Antony and the Johnsons (formed 1998) Antony and the Johnsons is an American music collective, supporting and showcasing the work of singer, musician and songwriter Antony Hegarty.
Formation: Hergarty's career began when a demo tape of his was heard by Current 93's David Tibet, who offered to release the work under his own music label, Durtro. In 2000, Hegarty released his debut album, entitled 'Anthony and the Johnsons'.
Career: In 2001, Anthony (now with the accompaniment of Anthony and the Johnsons) released an EP entitled 'I Fell In Love With A Dead Boy'. A live album was then released by Durtro in 2003 entitled 'Live at St. Olave's'. When 'I Fell In Love With A Dead Boy' was given to the Velvet Underground's Lou Reed, Reed invited Anthony to take part in his recording sessions for 'The Raven'. The project was started with the intent of recording the stories of Edgar Allen Poe to music. After the release of 'The Raven', Hergarty signed on to Secretly Canadian and released 'The Lake' EP, as well as a rerelease of the debut album.
The second studio album from Anthony and the Johnsons was released in 2005, and entitled 'I Am a Bird Now', which went on to receive generally positive reviews. In addition, the album's release lead to them being award the Mercury Music Prize for 2005. The following year, Anthony and the Johnsons teamed by with film-maker Charles Atlas on a film named 'Turning'. This in itself was followed in 2008 by the release of the 'Another World' EP.
In 2009, Anthony and the Johnsons released their third studio album, 'The Crying Light'. It was supported by a performance at the Manchester International Festival. In January 2012, the fourth album from Anthony and the Johnsons was supported by a sold out performance at the New York Museum of Modern Art. The following year, the group created an exclusive song for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Far' entitled 'Angel on Fire'.
Biography by Contactmusic.com
