Antony and the Johnsons

Antony and the Johnsons is an American music group presenting the work of Anohni (formerly known as Antony Hegarty) and her collaborators.

Antony and the Johnsons
Anohni performing in 2008
Background information
OriginNew York City, New York, U.S.[1]
Genres
Years active1995–2015 (hiatus)
LabelsSecretly Canadian, Rough Trade
MembersAnohni
Julia Kent
Parker Kindred
Jeff Langston
Rob Moose
Maxim Moston
Doug Wieselman
Thomas Bartlett

Career

British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Anohni's music through his Durtro label. Anohni started the band, its name inspired by drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson.[5] The debut album, Antony and the Johnsons, was released in 1998. In 2001, Hegarty released a short follow-up EP, I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy, which, in addition to the title track, included a cover of "Mysteries of Love", a David Lynch/Angelo Badalamenti song and "Soft Black Stars", a Current 93 cover.

Producer Hal Willner heard the EP and played it to Lou Reed, who immediately recruited Hegarty for his project The Raven. Now gaining more attention, Hegarty signed to U.S.-based record label Secretly Canadian, and released another EP, The Lake, with Lou Reed guest-performing on one of the tracks. Secretly Canadian also re-released Hegarty's debut album in the United States to wider distribution in 2004.

Anohni's second full-length album, 2005's I Am a Bird Now, was greeted with positive reviews and significantly more mainstream attention. The album featured guest appearances by Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, Boy George, and Devendra Banhart, and circled themes of duality and transformation. I Am a Bird Now featured arrangements by Maxim Moston and Julia Kent and was mixed by Doug Henderson. In September 2005 Antony and the Johnsons were awarded the Mercury Prize[6] for the best UK album of 2005. Rival Mercury nominees, and favorites for the prize, the Kaiser Chiefs suggested that Anohni got in on a technicality; despite the fact she was born in the United Kingdom she spent much of her time in the U.S.—although they later apologized for the suggestion that she wasn't a deserving winner.

In 2005 Antony and the Johnsons' single "Hope there is Someone" featured in the celebrated Spanish director Isabel Coixet's[7] 7th film "The Secret Life of Words"[8] "Hope there is Someone" went on to be arguably one of the bands most popular songs.[9] The group then collaborated with experimental film-maker Charles Atlas and presented TURNING in November 2006 in Rome, London, Paris, Madrid, and Braga. Thirteen women from New York City were presented in intimate live video portraits during the course of the concert.[10] The Guardian called the piece "fragile, life affirming, and truly wonderful (five stars)". Le Monde in Paris hailed TURNING as "Concert-manifeste transsexuel".

The 2007 film about Bob Dylan, I'm Not There, featured their cover of his song "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" on the soundtrack release.

Antony and the Johnsons' 5-song Another World EP was released on October 7, 2008. Antony and the Johnsons' third album, The Crying Light,[11] was released on January 19, 2009 and went to No. 1 on the European Billboard charts.[12] Anohni has described the theme of the album as being "about landscape and the future".[13] Nature, death, love and the role of the artist were explored across ten tracks, which included the single "Epilepsy Is Dancing." The album was mixed by Bryce Goggin and included arrangements by Nico Muhly.

Ann Powers wrote of The Crying Light for the LA Times online, "it's the most personal environmentalist statement possible, making an unforeseen connection between queer culture's identity politics and the green movement. As music, it's simply exquisite—more controlled and considered than anything Antony and the Johnsons have done and sure to linger in the minds of listeners."[14]

After touring throughout North America and Europe in support of their new album, Antony and the Johnsons presented a unique staging of The Crying Light with the Manchester Camerata at the Manchester Opera House for the 2009 Manchester International Festival. The concert hall was transformed into a crystal cave filled with laser effects created by installation artist Chris Levine. Antony and the Johnsons went on to present concerts with symphonies across Europe in Summer 2009, including the Opera Orchestra of Lyon, the Metropole Orchestra, Roma Sinfonietta and the Montreux Jazz Festival Orchestra. At Salle Pleyel in Paris, Anohni appeared in a costume designed for her by Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy.

After two sold-out concerts at the Sydney Opera House, Antony and the Johnsons ended their recent touring in February 2010 in Tokyo. Anohni, Johanna Constantine and William Basinski performed at the Sogetsu Hall with butoh master Yoshito Ohno, the son of the 103-year-old dancer Kazuo Ohno, whose image graces the cover of The Crying Light.[15] Kazuo Ohno died in June of that year, and Anohni wrote an obituary for the dancer in The Guardian.[16]

In interviews around the world in 2010, Anohni described her work on Swanlights and The Crying Light as "a collision between joy and a sense of hopelessness". Anohni said she was struggling to come to terms with the idea that she was part of a society that was having a "virulent" impact on the earth.[17] She suggested that the degradation of nature was partially a result of the subjugation of women and earth-based spiritual systems.[17] Anohni also blamed the collapse of humanity's sustainable relationship with the earth in part on the rise of patriarchal religions that suggest the destiny of humanity to be "a paradise elsewhere". Interview Magazine describes Swanlights as "an emotional personal call for global, collective change".[18]

September 2010 saw the release of the Thank You For Your Love EP which includes covers of Dylan's "Pressing On" and Lennon's "Imagine". The Sun listed Thank You For Your Love as single of the week on August 27, 2010.

Antony and the Johnsons released a 4th album Swanlights on October 12, 2010 through Secretly Canadian and Rough Trade Records. Simultaneously, Abrams Books published a book edition of Swanlights featuring Anohni's drawings and collages with photography by Don Felix Cervantes. Antony and the Johnsons performed "Thank You For Your Love" on both the Late Show with David Letterman and Later... with Jools Holland in support of the album's release. In October 2010 Anohni was invited to "takeover" The Guardian's music and arts page that ran for weeks leading up to the release of Swanlights.[19] Stereogum placed Swanlights in its Top 50 Albums of the year at #8.[20]

In tribute to Kazuo Ohno, Antony and the Johnsons performed on October 30, 2010 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke's and featured the film "Mr. O's Book of the Dead" directed by Chiaki Nagano and starring Kazuo Ohno.[21]

In January 2011, Anohni was a guest on Winterguest, a program on Dutch Television's VPRO channel and was interviewed by Leon Verdonschot.

In 2010–2011, the song "Her Eyes Are Underneath The Ground" from the album The Crying Light was chosen as one of the five stimuli that the International Baccalaureate Organization chose for the IB Theatre Arts PPP.

On January 26, 2012, the Museum of Modern Art in New York produced a sold-out performance by Antony and the Johnsons, entitled "Swanlights" after their fourth studio album, at Radio City Music Hall, a collaboration with laser artist Chris Levine and set designer Carl Robertshaw. The event was prefaced by a speech from Dr. Julia Yasuda, who said: "I am concerned about nature changing and dying. Won't you please help her? Otherwise the world will be too lonely". The New York Times described the concert as "Cries From the Heart, Crashing Like Waves".[22] This collaboration was later staged at the Royal Opera House in London in 2013 for two days[23] and at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 2014 for four consecutive days.[24]

Antony and the Johnsons released a live symphonic album in August 2012 entitled Cut the World; it features a track called "Future Feminism", which consists of a speech in which Anohni disparages patriarchal religions and advocates for a shift towards feminine systems of governance as part of an effort to avert global ecological disaster.[25]

On February 23, 2015, Anohni announced through her Facebook and official site the name of her new album, HOPELESSNESS, although no release date was provided. The album is being mixed and is co-produced by Hudson Mohawke, Oneohtrix Point Never and herself. It would be released under the moniker ANOHNI. It was described as an "electronic record with some sharp teeth".[26]

In June 2015, Antony and the Johnsons performed at Dark Mofo in Tasmania, Australia, as a benefit in support of the Martu people of Parnngurr in Western Australia in their fight to prevent a uranium mine from being developed near their community by Canadian multinational Cameco and Mitsubishi. Anohni appeared with Martu representatives at a press conference at the MCA in Sydney and on ABC's Q&A in further service of this cause.[27]

In May 2016, HOPELESSNESS was released by Anohni on Secretly Canadian and Rough Trade.

Band members

Current members include:

Previous members have included:

Bibliography

  • Antony and the Johnsons, Swanlights, Abrams Image, 2010
  • Jerome Solal, La Voix d'Antony, Le Mot et le Reste, 2011

Awards

YearAwardsWorkCategoryResultRef.
2005 Mercury Prize I Am a Bird Now Album of the Year Won
Shortlist Music Prize Nominated
Antville Music Video Awards "Hope There's Someone" Best Video Nominated
MOJO Awards Antony and the Johnsons Best New Act Nominated
2006 Danish Music Awards Best International Newcomer Won
PLUG Awards Artist of the Year Nominated
Live Act of the Year Nominated
"Hope There's Someone" Song of the Year Nominated
I Am a Bird Now Album of the Year Nominated
Meteor Music Awards Best International Album Nominated
GLAAD Media Awards Antony and the Johnsons Outstanding Music Artist Nominated
2009 Rober Awards Music Poll Best Songwriter Won
"Crazy in Love" Best Cover Version Nominated
2010 Best Art Vinyl Swanlights Best Art Vinyl Nominated [33]
Sweden GAFFA Awards Antony and the Johnsons Best Foreign Solo Act Won [34]
2011 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Music Artist Nominated
2012 Lunas del Auditorio Best Foreign Rock Artist Nominated
UK Music Video Awards "Cut the World" Best Alternative Video – UK Nominated

Discography

Studio albums
Year Album details Chart peak positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
AUS
AUT
[35]
DEN
[36]
FRA
[37]
GER
NED
[38]
NOR
[39]
SUI SWE
[40]
US
2000 Antony and the Johnsons
  • Released: February 8, 2000
  • Label: Durtro
118[41] 59
2005 I Am a Bird Now 16 69 71 38 45 58 4 22
  • UK: Gold
  • NOR: Gold[42]
  • SWE: Gold
2009 The Crying Light
  • Released: January 19, 2009
  • Label: Secretly Canadian
18 33 21 3 4 15 4 4 7 2 65
2010 Swanlights
  • Released: October 11, 2010
  • Label: Secretly Canadian
28 70 30 20 16 29 10 4 32 9 122
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.
Live albums
Year Album details Chart peak positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
AUS
AUT
[35]
DEN
[36]
FRA
[37]
GER
NED
[38]
NOR
[39]
SUI SWE
[40]
US
2003 Live at St. Olave's
2012 Cut the World 41 24 31 20 27 2 11 27 28
2013 Del suo veloce volo[43][44]
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.
Soundtrack albums
Year Album details Chart peak positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
AUS
AUT
[35]
DEN
[36]
FRA
[37]
GER
NED
[38]
NOR
[39]
SUI SWE
[40]
US
2014 Turning
  • Soundtrack for Turning by Charles Atlas
  • Format: CD and DVD
146 70

Singles and EPs

Year Single / EP Chart peak positions Other charts Record
Label
Album
(main single /
main track on EP)
UK
UK
Budget

US FRA
[37]
1998 "Cripple and the Starfish" (single) Antony and the Johnsons
2001 I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy (EP)
* "I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy" /
* "Mysteries of Love" /
* "Soft Black Stars"
Durtro
2003 "Calling for Vanished Faces" /
"Virgin Mary"
(7" Promo split single, 500 copies)
Current 93
2004 The Lake (EP)
* "The Lake" /
* "Fistful of Love" /
* "The Horror Has Gone"
Secretly Canadian "Fistful of Love" from
I Am a Bird Now
2005 Hope There's Someone (EP)
* "Hope There's Someone" /
* "Frankenstein" /
* "Just One Star"
44 Secretly Canadian "Hope There's Someone" from
I Am a Bird Now
You Are My Sister (EP)
* "You Are My Sister" /
* "Poorest Ear" /
* "Forest of Love" /
* "Paddy's Gone"
39 190 Secretly Canadian /
Rough Trade
"You Are My Sister" from
I Am a Bird Now
2006 I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy (EP, reissued) Rebis Music
2008 Another World (EP)
* "Another World" /
* "Crackagen" /
* "Shake That Devil" /
* "Sing for Me" /
* "Hope Mountain"
6 179 36 AUS No. 31
FIN No. 14
SWE No. 33
ITA No. 10
Secretly Canadian "Another World" from
The Crying Light
2009 "Epilepsy Is Dancing" (single)
* "Epilepsy Is Dancing" /
* "Where Is My Power?"
79 Secretly Canadian "Epilepsy Is Dancing" from
The Crying Light
"Aeon" / "Crazy in Love" (Double A-side single)
* "Aeon" /
* "Crazy in Love" (Beyoncé cover)
NED No. 14 Secretly Canadian "Aeon" from
The Crying Light
2010 Thank You for Your Love (EP)
* "Thank You for Your Love" /
* "You Are the Treasure" /
* "My Lord My Love" /
* "Pressing On" (Bob Dylan cover)
* "Imagine" (John Lennon cover)
SWE No. 54 Secretly Canadian "Thank You for Your Love" from
Swanlights
Swanlights (EP)
* "Swanlights" /
* "Find The Rhythm of Your Love" /
* "Kissing No One" /
* "Swanlights" OPN Edit
Secretly Canadian /
Rough Trade
"Swanlights" from
Swanlights
2012 "Cut the World (live)"
(with Danish National Chamber Orchestra) (single)
188 NED No. 88 Secretly Canadian Cut the World
2013 "Fistful of Love" 58 I Am a Bird Now

References

  1. Monger, James Christopher. "Antony and the Johnsons". Allmusic. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  2. "Antony and the Johnsons". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  3. Pareles, Jon. "Anohni: Embracing a New Name, and Sound". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  4. "Volta". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  5. "Marsha P. Johnson (1944–1992) Activist, Drag Mother." A Gender Variance Who's Who. May 2, 2009. Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
  6. "Antony and Johnsons win Mercury". BBC News, September 7, 2005. Retrieved on October 25, 2008.
  7. "Isabel Coixet", Wikipedia, February 11, 2020, retrieved February 11, 2020
  8. "The Secret Life of Words", Wikipedia, November 20, 2019, retrieved February 11, 2020
  9. "Hope There's Someone", Wikipedia, January 3, 2020, retrieved February 11, 2020
  10. Archived November 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Barclay, Michael."Antony and the Johnsons Transformed", Exclaim!, February 2009.
  12. "Antony and the Johnsons news". Antonyandthejohnsons.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  13. "Exclaim!". Exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  14. "'Wretches and Jabberers' documentary on autism draws support (and music) from Scarlett Johansson, Anohni, Bob Weir, others [Updated]". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  15. "Progress Report". Stereogum. February 23, 2010.
  16. "Kazuo Ohno Obituary". The Guardian. June 7, 2010.
  17. "Antony and the Johnsons". Vogue Italy. October 27, 2010.
  18. "Antony Sees the Swanlight". Interview Magazine. November 2, 2010.
  19. "Antony and the Johnsons Takeover". The Guardian. October 11, 2010.
  20. "2010 Top 50 Albums". Stereogum. December 8, 2010.
  21. "Fluid Voice With a Fluid Persona Firmly Attached". New York Times. October 31, 2010.
  22. Pareles, Jon (January 27, 2012). "Cries from the heart, crashing like waves". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  23. Betty Clarke. "Antony and the Johnsons – review". the Guardian. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  24. "Antony and The Johnsons amplía su presencia en el Teatro Real con un concierto extraordinario". Teatro-real.com. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  25. "Antony and the Johnsons Announce Live Album | News". Pitchfork. May 18, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  26. "Antony and the Johnsons news". Antonyandthejohnsons.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  27. "Antony Hegarty, the Martu and the Mine". Guardian. June 19, 2015.
  28. "Wild Side (2004) - Soundtracks". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  29. "Trinidad (2008) – Soundtracks". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  30. "Meltdown | 2012: Antony's Meltdown". Southbank Centre. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  31. "Sons of Anarchy Series Finale FX Trailer". YouTube. December 3, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  32. "Tales of the City | Teaser [HD] | Netflix". YouTube. April 9, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  33. "GAFFA-Priset 2010". GAFFA (in Swedish). Sweden. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  34. "Discographie Antony and the Johnsons – austriancharts.at".
  35. "danishcharts.dk – Discography Antony and the Johnsons".
  36. "lescharts.com – Discographie Antony and the Johnsons".
  37. "dutchcharts.nl Antony and the Johnsons discography (Netherlands)".
  38. "norwegiancharts.com – Discography Antony and the Johnsons".
  39. "swedishcharts.com – Discography Antony and the Johnsons".
  40. Tobias Zywietz (April 12, 2009). "Chart Log UK". Zobbel. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  41. "IFPI Norsk platebransje". Ifpi.no. Archived from the original on April 22, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  42. "DEL SUO VELOCE VOLO". Amazon.it. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  43. "Franco Battiato – Official Website". Battiato.it. Retrieved December 19, 2014.


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