Ane Brun and Linnea Olsson to Play the Highline Ballroom, 2/12

By: Feb. 10, 2014
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Ane Brun and Linnea Olsson will play the Highline Ballroom February 12.

Ane Brun's "Don't Leave" provides the soundtrack to Chevrolet and the American Cancer Society's 2014 Super Bowl ad, celebrating cancer survivors and dedicated to World Cancer Day. In conjunction with the ad, supporters can visit http://chevy.com/purpleroads to color their profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter purple in exchange for a one dollar donation to the American Cancer Society. Of the ad, Brun says, "I'm so proud! If you can, please help-every purple profile picture on social media means a donation to the fight to cure cancer!"

Brun will embark on her first North American tour since 2012 on February 11, celebrating the release of her latest collection, Rarities, out now on her own Balloon Ranger label. With support from Swedish cellist Linnea Olsson, a longtime collaborator, the tour includes stops in Los Angeles and New York; please see below for complete tour dates.

Brun's second collection of the year Rareties follows the release of Songs 2003-2013 in May. Both collections are celebrations of Brun's critically acclaimed and highly successful ten-year music career, and Rarities features lesser-known works spanning her time as a recording artist.

Brun was born in Norway and lives in Stockholm. She has recorded eight albums over the last ten years. In 2005, her second album A Temporary Dive earned her critical acclaim at home and abroad and the Norwegian Grammy for Best Female Artist. Her third album The Changing Of The Seasons was recorded in Iceland by Valgier Sigursson. Songs 2003-2013 was a confirmation of Brun's achievements as a songwriter, and Rarities furthers that proclamation, celebrating the less-known corners of Brun's catalog.

SPIN is premiering the video for "Dinosaur," a track off of Swedish cellist Linnea Olsson's debut U.S. album, Ah!m The video was directed by fellow Swede, Alana da Silva.

Olsson will kick off a U.S. tour in February to support the release of her new album, Ah! She will tour alongside longtime friend and collaborator Ane Brun with dates in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Ah! is an album assembled from Olsson's voice, her cello, and in one song a darbuka makes an appearance. The darbuka is a Middle Eastern goblet drum that Olsson discovered through her good friend (and producer of the album) Fredrik "Gicken" Johannson. Throughout the release the two elements of cello and voice are warped and bent by the delay modeler and loop station that Olsson cherishes as integral parts of her music. "I abuse delay," she says. "It is my favorite effect of all time."

Of writing the album Olsson says, "I sat down with the cello and it was a bit like a flood. I wrote all the songs for the album during a very intense and short period of time." After this fruitful and solitary writing and recording period, in between touring with fellow Scandinavian artists Ane Brun and Frida Hyvönen, Olsson asked Johannson to mix and help with the finishing touches.

Olsson grew up in Halmstad, Sweden with parents who were both musicians. She began cello lessons at age six and sang in choirs at a young age. "Music is a part of my life, like love or food or air, really," Olsson says. The pivotal moment came when Olsson was performing at a wedding at 14, when she used the "pop" singing voice she'd only ever practiced in front of the mirror. Soon after, Olsson was forming bands with her friends to play the music she wanted to play.

Ane Brun and Linnea Olsson's full list of tour dates is as follows:

February 11 /// Vienna, VA /// Jammin Java
February 12 /// New York, NY /// Highline Ballroom
February 13 /// Montreal, QC /// L'Astral
February 14 /// Toronto, ON /// Rivoli
February 15 /// Chicago, IL /// Schubas Tavern
February 17 /// Vancouver, BC /// Electric Owl
February 18 /// Seattle, WA /// Crocodile Lounge
February 19 /// San Francisco, CA /// Yoshis
February 21 /// San Deigo, CA /// Casbah
February 22 /// Los Angeles, CA /// The Mint*



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