The Anchoress

Welsh producer and multi-instrumentalist Catherine Anne Davies is The Anchoress, known for her debut album Confessions of a Romance Novelist.

The record was listed as one of The Guardian’s albums of the year, won HMV’s Welsh Album of the Year, was awarded Best Newcomer at the PROG awards and was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize.

It also caught the ear of various musicians including The Cure’s Robert Smith, who personally asked her to play at his Meltdown festival.

Her childhood heroes, the Manic Street Preachers, invited her to support them on tour.

She also duets with the band on new fan favourite Dylan & Caitlin, which appeared on one of the best-selling albums of 2018, Resistance Is Futile.

Over the past four years, Davies joined the line-up of legendary Scottish rock band Simple Minds on keyboards, guitar and additional vocals.

She departed last year to focus on her own music.

On Confessions of a Romance Novelist Davies plays piano, guitar, flute, omnichord, mellotron, wurlitzer, glockenspiel, and celeste.

She also samples church bells and an orchestra of typewriters.

The album’s genre-hopping, expansive production draws on influences including Prince, Roxy Music, The Carpenters and David Bowie.