We Say…
Named in honour of her Russian-Jewish great-grandmother, Daneshevskaya is the solo project of native New Yorker, Anna Beckerman. Back in 2021, Anna shared her debut EP, Bury Your Horses, before signing with Winspear, who last month released her second Extended Play, Long Is The Tunnel. A record about, “how the people you meet impact the pathway you travel”, Long Is The Tunnel is also a record of goodbye, and the various meanings within the word, from the grief of a lost loved one, to the parents she sees saying goodbye to their children in her day job as a social worker for preschool kids in Brooklyn. As Anna puts it, “saying goodbye to people is such a mystery to me”, and thankfully for us, it’s a mystery she’s open to exploring with a rather beautiful musical flourish.
The record opens with Challenger Deep, a song inspired by a children’s story, “about how, when you say goodbye to someone, there’s an invisible string that connects you”, Anna’s take seems to spin that idea into how we approach our ultimate goodbyes, as she sings over a backing of nylon-stringed guitars, “will you wait for me, where there is no later on, will you wait for me at the end”. Elsewhere Pink Mold is “about me trying to learn a different version of love”, showcasing her ability to find opportunities for self-growth even in a somewhat sombre love song, while with its grand strings and swopping melodies the excellent ROY G BIV, muses surprisingly movingly on the idea on the calming influence order has on children, and what we as adults can learn from that. Particularly wonderful is the closing track, Ice Pigeon, with its playful swooping melodies, like the middle ground of The Mamas & Papas and the Super Furry Animals’ Juxtapozed With U, which belies its gorgeous orchestral pop splendour with a surprisingly intimate heartache, “everything that comes out of your mouth is gold, but it’s useless to me, ’cause I know what it needs”. Throughout Long Is The Tunnel, Danshevskaya seems to present glorious contradictions, songs that are simultaneously child-like and musically sophisticated, lyrics of wide-eyed wonder and subtle introspection, timeless melodies with a modern turn of phrase, and somehow all of it comes together beautifully, a fabulously complete picture of a songwriter at the start of something truly special.
They Say…
FTR: For those who don’t know who are Daneshevskaya?
A band from New York making indie-folk music!
FTR: What can you remember about your first show?
My dad is a musicologist and used to take me to see the orchestra when I was a kid, I remember coming up with all sorts of games to play in my head to pass the time. I would imagine i ended up on the chandelier and see if I could figure out how to get down.
FTR: Why do you make music? Why not another art form?
I have no idea! I guess it was the one I kept doing even after getting rejected from endless clubs/groups/programs. Music is the thing I kept doing even when it served no purpose or didn’t get me anything. And finding people who I liked making music with was also something that kept me going, having people who I show stuff to who I’m excited to work with like maddy and artur who are also in the band.
I also paint! I like making shirts.
FTR: What can people expect from the Daneshevskaya live show?
You can expect big bird! some glasses! Almost no banter. A cover of a beloved artist. Some lights! A little choreography. No greens. Emergency red.
FTR: What’s next for Daneshevskaya?
We’re going back to our day jobs. Released a full ep in November! Maybe working on some tracking in the winter and spring.
They Listen To…
The Roaches – Hammond Song
Arthur Russell – Come To Life
Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam
The Carpenters – Close To You
Willie Nelson – On The Road Again
For The Rabbits 