Antony and the Johnsons

Antony and the Johnsons
Lastinggold · CC0 · source
Name	Antony and the Johnsons
Caption	Live performance
Origin	New York City, United States
Genres	Chamber pop, baroque pop, art pop, experimental
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Durtro,Jnana,Secretly Canadian
Associated acts	Anohni,Secretly Canadian,The Johnsons

Antony and the Johnsons is an American-British chamber pop and art pop project centered on the singer-songwriter and visual artist Anohni, formerly known as Antony Hegarty. The group emerged from the New York City experimental and downtown scenes and gained international attention for its androgynous vocal timbre, orchestral arrangements, and engagement with themes of identity, trauma, and trans experience. The project's recordings and performances intersect with institutions and artists across contemporary music, visual art, and film.

History

Formed in the mid-1990s in New York City, the ensemble began within circles that included Downtown music practitioners, collaborators from the New York underground, and artists associated with Feminist art and Queer theory communities. Early releases appeared on small labels such as Durtro Records and were championed by figures in the indie music and chamber music press, leading to tours that connected the group to venues like The Kitchen and festivals including SXSW and Meltdown Festival. Breakthrough exposure came with the 2005 album which attracted attention from critics at publications like The New York Times, The Guardian, and Pitchfork. Subsequent collaborations and performances involved partnerships with institutions such as Carnegie Hall and events curated by figures from Tilda Swinton's artistic circles and alliances with artists from the Yoko Ono and Laurie Anderson lineages.

Musical style and influences

The project's sound fuses orchestral arrangements, piano-led balladry, and experimental textures influenced by a wide range of sources: the vocal traditions of Marian Anderson and Nina Simone, the orchestration of Henryk Górecki and Samuel Barber, the chamber sensibilities of Scott Walker and Nick Cave, and the art-pop trajectories of David Bowie and Kate Bush. Elements of minimalism associated with Philip Glass and the dramatic art-song approach of Dmitri Shostakovich inform the project's dynamics, while connections to contemporary performance art recall practitioners like Marina Abramović and Cindy Sherman. Thematically, lyrics engage with histories referenced by names such as Frida Kahlo, Sylvia Plath, and James Baldwin, situating songs within broader cultural and political narratives.

Discography

Major releases include critically noted albums that charted on independent and mainstream lists and were issued through labels such as Secretly Canadian and Jnana Records. Studio albums, EPs, and soundtrack contributions placed the project alongside soundtracks and collaborations with filmmakers and composers linked to Jim Jarmusch, Pedro Almodóvar, and David Lynch. Select notable records were nominated for awards presented by organizations like the Mercury Prize, the Grammy Awards, and national arts councils in the United Kingdom and United States. The catalogue also contains live albums and limited edition singles pressed on independents connected to the vinyl revival movement and collectors' labels tied to Rough Trade-adjacent distribution.

Live performances and tours

Live activity ranged from intimate club dates in Greenwich Village and residencies at St. Ann's Warehouse to orchestral concerts in major halls including Royal Festival Hall and Barbican Centre in London, and international festivals such as Coachella, Roskilde Festival, and Glastonbury. Collaborations on tour included conductors and arrangers associated with London Sinfonietta and ensembles such as The Orchestra of St Luke's. Appearances have been curated by institutions like MoMA and Tate Modern and partnered with visual artists from the Whitney Biennial and the Venice Biennale.

Critical reception and awards

Critical response combined mainstream media coverage from outlets including Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and The Guardian with acclaim from classical and experimental critics at BBC Music Magazine and The Wire. Recognition included awards and nominations from bodies such as the Mercury Prize, the Grammy Awards, and honors bestowed by cultural institutions in France and Denmark. Retrospectives and year-end lists placed albums on compilations curated by editors at Pitchfork, NME, and Time Out London, and work was cited in academic discussions within departments at Harvard University, Columbia University, and Goldsmiths, University of London for its contribution to contemporary music and gender studies.

Band members and collaborators

The project centered on the vocalist Anohni and featured a rotating cast of musicians drawn from scenes connected to New York University, Columbia University, and the Royal College of Music. Frequent collaborators have included arrangers and instrumentalists linked to Brian Eno, string players who have worked with Ennio Morricone-affiliated studios, and producers who have credits with Björk and PJ Harvey. Guest appearances on recordings and tours involved artists associated with Yoko Ono, Lou Reed, Antony and the Johnsons-adjacent creatives, choreographers from Martha Graham's lineage, and visual artists represented by galleries in Chelsea, Manhattan and Hoxton, London.

Category:American musical groups Category:British musical groups