Biography
Aldous Harding is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for an elastic, shape-shifting voice, enigmatic lyrics and eccentric, intensely controlled performances.[1] Born Hannah Topp in 1990, she took her professional name from her stepfather. Her mother, Lorina Harding, is a Canadian folk singer, and the family moved often around New Zealand, including a stretch on an organic farm near Geraldine.[1]
She recorded her first song with her mother at thirteen, later travelled through Europe, the UK and Canada, and settled in Lyttelton, whose music scene she credits as decisive for her career.[1] Her self-titled debut appeared in 2014, followed by Party (2017), which won the 2018 Taite Music Prize, and Designer (2019), recorded with producer John Parish. The Designer single The Barrel won the 2019 APRA Silver Scroll.[1] Warm Chris (2022) became her first New Zealand number-one album.[1]
Harding is guarded about explaining her songs. She says metaphor drives her writing, that she wants her art to stay open to interpretation, and that she finds the urge to decode everything intrusive.[2] Frequent collaborators include Parish, Marlon Williams, Perfume Genius's Mike Hadreas, Fenne Lily and the video director Martin Sagadin.[1]
References
- Aldous Harding (Wikipedia) — Biography, discography, collaborators and awards.
- Aldous Harding wants you to know what matters (The Line of Best Fit) — Her attitude to interpretation and her working relationship with John Parish.