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, gnashing like a Banraku puppet. 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, gnashing like a Banraku puppet.

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, 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 Perfume Genius Mike Hadreas lends his inimitably sultry vocals to, the other being the intimate Party closer ‘Swell Does The Skull’.

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, Rolling Stone Weekender, Visions Festival, Golden Plains and more. Aldous’ 2017 touring schedule spans Europe, the US and the United Kingdom for much of the year.

News

• 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
• 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
Sat 6/24/2017	Swedish American Music Hall	San Francisco, California	Sarah Bethe Nelson + Carletta Sue Kay
Fri 7/28/2017	Kilby Court	Salt Lake City, Utah
Sat 7/29/2017	The Olympic	Boise, Idaho
Sun 7/30/2017	Tractor Tavern	Seattle, Washington
Mon 7/31/2017	Biltmore Cabaret	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Wed 8/2/2017	The Palomino	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Thu 8/3/2017	The Bartlett	Spokane, Washington
Sat 8/5/2017	Pickathon Festival	Happy Valley, Oregon
Sun 8/6/2017	Pickathon Festival	Happy Valley, Oregon
Thu 9/7/2017	Hopscotch Festival	Raleigh, North Carolina