Earlier this year, the “curiously enigmatic” Dana Gavanski released ‘When It Comes‘ her 2020 debut album follow-up. In his review of that album, Thomas Blake described her brand of pop music as “quietly experimental yet brimful with melodic sweetness…Her vocal delivery is folky, smoky, sometimes jazz-tinged, while the songs swim on winningly wonky waves of synth.” In comparison to her 2020 debut, he states “the album seems even more precious and inscrutable, a moth preserved in amber, something visible from all sides and yet still full of secrets.”
In the same year of her debut, she released an EP called ‘Wind Songs’ that included covers of King Crimson, Robert Wyatt, Tim Hardin and Judee Sill. The London-based Canadian-Serbian has now recorded another EP of covers entitled Bouncing Ball, taking on songs by Roberto Cacciapaglia, Tony, Caro and John and The Kinks. The first to be released is her version of David Bowie’s ‘Word on a Wing’.
Dana Gavanski on David Bowie’s Word on a Wing:
“I came upon this song not long ago.
“I’d been on a Bowie binge over the last year, slowly moving over his discography. What I love about this song is the tenderness and religiousness that he expresses towards creativity.
“He was in the middle of filming The Man Who Fell To Earth and feeling the tension and intensity of film acting, losing a sense of himself and going a bit mad, entering one of his ‘born again’ phases (“Sweet name you’re born once again for me”).
“Sometimes it’s the experience of coming apart and searching for a shape to hold it all together. I love his blunt passion, like a sermon spoken inward.”
Bouncing Ball is out digitally on 4 November.
Pre-Order: https://fulltimehobby.ffm.to/bouncingball
Tour dates, featuring support from Cornelia Murr and Naima Bock on various shows, start 9th September with an expanded 5-piece line-up. Dana is currently perfecting her live performance by practising a voice ever more elaborate, and honing her subtle hand gestures to match, which also takes influence from Bowie and his live performances. “I discovered he practised mime with Lindsay Kemp early on in his career,” she says of seeking inspiration. “I’ve done some mime classes since and it’s become good practice to go deeper into the body and be less controlled by the humility of the mind.”
Dana Gavanski Tour Dates
September 2022
Fri 9: BRISTOL (UK), Rough Trade *
Sat 10: FROME (UK), The Tree House *
Sun 11: BRIGHTON (UK), The Prince Albert *
Mon 12: LONDON (UK), Moth Club *
Wed 14: BIRMINGHAM (UK), Hare & Hounds *
Thu 15: MANCHESTER (UK), Yes *
Fri 16: EDINBURGH (UK), The Voodoo Rooms *
Sun 18: OXFORD (UK), Florence Park Community Centre *Wed 21: HAMBURG (DE), Reeperbahn FestivalTue 27: NIJMEGAN (NL), Merleyn ^
Wed 28: AMSTERDAM (NL), Paradiso ^
Thu 29: BRUGES (BE), Cactus Club ^
Fri 30: PARIS (FR), L’international ^(*) support from Cornelia Murr
(^) support from Naima Bock
Tickets are available from danagavanski.co.uk.