Anna Calvi – I See A Darkness
Anna Calvi returns with a cover of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s “I See A Darkness”, featuring Perfume Genius. It’s her first new music since scoring the final two seasons of Peaky Blinders, which aired in 2022 and saw wide release in early 2024.
Calvi reimagines the 1999 track as a duet about chosen family and non-romantic intimacy. Her guitar work creates a tense atmosphere, while Perfume Genius opens things up with his falsetto. “So many songs are about romantic love,” Calvi explains. “But I wanted to highlight the romance of the chosen family, the depth of connection that isn’t tethered to heteronormative ideals.”
The original song has been covered before, notably by Johnny Cash on “American III: Solitary Man” in 2000, and later transformed into a club track by Acid Pauli. Spanish artist Rosalía also tackled it on her 2017 debut. Calvi’s version focuses on the yearning for intimacy outside traditional structures.
Alexander Brown directed the video, showing two friends on a night out in London. It captures moments of connection and the quiet defiance it takes for two women to enjoy an evening without interference.
Calvi launched a Substack called “Carving Silver In Strange Weather” where she shares unreleased songs, playlists, and writings on music. Her first series, “The Guitar: Depravity and The Divine”, recently wrapped. She’s been shortlisted three times for the Mercury Music Prize across her three albums to date.
Following her appearance at the Southbank Centre’s David Lynch tribute, Calvi plays a sold-out show at London’s EartH Theatre on November 1st, performing rarities with special guests.
Europe
- November 1: EartH Theatre, London, UK (SOLD OUT)
