New Release from Offa Rex "The Queen of Hearts" On Nonesuch

‘Beautiful British folk music... a tribute and translation, connecting the dots between contemporary indie music and a deeper cultural legacy.’

– NPR Music

‘A sublime collection of old songs given contemporary heart transplants without ever betraying their essential original truth and spirit.’

– Independent * * * * *

‘A combination of earthy tradition and cosmic ramble. Its roots are in the right place.’

– Mojo

‘Chaney has never sounded better and sounds completely at ease with a rock band behind her. Beautifully recorded, there’s something inspirational and electrifying when the band kicks off in earnest.’

– fRoots

‘Folk-rooted yet forward looking…Ms. Chaney sings with stoic sweetness.’

– New York Times

‘If you’ve never found a way to experience the bliss and tragedy of traditional British folk music, Offa Rex is your chance.’

– NPR Music

‘This stands with the highlights of British freak folk.’

– Financial Times

‘A pairing that seemed destined to be… Transports a listener in time through angelic vocals accompanied by swirling/droned-out instrumentation.’

– Paste

On July 14, Nonesuch Records will release The Queen of Hearts, the debut album from Offa Rex, an adventurous new project featuring English singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Olivia Chaney and The Decemberists. Produced and recorded by Tucker Martine (Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Neko Case) and the Decemberists’ Colin Meloy at Martine’s studio in Portland, OR, and mostly arranged by Olivia Chaney, the thirteen tracks on The Queen of Hearts draw largely on traditional English-Irish-Scottish repertoire to create a transatlantic musical conversation that flirts with psychedelia and folk rock while maintaining its own inimitable identity. Pre-orders are available now from iTunes, where the title track may be downloaded instantly Listen to Olivia Chaney and The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy discuss the project with Bob Boilen for NPR’s All Songs +1 here. The album’s release Olivia Chaney’s appearance on the new Kronos Quartet album Folk Songs. Out June 9. Folk Songs features Olivia Chaney taking lead on two songs, as well as appearances from Rhiannon Giddens, Natalie Merchant and Sam Amidon. Folk Songs can also be pre-ordered now from iTunes.

The origins of Offa Rex can be traced to a tweet. Meloy, a fan of Chaney’s 2015 Nonesuch debut, The Longest River, struck up a dialog with her over Twitter, which eventually led to her supporting The Decemberists on a U.S. tour. Chaney says: “Every so often [on the tour] Colin and I would have these fleeting but quite intense conversations about songwriting and singing traditional songs. One night he asked me, grinning, ‘Have you ever thought of having a backing group? We’ll be your Albion Dance Band.’” Meloy adds: “There’s this weird relationship between British and American music, this interesting trade and theft that goes back and forth. My hope was that if we—the neophytes, the dilettantes, the pretenders—brought Olivia to Portland to work with Tucker, perhaps these traditional British songs would be infused with something different.” From the heady harpsichord swirl that engulfs album opener “The Queen of Hearts” to the warm, delicate drone of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” or the cold, grey riff that heralds “Sheepcrook and Black Dog,” it’s evident that Offa Rex is different indeed, upending its folk roots and imbuing these songs with exploratory verve. Offa Rex will tour the States this (American) summer, including performances at the Newport Folk Festival, Town Hall in New York, and at The Aladdin in Portland. They will also be performing at Travelers’ Rest, The Decemberists’ two-day curated festival in Missoula, MT. Additionally, Olivia Chaney will support The Decemberists during their American tour, during which she will join the band on stage to perform songs from The Queen of Hearts. Olivia Chaney visited Australia in 2014/2015, ahead of the release of her label debut for Nonesuch The Longest River. She performed at the Woodford Folk Festival, the Sydney Festival and elsewhere. The Decemberists first visited Australia in 2010 for The Big Day Out; more recently they were here in 2016 for Bluesfest and other shows including Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Hamer Hall.

TRACK LIST: The Queen of Hearts Blackleg Miner The Gardener The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Flash Company Old Churchyard Constant Billy (Oddington) / I’ll Go Enlist (Sherborne) Willie o’ Winsbury Bonny May Sheepcrook and Black Dog To Make You Stay

Enjoy!

VJ-Zakk-E

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