Vermont-based, Tony- and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell will be releasing her first new solo album in over a decade. Mitchell has shared the first single off the self-titled album, “Bright Star.” Anaïs Mitchell will be released Jan. 28, 2022, via BMG.
Having written for Hadestown, Bonny Light Horseman and Big Red Machine, Mitchell clearly has a remarkable knack for songwriting. With her wispy voice, the lyrics of “Bright Star” float above the track with undeniable resonance.
In a statement, Mitchell recalls her inspiration for the album:
During the first pandemic summer I was staying on the family farm where I grew up, in a little house that belonged to my grandparents when they were alive. I could see the stars for the first time in a long time. I wasn’t traveling anywhere, or even doing much of anything, for the first time in a long time. “Bright Star” is about looking back on years of restless pursuit and making peace with the source of that longing: the Muse, the Great Unknown, the One That Got Away—those things that motivate us that we never can touch.
The self-titled album is produced by Josh Kaufman, and includes other musical contributions from Michael Lewis, JT Bates, Thomas Bartlett and Aaron Dessner, along with string and flute arrangements by Nico Muhly.
Mitchell’s U.S. tour kicks off in January, with Europe and U.K. dates beginning in August 2022. She will be joined by players from the record and her own Bonny Light Horseman bandmates, who will have an independent set, as well.
Watch the video for “Bright Star” below, and find Mitchell’s 2013 Daytrotter session and upcoming tour dates further down, along with her forthcoming album’s tracklist and cover art. You can preorder the album here.
Anaïs Mitchell Album Art:
Anaïs Mitchell Tracklist:
01. Brooklyn Bridge
02. Bright Star
03. Revenant
04. On Your Way (Felix Song)
05. Real World
06. Backroads
07. Little Big Girl
08. Now You Know
09. The Words
10. Watershed
Anaïs Mitchell 2022 Tour Dates:
January
26 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Ace Hotel
28 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
29 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Lobero Theatre
30 – Stanford, CA @ Bing Concert Hall
February
01 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
02 – Beaver Creek, CO @ Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC)
04 – Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theatre
05 – Eau Claire, WI @ Pablo Center at the Confluence
08 – Cincinnati, OH @ Longworth-Anderson Series at Memorial Hall
10 – Springfield, OH @ Kuss Auditorium
11 – North Bethesda, MD @ The Music Center at Strathmore
12 – Princeton, NJ @ McCarter Theatre Center
14 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
15 – Hanover, NH @ Hopkins Center for the Arts
16 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
17 – Portland, ME @ Merrill Auditorium
18 – Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Center
19 – Burlington, VT @ Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
20 – Kingston, NY @ Old Dutch Church
23 – Roanoke, VA @ Jefferson Center
24 – Charlotte, NC @ Knight Theater
26 – Athens, GA @ Hugh Hodgson School of Music
27 – Auburn, AL @ Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University
28 – Greenville, SC @ The Peace Center
April
28 – Evanston, IL @ Space
May
01 – Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club
04 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
05 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
August
29 – Cork, IE @ St Luke’s
30 – Dublin, IE @ Pepper Canister Church
31 – Liverpool, UK @ Philharmonic Music Hall
September
01- Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
November
03 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
04 – Hamburg, DE @ Mojo
08 – Paris, FR @ Les Etoiles
09 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
11 – Manchester, UK @ YES
12 – Glasgow, UK @ St. Luke’s
13 – Newcastle, UK @ Newcastle University Student Union
14 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece
15 – London, UK @ KOKO
