Heather Nova emerged in the early 90s. Her first record was hailed as “A stoned black olive among drab greens” by NME and her second album “Oyster” went on to top the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and took her on her first world tour. Her next album, “Siren”, established her firmly in the world of alternative rock, with singles charting worldwide, and invitations to play major festivals in Europe , the UK and America, as well as song placement in major tv shows and film soundtracks. 

She soon gathered a wide fan base due in part to her compelling live shows. In the early days she spent 8 months a year on the road and her sound was unique – One of the first rock bands to combine a cello with distorted guitars, and top it all with her ethereal sirens-call voice. There was an intensity and a uniqueness to her live shows that created a buzz and a solid following. She released 3 live ablums – “Blow” , “Live from the Milky Way” and “Wonderlust”.

Her self-penned songs have always been raw and emotional, frequently injected with cool pop melodies; A combination which often had her falling through the cracks between genres. This both helped and hindered her . The London Evening Standard recently called her “one of pop’s most enduring enigmas” for good reason.  She has always made her own way and has had little regard for the current trends.



“The Way it Feels” is her 9th Studio album and is perhaps her best to date. It is embued with an atmosphere that feels  both natural and yet somehow otherworldly. There are echos of Americana, a bit of dark folk – a banjo and some pedal steel here and there - but it still feels very much like a Heather album with her distinctive vocals and great songwriting at its core. She recorded it in Charleston, South Carolina in the heat of the summer in an old house that she says “she walked past several times on the first day looking for the studio because she thought it was an abandoned house”. The sounds that producers, Josh Kaler and Jay Clifford, created around her songs make for a gorgeous laid-back atmosphere injected with hooky guitars and infectious rhythms. It’s a breath of fresh air. Again it’s hard to pigeon-hole, but again this works in her favour, as the album feels fresh and intimate, hooky and atmospheric all at once. It marries the hazy moodiness of her acclaimed album “Storm” with what feels like her very best songwriting to date. Whereas other albums have felt a bit “produced” this one feels like it was born this way. The production is unassuming but never dull. It carries you through the album from one engaging song to the next. There are simply no “filler” tracks on this album at all – each one is a gem.


 
What Heather says about “The Way it Feels”:

“New album. New songs. Where did they come from? Good question. I guess the answer is that they  came from the same place all my songs have always come from; A place that is a bit of a mystery to me, to be honest. Part experience, part dream, part longing, part looking back;  they come from the place that desires to describe  THE WAY IT FEELS; A longing to find The language we aren’t given as a child,  to define the stuff we aren’t equipped to speak about but that goes on deep within.  I like simplicity.  I like creating something beautiful out of something sad, something memorable out of a fleeting moment.  I like to distill an event like boiling down the herbs to make a tincture -  Like extracting perfume from a rose. I like to create a world you can step into and feel something you’ve forgotten you felt, or remind you of a part of yourself that you once knew. I don’t think my record will change the world, but it might give you an interesting  place to spend an hour. It’s a window into my soul and maybe might unlock a few doors into your own.

One more thing - Please listen to this as an album. Call me old fashioned, but I like to think I’m taking  you on a journey. It’s planned carefully. People don’t put on albums like they used to. Their concentration spans are shorter and they’re hungry for  instant gratification.  But the art of the album is still alive. Sit back. Close your eyes; Unless of course you’re driving your car, which I actually highly recommend as a good place  to listen to music!”
 

Arnulf Lindner

In early 2009 Arnulf Lindner received a call from Heather's drummer and mutual friend, Geoff Dugmore. Geoff told him that Heather was looking for a cellist and multi-instrumentalist for an acoustic duo tour in the autumn and that he suggested Arnulf.  This was the beginning of a collaboration and friendship that is lasting to the present day. There's a wonderful to witness chemistry and musical connection between the two performers. Arnulf is able to support and understand Heather's songs and add a variety of musical texture on changing instruments that do justice to Heather's eclectic and artful song gems. His experience stems from a long list of musical partnerships in the UK, US and Europe, as multi-instrumentalist, film composer and arranger.

Arnulf is touring with Heather on her current album campaign 2015/16 which takes them both to the USA in April. 

For more information on Arnulf Lindner please visit www.arnulflindner.com

 

Che Albrighton

Che Albrighton joined them for all the European dates in 2015/16 as a percussionist and drummer. His musical and emotive drumming style is a perfect addition to the acoustic shows, turning this intimate setup once again into a band sound with an unusual range of dynamics. Che has made a name for himself as a congenial musical partner, drumming and producing for various artists and his own band 'Clock Opera', in the UK music scene and beyond.