Angel Olsen explains how Joanna Newsom spawned the current zeitgeist
Long before the rise of Boygenius, Julia Jacklin, and Mitski, Joanna Newsom was paving the way for poetic indie-folk. The classically trained singer-songwriter spent the 2000s penning harp-driven soundscapes accompanied by dense imagery and narratives, finding an increasing audience and widespread acclaim along the way.
Now, the alternative scene plays host to a talented new generation of women who use indie folk instrumentals to soundtrack their experiences and stories. At the centre of it lies Angel Olsen. The Missouri-born songwriter released her debut album, Half Way Home, in 2012, at the height of Newsom’s success and in her image.
Naming ‘Acrobat’ as one of her own greatest hits during an interview with The Line of Best Fit, Olsen acknowledged the influence of Newsom on her writing at the time and on the current cultural zeitgeist. “You could tell what was popular in the era of ‘Acrobat’,” she explained. “Like, even if I didn’t like Joanna Newsom’s music and I didn’t really listen to it, it still sunk into the way that I was affecting my voice or changing the way that I wrote.”
Though Olsen may not have been a huge fan of her actual musical output, she took comfort in the space Newsom had opened up for a new kind of sonic storytelling. “I felt safe because Joanna Newsom was popular,” she continued. “I felt like I could write a song that was telling a story in a poetic way without people being bummed about it.”
Olsen suggests that Newsom’s impact extended far beyond her, stating: “That style became part of the zeitgeist and part of the way that people were understanding music at the time, so I thought that if I could find my own way of doing it and express myself honestly, I could also use it as a way to reach people.”
That poetic storytelling and honest expression can certainly be found on ‘Acrobat’, as Olsen sings: “You are the crazy acrobat, you are the witch, I am your cat, I want to be a bit like you, I hope you don’t mind if I do” over intense, folk-infused instrumentation. A decade after its first release, ‘Acrobat’ became the song Olsen has played live more than any other.
“It’s grown and changed over the years,” she explains. “We’ve flipped it and stretched it out, and it’s become more and more like that Caetano Veloso version of ‘Cucurrucucú Paloma’. It kind of has that feel to it now, whereas in the beginning it was really rigid and folky. Like, I’m telling a story and playing guitar super staccato, almost like a harpsichord.”
Though ‘Acrobat’ may have evolved from its folky roots, Newsom’s enduring influence on the current wave of indie folk cannot be understated.
