’t Be Pinned Down. Nor Will Her Voice. May 17, 2017
• Pitchfork features Aldous Harding's second single "Imagining My Man" off of forthcoming album Apr 2, 2017
• Aldous Harding's "Imagining My Man" is featured in New York Times 'Playlist' Mar 31, 2017
• The Spinoff Music reviews Aldous Harding's single "Imagining My Man" Mar 30, 2017
• DIY announces Aldous Harding's new record 'Party' is out in May Mar 29, 2017
• UPPROXX features Aldous Harding's single "Imagining My Man" Mar 29, 2017
• Gorilla vs Bear catches Aldous Harding performance at Treefort Fest Mar 29, 2017
• Stereogum features Aldous Harding's official music video for "Imagining My Man" Mar 29, 2017
• Brooklyn Vegan features Aldous Harding official music video, "Horizon" Mar 28, 2017
• The Story Of Aldous Harding's 'Party,' Track By Track Mar 19, 2017
• Aldous Harding included in NPR's "What We Loved at SXSW" list Mar 17, 2017
• NPR showcases Aldous Harding's official music video for Feb 10, 2017
• Aldous Harding discusses personal history and stage performance with The Guardian Nov 14, 2016
• The Guardian features Aldous Harding's new music Nov 14, 2016
• Brooklyn Vegan reports Aldous Harding reissuing debute LP & tour with Deerhunter Aug 11, 2016
• Under The Radar shares Aldous Harding's videos for 'Stop Your Tears' and 'Swell Does The Skull' Jun 28, 2016

Tour Dates

Date	Venue	Location	With	Tickets
Tue 9/24/2019	Empty Bottle	Chicago, Illinois
Wed 9/25/2019	Empty Bottle	Chicago, Illinois
Thu 9/26/2019	Club Cafe	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Fri 9/27/2019	The Great Hall	Toronto, Ontario
Sat 9/28/2019	Rialto Theatre	Montreal, Quebec
Sun 9/29/2019	Cafe 939	Boston, Massachusetts
Mon 9/30/2019	Music Hall of Williamsburg	Brooklyn, New York
Wed 10/2/2019	Underground Arts	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Thu 10/3/2019	Rock and Roll Hotel	Washington, DC
Fri 10/4/2019	Kings Raliegh	Raleigh, North Carolina
Sat 10/5/2019	Terminal West	Atlanta, Georgia
Sun 10/6/2019	Gasa Gasa	New Orleans, Louisiana
Mon 10/7/2019	Barracuda	Austin, Texas
Thu 10/10/2019	Constellation Room	Santa Ana, California
Fri 10/11/2019	SOhO Restaurant & Music Club	Santa Barbara, California
Sat 10/12/2019	Slim's	San Francisco, CA, California
Mon 10/14/2019	Aladdin Theatre	Portland, Oregon
Tue 10/15/2019	Tractor Tavern	Seattle, Washington
Wed 10/16/2019	Tractor Tavern	Seattle, Washington
Thu 10/17/2019	The Olympic	Boise, Idaho
Sat 10/19/2019	Larimer Lounge	Denver, Colorado
Sun 10/20/2019	Uptown Theater	Kansas City, Missouri
Tue 10/22/2019	Turf Club	St. Paul, Minnesota
Thu 10/24/2019	Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery	Los Angeles, California
Sat 10/26/2019	The Lodge Room	Los Angeles, California