Thread of Aldous Harding - eccentric 'gothic folk' NZ singer songwriter

Listening to 'Party' now and I'm pretty sure it won't be for the first time. Getting some (actually good) c2004 freak-folk vibes. Any ILMers like her?

I like her but don't love her. Definitely have heard moments of brilliance.

I hadn't heard of / heard this Aldous Harding record. It's nice.

― Simon H., Wednesday, November 15, 2017 2:22 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Aldous Harding was great playing with Deerhunter a couple years ago, that rare opening act whose set tracks an arc from total obscurity to a surprising immediacy. I like "Party" quite a lot though "Imagining My Man" stands out too much maybe.

― geoffreyess, Wednesday, November 15, 2017 5:38 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Bumping due to 2017 end of the year lists ... Happy New Year everyone.

AFAICT these have been the singles from Party:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4dVkoOMjLo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE-A0cNSLmc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHR3uEOkkSo

bookmarking, given the decription had to check to make sure she doesn't run with a bad crowd ideologically but seems fine

really powerful

that Horizon song is pretty much the platonic ideal of 'interesting weird voice, complete absence of songwriting'

Horizon very Kate Bush-y, but I like how much different voices she can utilise. Imagining My Man is mesmerizing.

Good record. I guess imago is right that "Horizon" relies more on delivery and performance than songwriting, but I like it anyway. Le Bateau Ivre, I agree - it's impressive how different she sounds from song to song.

By the way, the album was produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Jenny Hval, Rokia Traore, shitload of other great LPs).

christ Imagining My Man is flatly fantastic.

I have a soft spot for the functional club remix action of the DiCe rework of "Horizon" - reminds me of the Rabbit in the Moon remixes of Sarah McLachlan you'd get on mid-late 90s CD singles:

https://soundcloud.com/dice_nz/horizon

Love the "hey"s punctuating "Imagining My Man".

Duet with fellow Lyttleton folk personage Marlon Williams, "Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsJIDptF-2c

Record is amazing, live show is stunning. It's like she sets out to look every audience member present directly in the eye for a slightly more than a comfortable amount of time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyZeJr5ppm8

This is great. New album out April 26.

christ Imagining My Man is flatly fantastic.

New to her but completely agree. "Imagining My Man" blows me away. She's playing a small club here in Chicago in a few weeks, curious what the live show is like without the arrangements.

I see Hamish Kilg0ur posting this every 6 months or so. I love it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf0fIwGySPY

i am quite in love with the opener of the new album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPB6iPXhkdI

I guess we all deserved an answer to the question 'what if Weyes Blood was completely insufferable?'

I guess we all deserved an answer to the question 'what if Weyes Blood was completely insufferable actually interesting?'

(Kidding, I like Weyes Blood but I'm more excited about Aldous.)

I still feel like she's inconsistent but her high points are very high. And more than any recent artist, her videos are oddly engaging - she has these strange mannerisms, like she's feeling her song with her entire body. It's quite disarming.

Saw her live a week ago. Really good show, mostly performed in shadows, which kept the mannerisms from being front and center. Small backing band that gave the same full feeling of the album arrangements, and what I’m assuming what the title track of “Designer” was the highlight (something about designing a tattoo). No “Imagining My Man”, alas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ToeaeuOQo

The Barrel is tremendous. I'm not entirely convinced by everything else.

“Imagining My Man” is what pulled me in, haven’t really warmed up to anything else yet.

That NPR show captures her brilliantly (or captures what I like about her). Good face pulling, too.

The face pulling almost puts me off but I guess it goes hand in hand with the weird voice making.

that live version of blend is about 5 million times better than the album version. the simple, tender tune breaks my heart. she was so right to give the guitar to the other guy and concentrate on the singing.

“Imagining My Man” is what pulled me in, haven’t really warmed up to anything else yet.

I'm the same way and was shocked that it wasn't in her set when I saw her a few months ago.

There's also this from last week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLoLJHn_MNM

(No toy instruments and Questlove, alas.)

Saw her live last night. She opened with two acoustic tracks from Party, then a three-piece band joined her for the majority of Designer, “Blend,” and an fun unreleased (I think?) song called “Old Peel.” She really is a captivating performer, she held the (very respectful and enthusiastic) audience in the palm of her hand, despite being a quiet folk act playing a late evening festival slot. At the same time she doesn’t exactly have a confident or overbearing stage presence; there still seemed to be some nervousness and rough edges, but it made the gig even more memorable. The weird mannerisms/face pulling were all there but dialed down compared to some of her performances I saw on YT, and they seemed more genuine (especially on “Treasure”) and less affected. Would love to see her in a more intimate setting, with better acoustics.

Just discovered "Weight of the Planets" and it pulled me in more than the lead songs on Designer did. What a gem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnB9zltNuNY

only just saw that there's an official studio recording/music video for 'old peel'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V7rHcvqDyY

love that.

***new Aldous***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ylzXnxFpYQ

really nice. and:

'Lawn' is the first single from Aldous Harding's forthcoming album, 'Warm Chris', out 25 March 2022 on 4AD.

yesss

With John Parish producing again. Single sounds good!

Is it Parish doing the background vocals?

Was just checking on any vocal credits on "Weight of the Planets" and not seeing any, guessing that's him as well...

Album includes Sleaford Mods' Jason Williamson (according to Norman Records, so could be invented).

xp Parish, H. Hawkline and Gwion Llewelyn are all credited with vocals on "Weight of the Planets" if that helps.

New album's out:

https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/news/19517/Aldous-Harding-Shares-New-Album-Warm-Chris.utr

& video for "Fever":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMA1kJ7Uc9s

Really loving this. So many great hooks, and I find her vocal delivery fascinating. I've also had this line rattling in my head all week:

Of all the ways to eat a cake
This one surely takes the knife

Definitely one to spend time with. Closing track "Leathery Whip" (duet with Jason Williamson from Sleafod Mods) has a great Tall Dwarfs-y vibe.

i like this album a lot. feels of a piece with the new cate le bon, though maybe a bit more pastoral

I'm enjoying it too, although tbh it's not as strong as Designer or Party. Also had to excise 'Passion Babe' from the tracklist, as my partner can't stand the voice she uses on it or the repetition.

My wife had the same reaction to that song. So far I find the first half of this album really strong, and then I completely lose track of the second half. I don't know if it's me or the album but I've been driven to distraction every single time I've played it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6hcGoFkxtU

lovely video for 'tick tock'

gotta say i was initially disappointed by the album, but it still has that thing of being odd and off-putting in some ways yet having bits that pull me back and make me wanna figure out why i'm intrigued. i really enjoy that i find it hard to pinpoint what exactly she's doing so much of the time

yet it never really feels forced or ~random~, there's a subtly and ease to her sound despite the weirdness

Her new album just came up as a recommendation on Apple Music. I thought, "Hmm, wonder if there is a thread about her on ILX." I'm digging it so far.

Did anyone read any interesting reviews of this? It's not the most immediate album but, yeah, like karl...arlk...rlka...lkar says there's something intriguing.

i haven't read any interesting reviews, but i did see her in Atlanta last week and she was great. her band is super tight, her stage presence is as odd and entrancing as her music, and the songs from the new album, which comprised most of the set, sounded fantastic live. 'passion babe' in particular clicked live in a way it hadn't for me in home listening