New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, Nonesuch Records releases 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. The record's already received praise from the New York Times, NPR Music, The Guardian, Lenny Letter and many more.
NPR Music's Bob Boilen says: "If you've never found a way to experience the bliss and tragedy of traditional British folk music, Offa Rex is your chance." Watch a studio performance of "The Old Churchyard" here: https://youtu.be/XLodKmSoTU0
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 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.
Offa Rex will tour this summer, including performances at the Newport Folk Festival, Town Hall in New York, and at The
Aladdin in Portland. They will also play at Travelers' Rest, The Decemberists' two-day curated festival in Missoula, MT on August 12 and 13. Additionally,
Olivia Chaney will support The
Decemberists for their August tour, during which she will join the band on stage to perform songs from The
Queen of Hearts. Chaney will also do a few solo shows around those dates. Complete list of shows are below.
Raves for Offa Rex and 'The
Queen of Hearts':
"Folk-rooted yet forward looking...Ms. Chaney sings with stoic sweetness." - New York Times
"A dream project...the set centers around Chaney's elegant voice and explores traditional songs with studied mastery and fresh vision." - Rolling Stone
"'The
Queen Of Hearts' hums with the resonance of bygone eras and ancient ways, of doomed love and arduous hardship -- all of it embroidered into the patchwork tapestry of life itself." - NPR Music
"Chaney has a magical voice, full of heft...this collection of traditional songs sounds stirringly new.
Everything works, loudly and proudly." - The Guardian (UK)
"Offa Rex has its own compelling identity, and should win Chaney an international name." - The Observer (UK)
"A sublime collection of old songs given contemporary heart transplants without ever betraying their essential original truth and spirit." - The Independent (UK)
"A love letter to British folk music and an experiment in bridging musical sensibilities." - Lenny Letter
"The
Decemberists and
Olivia Chaney sound so natural together...the parts where Colin and
Olivia harmonize are some of the album's most gorgeous moments." - Brooklyn Vegan
"The supremely talented Chaney channels
Sandy Denny and Maddy Prior, delivering pitch-perfect takes on seasoned tales both bucolic and brooding." - AllMusic
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
TOUR DATES:
7/23 - Portland, OR @
Aladdin Theater
7/26 - New York, NY @ The Town Hall
7/28 - Camden, NJ @XPoNential Festival
7/29 - Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival
8/03 - New York, NY @ Joe's Pub^
8/08 - Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre*
8/09 - Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall*
8/12 - Missoula, MT @ Travelers' Rest Festival
8/13 - Missoula, MT @ Travelers' Rest Festival
8/15 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre*
8/17 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater*
8/18 - Davis, CA @ Mondavi Center*
8/19 - Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion*
*Olivia Chaney opening for The Decemberists' shows
^Olivia Chaney solo
