59 Facts About Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi's accolades include three Mercury Prize nominations, one Brit Award nomination, and a European Border Breakers Award.

Anna Calvi has been noted by some critics as a virtuoso guitarist, as well as for her powerful, wide-ranging operatic contralto voice and sometimes androgynous stage appearance.

Anna Calvi subsequently worked as a private guitar instructor before embarking on a music career.

Anna Calvi released her eponymous debut album in 2011 through Domino Records to critical acclaim, earning a Mercury Prize nomination for Album of the Year, a British Breakthrough Act nomination at the 2012 Brit Awards and a European Border Breakers Award.

Anna Calvi followed this in 2014 with the EP Strange Weather and subsequently wrote the music for a stage production of the opera The Sandman, directed by Robert Wilson.

Anna Calvi released her third full-length album, Hunter, in August 2018, earning her a third Mercury Prize nomination.

Anna Calvi spent most of the first three years of her life in a hospital undergoing treatment and surgeries to correct congenital hip dysplasia.

Anna Calvi grew up being exposed to a multitude of genres by her music-loving father; as well as her grandfather, with whom she spent summers in Rome.

Anna Calvi began playing violin at the age of six, before beginning to learn guitar at age eight.

Anna Calvi frequently played along to the records of Jimi Hendrix, whom she idolized.

Anna Calvi came to be much influenced by 20th century composers Messiaen, Ravel, and Debussy, attracted "to the impressionistic element of the music," and would try to recreate this feeling on the guitar.

Anna Calvi formed several bands, including Cheap Hotel, who released one download-only single, which did not chart.

Anna Calvi later met multi-instrumentalist Mally Harpaz and drummer Daniel Maiden-Wood, who eventually formed her band.

At an early gig, Anna Calvi caught the attention of Bill Ryder-Jones who urged Laurence Bell of Domino Records to sign her.

Anna Calvi played guitar on the track "The Prizefighter and the Heiress" on Johnny Flynn's album Been Listening, and in October 2009 she went on to support Flynn on tour.

In 2010 Anna Calvi supported American rock band Interpol on their United Kingdom tour, as well as label-mates the Arctic Monkeys at the Shepherd's Bush Empire.

On 11 October 2010, Anna Calvi released her debut solo single "Jezebel", a 1951 song originally written by Wayne Shanklin and made famous by Frankie Laine and French chanteuse Edith Piaf.

Anna Calvi released her eponymous debut album in the UK and Europe through Domino Records on 17 January 2011, to critical acclaim.

Anna Calvi co-produced the album with long-term PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis.

Anna Calvi launched the album to sold-out show at the intimate Hoxton Hall in London on 27 January 2011.

In January 2012, Anna Calvi was awarded the European Border Breakers Award.

Anna Calvi was nominated in the Best British Breakthrough category at the BRIT Awards 2012.

Anna Calvi took time off recording in November 2012 to sing on a Noah and The Whale song called "Heart of Nowhere", released in May 2013.

Anna Calvi announced on 5 August 2013 that her second album titled One Breath was to be released on Domino Records on 7 October.

Anna Calvi's announcement was accompanied by a trailer filmed by Emma Nathan.

Calvi told Mojo magazine that whereas Anna Calvi was recorded on and off over three years, One Breath took just six weeks and was less of a challenge to complete than its predecessor.

Anna Calvi has said that she had been listening to composers John Adams and Steve Reich, as well as choral music, for inspiration while writing the record.

Anna Calvi began 2014 with a tour of the UK in February before heading to Europe throughout March.

On 24 March 2014, Anna Calvi announced two shows in May in Sydney and Melbourne, as part of her Australian tour.

Anna Calvi returned to Glastonbury Festival on 28 June 2014 for a performance on the Park stage.

Anna Calvi collaborated with Marianne Faithfull on her 2014 album track, "Falling Back".

Subsequently, Anna Calvi performed this track with Faithfull on the BBC's Later with Jools Holland TV show on 23 September 2014.

Anna Calvi was then chosen to support Morrissey for his show at the O2 Arena in London on 29 November 2014.

In December 2014, Anna Calvi performed a one-off show with the innovative and eclectic Heritage Orchestra, conducted by Jules Buckley.

Anna Calvi had worked with the Heritage Orchestra previously on the Giorgio Moroder show at the Sydney Opera House.

On 3 March 2015 Anna Calvi confirmed via her Facebook page that she would be recording a track for the 2015 science fiction film, The Divergent Series: Insurgent.

The film's soundtrack was released on 17 March 2015 through Interscope Records and featured other artists including Woodkid, Lykke Li, M83, HAIM, Royal Blood, SOHN, Zella Day, and Imagine Dragons Anna Calvi was a judge at the 2015 Mercury Music Prize.

On 4 February 2016, Anna Calvi featured on Strung Out in Heaven, a David Bowie covers EP arranged by Jherek Bischoff and Amanda Palmer following the death of David Bowie on 10 January 2016.

Anna Calvi booked a studio in London on three days notice, contributing her voice and guitar to the track "Blackstar".

In March 2016, Anna Calvi was part of the Pieces of a Man: The Gil Scott-Heron Project, "a celebration of the life and legacy of the legendary American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author" in conjunction with Convergence Festival in London.

In early June 2018, Anna Calvi announced that her third studio album, Hunter would be released by Domino Records on 31 August 2018.

Anna Calvi enlisted director Matt Lambert to produce the video for title track "Hunter".

Anna Calvi is the composer for the musical score for the fifth season of the TV series Peaky Blinders, the first episode of which premiered on 25 August 2019.

Anna Calvi is set to feature on Jeff Goldblum's upcoming second album I Shouldn't Be Telling You This for a mash-up of Wes Montgomery's "Four on Six" and Marianne Faithfull's "Broken English".

In March 2020 Anna Calvi released Hunted, an album of reworks of the tracks from her 2018 album Hunter.

In May 2022, following the release of the sixth season of Peaky Blinders, Anna Calvi released the Tommy EP - a collection of songs inspired by the shows lead character Tommy Shelby.

Anna Calvi has been referred to by two critics as a virtuoso guitarist.

Anna Calvi has stated she aspires to create orchestral soundscapes with the guitar, and is noted for her particular style of playing which involves hitting the strings in a circular motion, rather than strumming up and down.

Anna Calvi has been compared to other female singers such as PJ Harvey and Siouxsie Sioux, and is noted for her powerful operatic voice.

Anna Calvi has cited Nina Simone, Maria Callas, the rock of Jimi Hendrix, The Smiths and the Rolling Stones, the blues of Captain Beefheart, the stage performances of David Bowie, Nick Cave, and Scott Walker as well as classical composers Messiaen, Ravel and Debussy as among her influences.

Anna Calvi has spoken of the influence of the films of Gus Van Sant, Wong Kar-Wai and David Lynch on her music.

Anna Calvi frequently uses a 1990s American-made Fender Telecaster guitar and a vintage red Vox AC30 amp, both live and in the studio.

On 1 December 2010 Anna Calvi performed at the Colette showcase in Paris as part of The Room of Curiosities exhibition by Thomas Erber.

Anna Calvi was invited to play at the Gucci dinner which was hosted by Vogue during the 2011 Haute Couture Paris fashion week.

Frida Giannini, creative director at Gucci, chose outfits for Anna Calvi to wear during her May 2011 US tour.

Anna Calvi opened the new Gucci Sydney store on 30 November 2011.

Anna Calvi was invited onto the Chanel table for the Amfar charity event at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

On 28 September 2014 Anna Calvi accompanied Marianne Faithfull in a headline performance at the Chloe fashion show in Paris, France.

On 20 February 2017, Anna Calvi performed four of her own tracks and a cover of Christine and the Queens 'iT' at the Burberry London Fashion Week show with strings and a choir from The Heritage Orchestra.