Antoní is an indie folk artist who has just caught my attention thanks to the release of her debut album, Holding Tight Lightly.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Zeynep Ozkanca

A songwriter first and foremost, Antoní wrote the songs on Holding Tight Lightly with no plan for them other than to simply write them. It was when they caught the attention of Initiative Musik in Germany that things took off, and the journey for Holding Tight Lightly to be released as a debut album began.

We’re all richer for these songs having found the light of day and Holding Tight Lightly is a stunning and ambitious debut that shows us what Antoní is all about as an artist. Across fourteen tracks we get some richly poetic acoustic and electronic arrangements all focussed around her captivating vocals.

The album opens with the cosmic introspection of Meteor Swarm and from there we get an array of stories that explore the themes of connection, restlessness and sensuality. Musically, things vary from modern pop to folk traditions, blending them expertly and creating something that feels out of time itself. Ascending Rivers is an early case in point, built from funky, intoxicating rhythms and layers of electronica.

Other highlights include the soul-searching Where Do I Begin, the urgent and cinematic New Arpeggio, the slow-burning Fossil, hypnotic title track Holding Tight Lightly, and immersive album closer Judith.

I listen to a lot of music writing for this blog, and on rare occasions I am blown away by what I hear. This is one of those occasions. Antoní’s debut album is a cut above. It’s beautifully written and expertly brought to life.

Holding Tight Lightly was produced by Can Güngör and was composed and arranged with the help of Einar Stray. It was recorded at The Şen Bakkal Studios in Istanbul, Türkiye and features contributions from Ertugrul Güney, Can Güngör, and Zuzanna Sosnowska. It’s out now in all the usual places and you can check it out below.