David olney & anana kaye

DAVID OLNEY & ANANA KAYE

BUSK THE SPECTRAL STREETS OF MEMORY

ON NEW ALBUM WHISPERS AND SIGHS, 

WHERE AMERICANA MEETS EASTERN EUROPE

MARCH 19TH 2021 marks the release of the final studio album by the late David Olney, beloved folk songwriter’s songwriter, in collaboration with Anana Kaye, 

a young Eastern European powerhouse taking Americana by storm

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - If the futile longing to reach back through memory and grasp what is in the past could be set to music, it would sound like Whispers and Sighs. Over the course of 13 tracks, David Olney and Anana Kaye manage to craft a journey that amounts to far more than just another Americana album. This is to be expected with Olney, an acclaimed songwriter responsible for more than 20 solo albums and songs covered by and/or co-written with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, and Linda Ronstadt, among many others. Further, just as Townes Van Zandt reportedly saw something special in him, Olney felt a similar admiration and kinship towards Kaye, a smoky-voiced Americana darling whose star is assuredly on the rise in Nashville, and her husband and musical partner Irakli Gabriel, both of whom are originally from the country of Georgia. 

On Whispers and Sighs, the pair create a unique, sonic landscape that blends the haunting sensuality of European music with the raw intimacy of Americana, weaving raucous, unapologetic rock anthems like “Lie to Me, Angel” and “Last Days of Rome” with sparse, introspective ballads such as “Tennessee Moon” and the record’s title track. All of the songs were written by the trio of Olney, Kaye, and Irakli. In addition, longtime Olney collaborator and hit songwriter John Hadley earns co-writing credits on a few. 

Brett Ryan Stewart (Wirebird Productions) produced and mixed the record at his studio in Nashville. Stewart is another rising star in his field, having garnered Grammy consideration for projects he’s helmed, along with notable TV and film placements. Richard Dodd, recipient of the Best Engineer Grammy Award for Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, mastered the project. Whispers and Sighs features an impressive array of Nashville musicians and vocalists — perhaps most notably Olney’s long-time musical collaborator and bassist Daniel Seymour, and bassist Chris Donohue, who has worked with such artists as Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant, and Elvis Costello.

All in all, Whispers and Sighs is an Americana record that explores what it means to be human. Over its course, Olney and Kaye take turns leading the listener through intimate self-portraits, myths, and tales of historical fiction, all in an effort to illustrate the various devices we use to cope with our own impermanence. Though the project deals heavily in weighty, existentialist themes, the prevailing message proves to be a celebration of human connection, friendship, and love. As Olney put it in 2019, “We have no idea where the songs come from, but they bring a peace of mind like an old photograph of home. Wherever that may be.”

And while it’s hard to escape the seeming cosmic significance of the album as posthumous Olney release, at no point does this create the air of morbidity; rather, it lends the project a bittersweet ambiance. According to Anana and Irakli, mere moments after hitting save on the final mixes, the phone rang with news of David’s passing. This seems tragically fitting; for what is found on Whispers and Sighs is a collection of songs into which two artists and friends clearly poured the full extent of their souls. Within it is an undeniable reminder that David Olney’s extraordinary legacy can never fade, while Anana Kaye’s star grows deservedly brighter by the day.

ABOUT DAVID OLNEY

Widely acclaimed and wholly unique singer-songwriter, recording artist, and stream-caster David Olney died on-stage, performing mid-song in the round with Amy Rigby and Scott Miller at the 30A Songwriter Festival in Florida in January 2020. Admired by many for the way he lived, and revered for his songs and poetry, David Olney was also known for the company he kept, including the incredible collaborators who accompanied him in the writing room, on record and on stage. His indelible songs have been recorded by Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Young, Slaid Cleaves, The Wailin’ Jennys & many others.. For more than 10 years, David Olney shared his songs and the story behind them in his weekly online “You Never Know” Songwriter Series videos, now archived on YouTube and at DavidOlney.com.

ABOUT ANANA KAYE:

Meet Anana Kaye, a Nashville-based Indie Alt-Americana Duo. Hailing from Georgia, the other one, where Argonauts sailed to steal The Golden Fleece and where wine was invented 8000 years ago, Anana Kaye and Irakli Gabriel deliver a unique blend of Americana and distinctly European stylings rarely experienced in such potent doses today. With influences including Kate Bush, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, and David Bowie their music is a genre bending musical experience akin to twisting kaleidoscope. Huffington Post calls them “rich, strong, tender, translucent, and dynamic... Luminous vibrancy.” Ananas voice brings their ambient sound back to reality with it’s luxuriously earthy tone and husky timbre. AnanaKaye.com