Anna Tivel releases new music

We’re splitting the difference between singles and the album drop for La Conner born and raised musician, Anna Tivel. 

I first discovered Tivel while covering the 2023 Christian Lee Hutson/Fenne Lily tour stop in Seattle for The Daily of the University of Washington. From the moment she began to sing, I knew I was in for a treat. There’s a great fear of unknown openers in concert going, but Tivel surpassed all expectations with her haunting voice, narrative lyricism and command of the stage. 

To my surprise she then uttered a familiar name, “La Conner,” declaring it her hometown, though she now resides in Portland, Oregon. My friends and I turned to each other in delight at the smallness of the world. Since then, she’s become a household name to my circle of intimates and a staple for car rides, study sessions and craft nights. 

Her upcoming album “­Living Thing,” is a self-described “arcing dive into the existential” that brings joy to discussion of struggle and what it means to be alive, according to her website. 

“I wrote feverishly in the strange chaos of that year [2020], suddenly out of work and attempting to understand the shifting human fabric, the depth of desperation and the overwhelming tenacity of spirit,” says Tivel.

The album’s first two singles reflect that in spades. ­“Disposable Camera,” which came out on Feb. 27, immediately jumps into an up-tempo meditation that plays with the idea of learning how to adapt to change when the people around you refuse to. 

The phrase “and nobody tells it like it is” repeats throughout the song as Tivel spins her lyrics around the theme, building to the moment where she cries out “a blessing and a burden / I swear this will be worth it” and the song swells to meet it. 

“Disposable Camera” is made for dancing in your living room with loved ones. In comparison, “Bluebird” is made for laying on said living room floor and staring at the ceiling. 

It contends with the same idea of change, this time echoing a refrain of having to go along with the new world. 

“Bluebird, we flew right off the edge / for a new world, but we haven’t found it yet” echoes the chorus over and over as Tivel evokes a feeling of flying, or falling, along with the birds in the sky with her airy and floaty vocals. It evokes a feeling of nostalgic melancholy, reminding the listener of the days before the new world, unknown. 

Both songs hold incredible promise for what the album will be and I, for one, cannot wait to see what the rest of “Living Thing” brings. 

If you’re interested in what else Tivel has to offer, her music can be found wherever you listen. “Living Thing” will be released on May 31, 2024.