Laurie Anderson has a new album on the way, titled Amelia.
Spanning 22 tracks, the record tells the story of the tragic last flight by aviator Amelia Earhart, and its lyrics, written by Anderson, present a subjective narrative of the event. The piece was first premiered at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2000, and an updated version was recently performed across Europe.
In a statement about the album, Anderson said: “The words used in Amelia are inspired by her pilot diaries, the telegrams she wrote to her husband, and my idea of what a woman flying around the world might think about.”
Anderson is joined on the album by the Czech orchestra Filharmonie Brno, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, as well as an ensemble of musicians that includes ANOHNI, Gabriel Cabezas, Rob Moose, Ryan Kelly, Martha Mooke, Marc Ribot, Tony Scherr, Nadia Sirota and Kenny Wolleson.
To mark the album’s announcement, one track, ‘Road To Mandalay’, has been shared online, and can be listened to below.
Nonesuch will release Amelia on August 30, 2024.