Anna Calvi has announced her return with a cover of Bonnie Prince Billy’s ‘I See A Darkness,’ a haunting duet she performs with Perfume Genius.
Speaking about the cover, Calvi explained: ‘So many songs are about romantic love. But I wanted to highlight the romance of the chosen family, the depth of connection that isn’t tethered to heteronormative ideals. It’s such a powerful song about the yearning for intimacy. I love inhabiting other people’s songs. When I sing someone else’s words, I feel like I’m getting closer to myself somehow, because the songs I choose express something I can’t articulate.‘ The track was also covered by the late Johnny Cash in 2000 on his album American III: Solitary Man.
The video for the track, which may be seen below, was directed by Alexander Brown. It shows the intimacy of friendship during a night out, as a moment between two friends is remembered over and over; it also shows the subtle defiance it takes for two women to have a free and happy evening without letting any stranger disturb the beauty of their bond.
This is Calvi’s first new music since she brought her trademark atmospherics and visceral guitar to the score for seasons 5 and 6 of BBC’s Peaky Blinders, whose final episode aired in 2022. Calvi’s scores were widely released in early 2024. She will play an intimate headline show at London’s EartH Theatre where she will perform rarities from her back catalogue on November 1, where she will be joined by special guests, which has already sold-out.
