Anna Erhard – in session for John Kennedy X-Posure – Radio X – May 13, 2023 – Radio X, London –
Anna Erhard tonight – Berlin based Swiss singer-songwriter with a penchant for the quirky/unexplained/ethereal – downright jaw-dropping. Her latest album is Campsite, which was released in September of 2022. She did this session for John Kennedy’s X-Posure program on Radio X back in May of 2023 and it ran just a few days ago.
The Swiss musician, formerly of the folk-band Serafyn and now based in Berlin, worked alongside Wir Sind Helden drummer Pola Roy to manifest the loose, musical notebook of idiosyncratic tales that make up the new record. Through her music, Anna Erhard opens herself up like a diary, in which the listener can learn more on her run ins with love, her insecurities, dreams, and of course, her passion for camping; all the while sound like an introspective Wet Leg, or an offbeat, alpine Fiona Apple.
Lots of comparisons, but she’s her own person with her own stamp on things. Sometimes an artist gets stuck with a “sounds like” or “in the manner of” and it’s tough to lose that comparison because it makes you sound like an also-ran. Anna Erhard isn’t like that, and the gift of gazing inward for inspiration and sources puts her in a class by herself, which is why I found myself nodding in agreement with her observations and smiling broadly at what are honest points of view.
She’s heading out on tour, starting in September with gigs in Berlin, London, Bristol (The Louisiana!), Glasgow, several other cities and finally over to Winterthur in Switzerland in November. I imagine in between all that there will be sessions and possibly streaming live gigs for those of us stuck here in the States can dive into and enjoy from afar.
Maybe the U.S. will be next year? In the meantime, Ann Erhard has a few words and notes for you:
