Folklore Sessions Presents;
Austel
+ Quaking Aspens
+ Thomas Willow
November 14th | The Folklore Rooms
£9adv | 18+

Austel - aka Annie Rew Shaw - is a Devon-born London-based artist, songwriter and producer, crafting introspective, brooding music led by ethereal vocals and intimate lyricism.

Influenced by a wide range of artists spanning from Bon Iver, Radiohead/Thom Yorke, Cocteau Twins and Jon Hopkins to Nick Cave, Joni Mitchell and Elliott Smith, Austel fuses her background in classical music and indie folk songwriting with ambient textures, cinematic soundscapes and contemplative electronica.

Having cut her teeth as a session musician performing at Glastonbury Festival, supporting Fleet Foxes with Lyla Foy, and touring the UK with multiple bands, Austel began collaborating with guitarist, producer and music technologist Adam Stark (MiMU Gloves, Rumour Cubes) - developing her own songs with a fresh lens. Her 2018 self-released debut EP Unfold received plaudits from the likes of BBC 6 Music, Killing Moon and The Line of Best Fit, while 2020’s Cold Love drew further support from O2 Music, BBC Introducing and Fresh On The Net. 

Austel's self-produced debut album 'Dead Sea' was released in early 2024 - featuring collaborations with Grammy award-winning engineer Guy Massey (The Beatles, Manic Street Preachers, Kylie) and renowned mastering engineer Katie Tavini (Nadine Shah, Arlo Parks, Bloc Party). The artwork is by Colombian visual artist Natalia Giraldo Giraldo; a salt sculpture crafted from a cast of Austel’s head. Exploring the metaphor of salt’s dual qualities of pain and healing, Dead Sea is the culmination of seven year’s work and artistic development. The Dead Sea is one of the harshest, lifeless environments in the world, but Austel finds that even in the most barren of places, we can begin to recover.