We Say…
Annie Booth is an Edinburgh based artist, who has been releasing her own music since back in 2017, when her debut album, An Unforgiving Light, drew acclaim across her native Scotland and beyond. Regular readers of the site will be well aware of Annie as a member of brooding dark-folkies Mt. Doubt, with whom she has played live and toured across the UK since first teaming up back in 2015. A frequent collaborator, Annie has also worked with the likes of Out of the Swim and Wojtek the Bear, as well as finding acclaim under the moniker Slow Weather. Returning to her solo project, last week Annie teamed up with Last Night From Glasgow for the release of her second solo record, Lazybody.
Lazybody was recorded over a number of months, with sessions at two of Glasgow’s most illustrious studios, Chem 19 and Green Door, with Annie working alongside Slow Weather partner, Chris McCrory. Described as, “eleven sparse songs of love, despair and all emotions in-between”, Annie’s music feels delightfully out of sync with modern musical trends, instead it seems to look backwards for inspiration, whether it’s the Carole King-like opening number Cocoon, or the majestic folk-pop of Soho, which feels like the middle ground of Vashti Bunyan and Courtney Marie Andrews. Elsewhere, Annie is unafraid to embrace eclecticism, whether it’s the minimal, spoken word of Nightvan or the more ragged, driving full-band sound of the fabulous Valley. Perhaps the record’s finest moment is the unflinching Ruby, a look at the world through the eyes of a lady with dementia set to textures of organ, slide-guitar and luxurious vocal harmonies, with the right exposure, it feels like it could easily be Annie’s break-out moment. A gifted storyteller, a weaver of melodies and a painter of musical masterpieces, Annie Booth has never sounded better, and in Lazybody she has a record that might just sneak up on everybody and become one of the year’s most compelling, slow-burning soundtracks.
They Say…
FTR: For those who don’t know who is Annie Booth?
Perpetually anxious singer-songwriter living in Edinburgh.
FTR: What can you remember about your first show?
First proper show was this indoor festival based at the Tolbooth, a really cool arts venue in Stirling (I was right at the bottom of the poster.) Did a little acoustic set and I remember feeling nervous but chuffed to be there. Rachel Sermanni, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Admiral Fallow were on the bill so it was an awesome night.
FTR: Why do you make music? Why not another art form?
Making and releasing music combines so many creative practices (performing, writing, curating, arranging, managing, amateur photo-taking, working with videographers etc) so it’s fun to have that range. It’s also a great way to express myself – even if it’s not considered high art, it’s a perfectly valid way to connect with people and to challenge & push myself creatively.
FTR: What can people expect from the Annie Booth live show?
For the upcoming launch gig we’ll be playing the new album as a full band, which includes strings and pedal steel. I’m very excited to finally play these tracks (as well as some older songs) and to deliver what will hopefully be a fairly expansive live show. Things will go wrong, but that’s okay!
FTR: What’s next for Annie Booth?
To be honest, getting to this point and finally releasing the album was the main goal for a long time (if even a few people out there listen to it that’d make me happy.) So perhaps the playing of a few more shows – followed by a bit of a break – is in order.
They Listen To…
David Bowie – Life On Mars
Jeff Buckley – Grace
Carole King – I Feel the Earth Move
Cate Le Bon – Home to You
Aldous Harding – Weight of the Planets
Lazybody is out now via Last Night From Glasgow. For more information on Annie Booth visit https://linktr.ee/annieboothmusic.
For The Rabbits 