Anohni and the Johnsons
American art pop music group
Anohni and the Johnsons (previously known as Antony and the Johnsons) is a music ensemble originally based in New York City that presents the work of English singer-songwriter Anohni and her collaborators. The band released its self-titled debut album in 2000. Their second album, 2005's I Am a Bird Now, was certified Gold in the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Switzerland; it also was awarded that year's UK Mercury Prize.
Following the release of The Crying Light (2009) and Swanlights (2010), as well as the live album Cut the World (2012), Anohni released a solo electronic album in collaboration with Hudson Mohawke and Daniel Lopatin called Hopelessness in 2016. In 2023, Anohni returned as "Anohni and the Johnsons" with the release of her sixth album, My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross, in July of that year.
Anohni and the Johnsons have received considerable critical acclaim in addition to chart success and award nominations. Anohni's unique singing voice has been compared to artists such as Nina Simone, Bryan Ferry and Jimmy Scott. As a performer, The Guardian has described Anohni as being "gifted with a vibrato voice – think Nina Simone, Billie Holiday – that sighs with sincerity and the lyrical prowess to make the profoundly personal both accessible and ambiguous."
History
Anohni founded the NYC-based experimental theater group the Johnsons in 1995, choosing the name in honor of the NYC trans and human-rights activist Marsha P. Johnson. She assembled a group of musicians in 1997 to record her first album and began performing concerts in NYC as Antony and the Johnsons in 1997. British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Anohni's music through his Durtro label.
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