Lucia Comnes releases a new album, ‘Have We Met Before?’
‘Have We Met Before?’ is now for sale on Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify
LISTEN: Track 1 – “Soul on a Journey”
This is a folk & country rock record that wanders around Tennessee and lower Mississippi. The legacies of T-Bone Burnett and Daniel Lanois resonate strongly in the sound and attitude of the musicians, certain borders are no longer distinct, and the result is a continuous shift between lightness of the ballads and tensions of dark arrangements that combine perfectly, by contrast, with Lucia’s luminous voice.”
– Carlo Puddu, Lucca, Italy
From sultry ballads to rockabilly to uptempo country and rock, led by solo or male-female duet vocals with lush choral harmonies weaving in and out, the band is sophisticated and the vibe is chill on bicontinental singer-songwriter, fiddler, and guitarist, Lucia Comnes’ sixth solo album “Have We Met Before?” – a collection of 9 original songs and 2 covers centered around identity, sensuality, truth-telling with lovers and friends, introspection, self-love, and exploring the feminine gaze – Comnes’ own take on ‘the female gaze’ theory. After vocals, guitars have the prime position with acoustic and electric on all songs, supported by tasteful upright and electric bass, drums, and percussion. A few tracks feature violin, viola, dobro, Hammond B3, Wurlitzer and synth, and one song is in Italian.
The album was recorded live over 4 days in December 2022 at Crinale Lab, near the town of Brisighella (Ravenna) in the northeastern region of Italy – a destination recording studio set in an old, renovated stone farmhouse on top of a hill, surrounded by vineyards, olive orchards, pastures and woods. Comnes’ friend, Jefferson Hamer (Anais Mitchell, Sarah Jarosz, Session Americana), came over from Brooklyn, NY, to produce and play on the record, while Luca Giovacchini, one of Tuscany’s most celebrated American-style guitarists (influenced by T. Bone Walker, Skip James, Muddy Waters and Bill Frisell), led the Italian band that included Roberto Villa on bass and Diego Sapignoli on drums. Erik Deutsch added keyboards and British mezzo soprano, Olympia Hetherington, came in for backing vocals. A short documentary behind the scenes in the studio can be viewed on YouTube.
Lucia Comnes and Karamo Susso release album, ‘Rebirth’
‘Rebirth’ is now for sale on Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify
LISTEN: Track 7 – “Rebirth”
Internationally renowned artists, Lucia Comnes and Karamo Susso, reunite after 10 years to collaborate on an instrumental album “REBIRTH” featuring acoustic violin and kora (release date: July 8, 2021). A collection of 7 original compositions, centered around the themes of friendship, loss, transcendence and new beginnings. Bringing together ancient West African griot traditions with European and American roots music, this album bridges worlds through polyrhythms, improvisation, melodic conversation and authentic heartfelt expression. An experimental project and true artistic collaboration, each track also features guest performances on guitar, upright bass, piano and percussion by producer Gawain Mathews (Mickey Hart Band). From the bluesy opening track ‘Goodbye’ to the gentle lullaby of ‘Baia’ to the thick grooves of ‘Politics’ and ‘Rebirth’, these songs are energizing, relaxing, enchanting and soothing all at once. Inspired by places and events in Comnes’ and Susso’s lives, devoted listeners will enjoy references to Mali, The Gambia, Liguria – Italy and the San Francisco Bay Area of California where these tracks were recorded in spring 2021, just as the world was emerging from a full year of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lucia’s solo album, ‘uncaged’
Lucia’s new album, ‘uncaged’ is now for sale on Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify.
LISTEN: Track 1 – “The Thief”
My fifth album ‘uncaged’ was released on September 17, 2020, by Delfina Records and is a collection of 8 original songs, centered around the themes of grief, fierce self-acceptance, transformation and empowerment.
“Savor some soul-baring music that will set you free… the latest mesmerizing album from singer/songwriter Lucia Comnes. Raised in the San Francisco area and based in Italy, she found herself unable to return to Northern California due to the European lockdown. After a devastating marital split, she had lost everything. New songs came to her, precious little gifts gift enabling her to navigate through the pain and changes. She decided to record them remotely with her East Bay-based co-producer Gawain Mathews (Mickey Hart Band). Comnes’ breathtaking vocals and violin are perfectly complemented by Mathews’ impeccably played guitars, bass, ukulele, percussion, keyboards and synths. There are eight songs and each is a ravishingly polished gem. A transcendent rekindling shimmers through the lush and lovely “Songbird.” The winsome “Nature Girl” speaks of eschewing the superficial and phony, preferring to focus on the true beauty in life. Other exquisite and moving numbers include a heartfelt “Jealousy,” a fiery “Queen of the Sun,” the ethereal “Protector,” which recalls Dido at her unadorned finest, and “The Cage” with its stirring fiddle line. Throughout, Comnes proves to be a touching vocalist and an eloquent songwriter. In “The Thief,” co-written with Mathews, she sings, “A fist of fire mighta set her free… She locked away her temper, sealed it up like a treasure, and lost the only key.” Comnes has found the key to healing — It’s her music. The album reflects the torrent of emotions Comnes had been feeling. She reveals them poetically, sharing an uncompromising honesty in her lyrics. Captivating melodies help to make each song memorable. The performances convey all the ache, the suffering, the grief, the loss, but also a sense of reassessment, coming to terms with the past, finding liberation, empowerment… and hope. These penetrating, powerful, persuasive pieces are deeply personal, yet hold a universal resonance. – Paul Freeman of Pop Culture Classics
Lucia’s new album, ‘Held in the Arms’
Lucia’s solo album, ‘Held in the Arms’ is now for sale on Bandcamp, iTunes and Spotify.
LISTEN: Track 2 – “On the Farm”
My new album ‘Held in the Arms’ was released on March 1, 2018, by Delfina Records and features 13 original songs of the theme of ‘things that nurture.’
“Held In The Arms is an Americana package of folk, blues and country, this time with songs centred around the theme of ‘things that nurture’ – friends, family, nature and women – as emblemised by the embracing arms design of the cover… a touch of Grappelli fiddle… Leonard Cohen colours… Appalachian roots… blended shades of Southern country soul and mountain folk…. In her bio it says her songs seek to reconnect people with nature and their own roots; let them give you a big hug.” – Mike Davies of folking.com
Lucia’s album, ‘Love, Hope & Tyranny’
Lucia’s album, ‘Love, Hope & Tyranny’ is now for sale on iTunes and Spotify.
LISTEN: Track 1 – “No Hiding Place”
My new album, ‘Love, Hope & Tyranny’, was released in the UK and Europe on Monday, June 1, and in the USA on Tuesday, June 9, 2015. The album features 13 of my new original songs, was produced by Jeffrey Wood (Luka Bloom, Penelope Houston) & Gawain Mathews and recorded/mixed at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. It was funded in part by many supporters via the platform PledgeMusic. A part of the albums proceeds will be donated to the STRAW Project to help kids plant thousands of trees every year.
“Lucia Comnes is a singer, songwriter, fiddler & guitarist with a ‘singular voice’ (SF Chronicle) and ‘a powerful imagination’ (C. Poling) whose atmospheric roots music crosses genres of Americana, folk, Celtic, bluegrass & alternative.”
Read the latest reviews of ‘Love, Hope & Tyranny’ here.
Through the Dark – my EP of original songs recorded at Fantasy Studios
Click the album cover to hear the songs on the album page!
Potpourri – the single
Potpourri is a unique collaboration between African and American artists and styles. The song tells the story about two lovers who are separated, but together in a dream… West African virtuoso kora (harp) meets Western violin in an Afro-Latin-Pop collaboration between African artist Karamo Susso and American artist Lucia Comnes. A mystical love song woven to life with unique, captivating and exquisite music.
Produced by Lucia Comnes (lyrics, vocals, violin) with Karamo Susso (kora), Sean Stillinger (bass) Ben Isaacs (percussion), and very special guest Tim Keiper (from Vieux Farka Toure’s band) on drums. Recorded by Gawain Mathews and John Flores. September 2009
Lucia’s Irish/Celtic album, ‘Across the Wide Ocean’
LISTEN: Track 11 – “Some Tyrant”
LISTEN: Track 4 – “Beare Island Set”
Sweet and melancholic acoustic Celtic Folk/Irish Trad with vocals, fiddle, guitar and bodhran. Simple arrangements, pure and pleasing spirit, songs in English and Irish Gaelic, mixed with instrumental jigs, reels and airs.
Produced by Lucia Comnes (voice, violin, viola, bodhrán) with Gawain Mathews (guitar, mandolin, percussion) and with special guest Cormac Gannon (bodhrán) and released in December 2009.
Lucia’s debut album, ‘On the way’
LISTEN: Track 3 – “Gigile”
LISTEN: Track 7 – “Calling Home the Calves”
LISTEN: Track 6 – “The Lemon Seller”
Truly a world fusion project, “On the way” features Lucia Comnes and her band performing a selection of songs in seven different languages from countries including Bulgaria, Albania, Turkey, Greece and Ireland. The one original song, “Water,” weaves a West African groove on the calabash with a thick bass line, melodic flute and violin conversations, and smooth three-part vocal harmonies.
‘On the way’ Feature review in the San Francisco Chronicle:
Solas and other musical groups have done the traditional Irish folk song “Calling Home the Calves” (Aililiu Na Gamhna), but Lucia Comnes has taken it to a higher level, using her singular voice and Read more…
Buy it HERE using the links below:
‘Violets and Roses – A collection of Songs from Eastern Europe’
A collection of Eastern European folk songs sung a cappella by Lily Storm and Lucia Comnes. Selection includes songs from Greece, Albania, Romania, Ukraine, Georgia and Bulgaria. Released in 2007.
Listen:
Track 3: Vete me the te dua (Albanian)
Available by special order only. Please email: music@luciacomnes.com to purchase. $10.00 plus shipping.
