Anna Tivel is quite simply one of the finest singer-songwriters currently active on the Americana scene, or the folk scene, or any other god damn scene you might like to mention. Anna Tivel is it – great songs, great voice , great arrangements and, perhaps most importantly, great songs. Really, really great songs. Those who were lucky enough to have seen Anna Tivel on tour in the UK this year will have heard her singing some of her new songs, that she confirmed would be on her new album. Well, the new album is coming soon and it’s called ‘The Question‘. And there’s a teaser track as well – a new song called ‘Fenceline‘ which is, typically, a complex song looking at a barrier from different perspectives.
Describing ‘Fenceline‘, Anna Tivel has said “This is a song about the divisions we create to keep each other out, from fences and walls, to the gates of heaven. I guess I got to thinking a lot about what makes us different and what makes us the same, what breeds hatred and fear and what breeds understanding. I heard an interview awhile back with a border guard. He was in charge of a two mile stretch of old fence and every morning he would walk along the fence line and find wire cutters and holes. He talked about the people he met, the people he helped through and those he had to send back, what their lives were like, what they were hoping for, what they were scared of. It was right after the election and it felt so good to hear someone talk about how deeply complex borders issues are, how security is important but so is humanity. I kept thinking about St. Peter and his gate, how some people believe that you arrive at the entrance to heaven and have to prove that you belong there, that even in death we’re drawn to the idea of some kind of great wall.”
So, if you like thoughtful songwriting that’s so beautifully crafted that it transcends to the poetic then you’ll want to listen to ‘Fenceline‘ right now. And you can. Then start saving those pennies – because ‘The Question‘ is going to need buying.
