Raised in St. Louis, Missouri and later relocating to Chicago, Illinois, indie folk singer/songwriter Angel Olsen began performing in St. Louis coffee shops in her teenage years, eventually branching out and tapping into a network of like-minded artists. Olsen worked with California musician Emmett Kelly as part of his collective the Cairo Gang, singing harmonies on Bonnie "Prince" Billy's 2010 album The Wonder Show of the World, as well as its 2011 follow-up, Wolfroy Goes to Town. In 2010 Olsen released Strange Cacti, a cassette of original Americana songs that was later reissued as a 12". Half Way Home, a gorgeously spare album with understated arrangements and a homespun approach somewhere between '50s country crooners and her indie contemporaries, was issued in 2012. In early 2013 Olsen added drummer Josh Jaeger and bassist Stewart Bronaugh to flesh out her stripped-back sound, which added a broodier, garage rock appeal to her intimate music. Soon after forming the trio, Olsen returned to the studio with producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Joanna Newsom) to track sessions for her sophomore album, Burn Your Fire for No Witness, which was due in 2014.
Fred Thomas
AllMusic.com
