LONDON, UK (Top40 Charts/ Ben Allen Media) "Brave and original. A remarkably fine singer songwriter" The Guardian
"This powerful emotive debut deserves to mark her out as one of the year's major new stars" **** Mojo
"earthshaking looks and a talent to match. Listen closely and a startling originality emerges" **** Daily Mirror
"Young, vivacious, charismatic... the balance of her own sensual songs with a mix of tradition and classical influence gives her a rare individuality" Word
Athena's strength is in her fragility, and as her story is revealed on 'Peeling Apples' she navigates the most intimate subjects on human nature and relationships with the skill of a classic songwriter. As Jamie Cullumrecently noted
Athena is "classic with a twist".
Peeling Apples is Athena's second album, following her critically acclaimed 2009 debut "Breath With Me", which drew much praise from many of the UK's major music press. So said Uncut; "Sparklingly spans the boundaries of music, enhanced by a voice of great emotional resonance" and from the Daily Mail;"Radiating class and oodles of talent... a voice blessed… this rare diamond ought to shine".
Since then
Athena has achieved sold out UK tours, played Glastonbury Festival, had songs covered by other artists and seen her own music synced with TV programmes, commercials and movies. All the while building a sizeable following with the sort of word of mouth that can only come from connecting directly with the emotional heart of your audience.
Now there is a new album, 'Peeling Apples' and co-writers on the record include Richard Causon (Ryan Adams, Ethan Johns, The
Kings of Leon,
Rufus Wainwright), and Jamie Hartman (Joss Stone, Anastacia) who features on a duet. The songs from her album have the same sort of clear artistic vision that marks out
Norah Jones or
Tori Amos or
Bjork with a fresh, limitless ambition.
Perhaps the most poignant song on her new album is 'Finding England', set in London, and beautifully talks of letting go of expectation.'I'll Never Know' tackles the sweet pain of a temptation resisted, that endless battle between head and heart. Then there's 'Little Jane', a message of hope and strength to a girl spotted through a window playing in a field as well as being a supportive word sent back through time to
Athena herself as a child. Stay innocent, it says, stay brave. Most of all stay happy.
This then is the sort of artist that understands how a great album is a story, it must have a shape and a sense of momentum to it, it can't exist in a vacuum. Athena's skill is in writing epic songs and still maintaining a feeling of intimacy. She expresses a love for Mumford & Sons, Ani Di Franco and PJ Harvey.
"I like to see people doing things their way" she says. "I remember hearing Blowing In The Wind at 14 and thinking, this is what I want to do with my life."
Athena plays live at Bush Hall on 27th March
See the new Finding England video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eXW9RDzTGY
www.athenaandreadis.com // www.twitter.com/athenaandreadis // www.facebook.com/Athenamusic
Artist: Athena
Album: 'Peeling Apples'
Released: 16th April 2012
Label: Embraceable Records
Short Bio:
Born in London to Greek parents,
Athena and grew up in a house that reverberated with traditional Greek folk and classical music, as well as the more straightforward pleasures of The
Beatles and Pink Floyd. But despite her musical abode, young
Athena was denied a piano until she was 16. When informing her parents she wanted to dedicate her life to music her father insisted she study business so she headed to Bath University but continued making music whilst studying.
"I was very unhappy though," she says. "I didn't see the point in living without doing what I loved full time."
As part of the course
Athena studied in New York for six months. While there she auditioned for a teacher from the elite Juilliard School of Performing Arts who spotted her talent and took
Athena on as a private student; within days they were developing an intense vocal training programme, as
Athena was self-taught up to that point. Upon graduating with a First Class Degree in Business, she told her parents, quite directly, she would be doing music full time and she enrolled on a music course at
Trinity College.
