VIA PRESS RELEASE | “The divinity of art. The one that upsets us, stirs us, inspires us and makes tears flow. This voice coming from elsewhere, stripped of all artifice to exist only thanks to itself, to its fragility as much as to the unshakeable awareness of its power.”
—Raphaël Duprez, Indiemusic.fr
Singer and composer Anastasia Minster is thrilled to announce the launch of her Kickstarter campaign to fund her third studio album, Song of Songs featuring a 30-piece orchestra. The campaign is now live and will run until June 22, inviting fans and music enthusiasts to contribute and support this remarkable musical endeavor.
Anastasia Minster is known for her captivating melancholy piano-driven music in the style of noir chamber pop. With the release of her previous albums, Hour Of The Wolf in 2017 and Father in 2020—featuring a notable collaboration with the esteemed English musician, composer, and record producer, Steve Jansen—Minster has firmly established herself as a talented and introspective artist. Through her poetic compositions, she fearlessly delves into the depths of human emotion, crafting musical landscapes that resonate with listeners on a profound level.
Song of Songs is set to be a conceptual album, drawing inspiration from the ancient Hebrew poem of the same name, which explores the multifaceted nature of love. Minster’s lyrics will traverse the spectrum of love, encompassing its dark complexities and its awe-inspiring glory. Her deep interest in psychology and personal development, coupled with years of dedicated research, will imbue this album with a profound exploration of romantic and non-romantic love.
Composed of eight tracks, each approximately five minutes long, Song of Songs will feature a 30-piece orchestra, including woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings. Four of the songs will showcase orchestral arrangements written by the gifted Colombian-Canadian composer and orchestrator, Felipe Tellez. The album will artfully merge jazz piano and vocals with classical influences, resulting in a harmonious blend of musical genres. The remaining four tracks will offer an intimate soundscape with minimal instrumentation, featuring the grand piano, voice, upright bass, gentle percussion, and captivating solos from the cello and trumpet.
“One of her main strengths as a writer and performer is in just that quality, the ability to sing of vast and wild emotions and events with greatly moving precision.”
—Ian Mathers, Dusted Magazine
Anastasia Minster has also enlisted the extraordinary cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne, known for his exquisite multi-layered cello arrangements on Father, and acclaimed violinist and Assistant Concertmaster of the National Ballet of Canada, Lynn Kuo, alongside other accomplished jazz and classical musicians. The recording and mixing process will be entrusted to the talented sound producer and engineer, Jeff McMurrich, who has previously collaborated with Minster on her albums Hour Of The Wolf and Father, ensuring impeccable sound quality for this new record.
To bring Song of Songs to life, Anastasia Minster aims to raise a total of $20,000 through her Kickstarter campaign. The funds will cover essential expenses such as musicians’ fees for the 30-piece orchestra, soloists, and orchestrator, as well as professional fees for technical aspects such as recording engineering and studio rental for post-production processes.
To express gratitude to her backers, Minster has curated an array of special gifts and packages. These include early album downloads, limited edition vinyl records and test pressings, CDs, personalized videos, special edition postcards, posters, and much more.
Musical Influences: David Sylvian, Steve Jansen, Scott Walker, Agnes Obel, Melanie De Biasio, Thomas Feiner
“She brings all these influences together on top of an intricate pop infrastructure, giving each track its own existential perspective while retaining a gorgeous melodic cohesion.”
—Joshua Pickard, Nooga
PHOTO: FIGURE 85
