Artist of the Week- PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey is one of Indie Rock’s biggest names, and next week she is set to release her 8^th studio album, “Let England Shake.” To celebrate her album, we are going to celebrate the work of PJ Harvey, she is our Artist of the Week.

PJ Harvey is one of those artists who you have to “get” in order to be into her music. What makes PJ Harvey so unique is that she doesn’t settle for a formula. Every album she makes is a musical journey. Every album is independent of the other. She is not afraid to change her sound from album to album, making her one of the most versatile musicians in music.

Although PJ Harvey is considered to be an “A-List” Indie artist, P Harvey has never been a commercial success. She has a cult following and she has forged her way to the top of music lovers hearts for several years now. Harvey’s ride to the top did not come without its share of ups and down.

Harvey began her musical journey at the tender age of 17. While most people are graduating high school, Harvey began to write her own music and started touring in Europe. In 1991, she released her first single “Dress,” which caught the attention of Legendary DJ John Peel. Later that year, Harvey released her debut album, Dry. Critics began to take notice, and in 1992, Kurt Cobain stated that her album Dry was one of his favorite albums of all-time. Rolling Stone magazine also named Harvey the Best Songwriter and Best New Female Singer of 1991.

Her most critically acclaimed album was released in 1995, To Bring You My Love. The album was highly received by the critics. Several publications including: The New York/LA Times, Rolling Stone, USA Today, People Magazine named it the Album of the Year. Rolling Stone also named Harvey their Artist of the Year. When Spin magazine compiled their list of the Top 90’s Albums, To Bring You My Love was ranked third, behind Nirvana’s Nevermind and Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet.

A year later, she began a relationship with famed singer Nick Cave. The two were a music lover’s dream duo. After their break-up, it was rumored that most of Cave’s songs on his album The Boatman’s Call were written about her and their relationship.

Harvey made a name for herself in the mid-90’s and never really relived the commercial success of To Bring You My Love. Knowing Harvey, I would bet that she didn’t care about commercial success, only that she had full creative control over her art. I had the pleasure of meeting Harvey once backstage. True to form, she was very quiet, yet had an aura and presence about her.

Time will only tell how her latest album will stack up against her previous albums. One thing is certain, PJ Harvey will do things her way and won’t let prior success determine or detour doing what she loves!

Top 5 Songs

1. Dry

2. Down By The Water

3. Rid Of Me

4. To Bring You My Love

5. This Mess We’re In

Useful Links

Official Site

Facebook

Twitter

Video: 2009 SXSW Performance

KCRW Performance