AVAWAVES, includes Anna Phoebe and Aisling Brouwer, will release their new LP Heartbeat, on May 9th via One Little Independent Records (Björk, Bad Breeding, Penelope Trappes). Ahead of the album’s release, the duo have shared the track “Earth”, began life as a studio jam and evolved into a lush expression of determination. They say, “It’s about digging your hands into the dirt to pick yourself up and put one foot in front of the other and letting nothing get in your way”.

They explain that “the album is about peeling back all the layers we cloak ourselves in until there is nothing left but the source, and discovering the strength that resides there. We wanted this album to feel raw, honest, and intuitive. There are themes of resilience, determination, grit, and an optimism in forever chasing the dawn after dark. It’s the bursting of bubbles and realising how much lighter everything feels without them.”

AVAWAVES are rooted in cinematic narratives, evoking emotional journeys of the heart and mind. They released their debut album, ‘Waves’, in 2019, followed by ‘Chrysalis’ in 2021. Together, they have played festivals around Europe, the Royal Albert Hall and at King’s Place for the podcast The Guilty Feminist. They also composed the original score for Savage Waters, a feature documentary narrated by Charles Dance. An intimate portrait of modern adventurers, it follows clues left in a 19th-century treasure-hunter’s journal that inspire a captivating journey to seek out and surf a mythical, never-ridden wave in some of the most remote and dangerous waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The score won Best Original Soundtrack at the 2022 Richard Harris International Film Festival.

Aisling Brouwer is a Dutch/Irish film composer and producer who scored the BIFA-nominated anti-racist feature White Riot and soundtracked films like Lioness, Super Greed and Sky’s true-crime thriller The Child In The Box. Her projects have screened at film festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes, Berlinale, and Venice, as well as on major broadcasters such as the BBC, Netflix, Apple, and Amazon Prime. She has also worked on campaigns for the United Nations and Dior. Aisling is drawn to scoring stories of resilience and high intensity, darker narratives.

Anna Phoebe is an award-winning composer and violinist who likes to break new ground with cross-genre projects. She has recorded and toured globally with multi-platinum selling bands, composed music for Royal Ballet School, European Space Agency and Cancer Research UK and earlier in 2024 she performed with Mary Anne Hobbs for 6 Music Festival, opening for The Smile. Anna co-presents BBC Radio 4’s Add To Playlist and is a regular guest on BBC 6 Music’s Roundtable. She is a board director for the Ivors Academy and an ambassador for Young Voices. Anna also features in Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s 2020 book Ladies Who Punch.

Heartbeat was produced and mixed with TJ Allen (Bat For Lashes, Portishead, Hannah Peel, Anna Calvi) and features vocals from Imogen Williams of Imogen and the Knife. This release marks a significant musical evolution for the duo, incorporating their soundtrack experience and returning to the collaborative process that shaped their debut record. AVAWAVES’ creative approach is grounded in live performance, crafting compositions by immersing themselves in the emotions of the space – a process challenged by lockdowns and physical distance. Drawing inspiration from visual elements, the duo creates soundscapes that evoke colours, scenes, and stories, akin to scores for an imaginary film.

This summer, AVAWAVES return to score the hit series The Buccaneers, after composing the music for Season 1, which featured original songs produced by Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa. The Apple TV+ drama, known for its star-studded soundtrack (including Sharon Van Etten, Miya Folick, and Gracie Abrams) will premiere its second season in June.

AVAWAVES
Heartbeat
Tracklist:
One Little Independent

Heartbeat
Earth
Bones
Mood
Escape
Nightdrive
Rumour
Sleep Tight
Raindrop
Crush

AVAWAVES 2025 Live dates

06.06 – London, Lexington
11.06 – Brighton, Komedia Studio
19.06 – Manchester, Gullivers
20.06 – Bristol, Rough Trade

Music credits

All tracks written, recorded and produced by AVAWAVES (Aisling Brouwer + Anna Phoebe)
Imogen Williams – vocals on Heartbeat, Bones, Escape, Sleep Tight, Raindrop, Crush
Klara Schumann – cello on Bones, Sleep Tight, Raindrop
Ben Wright – guitar on Escape
Phillipp Johann Thimm – cello & electronics on Crush
Steinway grand recorded at Sender 49 by Dan White and assisted by Dani Evans on Heartbeat, Bones, Rumour, Sleep Tight
TJ Allen – additional production and mix, plus co-producer on Earth, Nightdrive, Rumour and Sleep Tight
Mastered by Guy Davie at Electric Mastering

Pre-order Heartbeat HERE