The album will be out September 8.
Anjimile shares his new single, “Father,” the latest from his upcoming album, The King, out September 8th via 4AD. Earlier this year, he shared “The King,” accompanied by a lyric video visualizer inspired by the work of Daniela Yohannes, the artist behind the cover art.
"Father,” with its gentle thrumming, recalls Giver Taker’s soft, stirring folk. Anjimile needs little more than his voice and a guitar, played by Brad Allen Williams, to draw forth deep, stirring emotions, the kind of feelings dedicated to a loving, supportive parent.
“I wrote this song with my parents in mind as a sort of gesture of appreciation and love for everything they did to try and support me before, during, and after I went to rehab and got sober in early 2016,” shares Anjimile. “Thanks, mom and dad.”
“If Giver Taker was an album of prayers, The King is an album of curses.” In his sophomore album, Anjimile continues exploring what it means to be a Black trans person in America. The brutally honest reflection of 2020’s deadly summer is less reminiscent of the pink cloud of early sobriety and more rooted in the reality of seeing brutality with clear eyes. Drawing from influences ranging from religion, Phillip Glass, and lived experiences, the album is a grand step forward for Anjimile.
Nearly every sound you hear on The King comes from two instruments: an acoustic guitar and Anjimile’s own voice. Other than a few beautiful contributions from Justine Bowe, Brad Allen Williams, Sam Gendel, and James Krivchenia (Big Thief), the album is the result of a year in LA working intimately with Grammy and Juno winner Shawn Everett.
9/9 - Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival
9/28 - Montreal, QC @ POP Montreal
11/10 - Paris, FR @ Pitchfork Paris
11/11 - London, UK @ Pitchfork London
Anjimile has been hustling for over a decade in the indie music scene, first hitting the stage in Boston while he attended Northeastern University as a music industry student.
Anjimile recorded several EPs and albums on their own, and their star rose when their 2018 NPR Tiny Desk Concert contest entry was deemed the best out of Boston. In 2019 he recorded Giver Taker, a collection of songs written while getting sober in Florida.
Giver Taker was critically adored – Rolling Stone Magazine deemed it one of the best 50 albums of 2020. Since Giver Taker's release, Anjimile tested new material on the road while opening for artists like Jose Gonzalez, Tune-Yards, and Hurray for the Riff Raff.
A collection of covers, Reunion (2021), featured renditions by Jay Som, Sasami, and Lomelda. His newest, The King, is the result of decades of hustling, centuries of survival, and one artist’s honesty and bravery.
Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez
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