Clarissa Connelly

Delving into medieval classical music, experimental folk, vintage synthesizers, and much more, Clarissa Connelly's songs play with timbre, harmony, range, and expectation. Counting a diverse scope of artists, including Hildegard von Bingen, Arvo Pärt, and Joni Mitchell, among her inspirations, Connelly debuted with the entirely self-recorded Come in Roses in 2015 before gaining broader international attention for 2018's Tech Duinn, named for a spiritual gateway in Celtic myth. Similarly written, produced, and co-mixed by Connelly but welcoming several guest instrumentalists for the first time, her third album, 2020's The Voyager, was inspired by visiting sites like ancient burial mounds and Viking forts in rural Denmark. She toured with Jenny Hval and performed with Laurie Anderson before making her Warp Records debut with 2024's World of Work. Its inspirations ranged from the 12th century harmonies of von Bingen to the surrealism and mysticism of 20th century French philosopher Georges Bataille and the poetry of William Blake. Born and partly raised in Scotland before relocating with her family to Denmark as a child, Clarissa Connelly studied composition at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. She made her full-length recording debut with Come in Roses in October 2015. Entirely composed, performed, and recorded by Connelly, it introduced her at once ancient- and cosmic-sounding art songs and received a limited physical release by Danish cassette label Brystet. She came to broader attention for another Brystet release, April 2018's Tech Duinn, whose only outside contributor was co-mixer Mikkel Bolding. Named for a purported gateway where souls of the dead gather in Celtic myth, it continued along the mystical path established on her debut, reaching across centuries for musical influences. Multi-tracked vocals, manipulated guitars, piano, and 1980s Korg M1 presets were among the many components of her third album, The Voyager, which also found her joined by members of shoegaze group Collider and the string quartet Halvcirkel. It was inspired by a trip in which she walked from Jutland to Germany on along route connecting ancient sites, during the summer of 2018. Connelly self-released The Voyager in November of 2020. By the end of 2022, she had won the Hyundai Nordic Music Prize, toured the U.K. and E.U. with Jenny Hval, sung in Laurie Anderson's choir, and premiered a choral piece (Canons) at Denmark's Roskilde Festival. Connelly signed with Warp Records for the release of her fourth studio album. Expanding upon the varied palette and mystical and spiritual inspirations of her prior work, 12th century composer Hildegard von Bingen, 16th century religious reformer Teresa of Avila, 18th and 19th century poet William Blake, and 20th century philosopher Georges Bataille were among the inspirations for April 2024's World of Work.
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