Josephine Foster is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Colorado. She is known for her anachronistic voice and work that weaves older styles with the modern, escaping simple classification.
As a teenager, Foster worked as a church singer and aspired to become an opera singer. She moved to Chicago in 1998 to further her opera studies, and began home-recording her songs, resulting in the albums There Are Eyes Above, influenced by Tin Pan Alley, and an album of children's songs, Little Life. She then released collaborative albums with local folk bands The Children's Hour (SOS JFK), Born Heller (S/T), as well as All the Leaves Are Gone, a psychedelic rock album with backing band The Supposed.
A number of solo records followed, including the all acoustic Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You, an unorthodox collection of 19th century German Lieder titled A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, and This Coming Gladness, a psychedelic folk-rock album.
Foster released most of her recordings the following decade with Fire Records, including Graphic as a Star, her settings of 27 Emily Dickinson poems.
Thereafter she began to record frequently with engineer Andrija Tokic, who co-produced with Foster her solo albums Blood Rushing, I'm A Dreamer, and Faithful Fairy Harmony; also More Amor, a psych-folk album by her new band Mendrugo formed with Victor Herrero. The latter was Foster's first foray into writing lyrics in Spanish.
Foster lent her voice to the soundtrack for the 2020 film, The World to Come, and sung (as well as co-wrote) the titular song over the end credits. She also played a Shaker singer in The Testament of Ann Lee, also singing in the soundtrack alongside Phil Minton, Shelley Hirsch, Maggie Nicols, Alan Sparhawk, and others.https://www.avclub.com/cinemusic-daniel-blumberg-the-testament-of-ann-lee
Discography
Studio albums + Solo studio albums Title Album details There Are Eyes Above Released: 2000 Label: Self-released Little Life Released: 2001 Label: Self-released Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You Released: 2005 Label: Locust Music A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Released: 2006 Label: Locust Music This Coming Gladness Released: 2008 Label: Bo’ Weavil Recordings Graphic as a Star Released: 2009 Label: Fire Records Anda Jaleo Released: 2010 Label: Fire Records Blood Rushing Released: 2012 Label: Fire Records Perlas Released: 2013 Label: Fire Records I'm A Dreamer Released: 2017 Label: Fire Records No More Lamps in the Morning Released: 2016 Label: Fire Records Faithful Fairy Harmony Released: 2019 Label: Fire Records No Harm Done Released: 2020 Label: Fire Records Godmother Released: 2022 Label: Fire Records Domestic Sphere Released: 2023 Label: Fire Records
Collaborative albums + Collaborative albums Title Album details SOS JFK(with The Children's Hour) Released: 2003 Label: Self-released Born Heller(with Born Heller) Released: 2003 Label: Locust Music All the Leaves Are Gone(with The Supposed) Released: 2004 Label: Locust Music Mystery Meet(with The Cherry Blossoms) Released: 2020 (recorded 2007) Label: Feeding Tube Records More Amor(with Mendrugo) Released: 2016 Label: Fire Records Stars of Tennessee(with The Cherry Blossoms) Released: 2022 Label: Feeding Tube Records Going Home(with The Children's Hour) Released: 2024 (recorded 2003) Label: Drag City Notes: Featuring David Pajo and Andrew Bar
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