Why Is the Catholic Church Afraid of This Woman?

Screen Shot from “Ugly and Vengeful” (youtube)

(I want to thank my friend Robert F. for introducing me to this artist several years ago.)

When the Catholic church gets so panicked about an artist that it tries to block her from performing, you know she is probably doing something right. Or, at least, interesting. That is exactly what has been happening to Anna von Hausswolff.

The Church has repeatedly (though unsuccessfully) pressured cities and venues to ban her performances. On occasion, gangs of thugs claiming to speak for the Church have taken it into their own hands and forced her to cancel concerts.

Wearing dark clothes and crosses, they show up to block the entrances, slash the tires on her equipment van, and yell at her fans that they are going to hell. She hasn’t been deterred, though she admits to taking some precautions that might have been unthinkable in a sane world.

So, what did she do to provoke such spasms of intolerance?

If you ask me, nothing. But judge for yourself. Von Hausswolff composes a kind of atmospheric doom pop and performs it on pipe organs. Yes, actual church organs the size of small houses. In actual churches. Some of her early performances were in Catholic churches before the Church noticed her and freaked out. Since then, all of her gigs have been in Protestant churches or regular concert venues.

Her music has been described as gothic, apocalyptic, post-shoe-gaze, magical, ethereal, sludge, death metal, etc. When your best-known song is titled “Funeral for My Future Children,” that will happen.

Here is one of my favorite clips of von Hausswolff doing her thing:

“Mountains Crave,” live (from her album “Ceremony, 2013)

Since churches are not always an option — goon squads aside, booking a church for a public concert is complicated — she has figured out how to modify electronic keyboards and sound systems to simulate real pipe organs. She also plays guitar and sings. With her bright, clear soprano soaring over all the gloom and doom, she often gets compared to Kate Bush and Yma Sumac.

Except when she shrieks. Then she sounds like a damned soul. Maybe that’s why the clerics have their cassocks in a twist.

Von Hausswolff was born and raised in Sweden, the daughter of a prominent radical performance artist who once simulated being burned alive in a bathtub (sense a pattern here?). She is petite, blonde, cheerful, and obsessed with darkness. She studied architecture in college but found the acoustics of churches even more interesting than their physical splendor. She released her first album, “Singing from the Grave” (of course), in 2010 and has released four more studio albums and a live album since then.

The ironic thing about the intolerance directed at her is that she is not actively anti-religion — in fact, she does not write about religion at all, pro or con. She is, however, quite spiritual, and maybe that’s what pisses them off. Her songs are metaphorical and concern things like death, addiction, loss, mystery, wonder, immortality, environmental disaster, and even love. These things make the average religious zealot nervous, so there is that, I guess.

Sometimes von Hausswolff doesn’t publish the locations of her concerts — the fans are only notified at the last minute, by private message, how to find the venue. Actually, if she weren’t doing this under duress, it would be super cool. She should license the concept to other bands and collect royalties.

Meanwhile, she persists, despite the global tsunami of Stupid and the ongoing threats. She just seems bemused by it all and goes about her business making delightfully weird music.

…….

Here are two more of my favorite things by her:

“Ugly and Vengeful”, live (from her album “Dead Magic”, 2018)

The album only has five songs on it, and this one is the centerpiece. Set aside 20 minutes, I promise it’s completely worth it — if you make it through the climax.

…….

“Stranger” (2015, live performance)

For a little bit of a change of pace, Anna steps away from the keyboards and picks up an electric guitar. This is almost…sweet!

Sources:

New York Times, 2022: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/21/arts/music/anna-von-hausswolff-satanist.html

The Guardian UK, 2018: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/22/anna-von-hausswolff-interview-dead-magic-organ

Anna von Hausswolff’s Instagram channel:

annavonhausswolff

A post shared by Anna Ebba Electra Michaela v.H (@annavonhausswolff)

Anna von Hausswolff Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/annavonhausswolff/

Review of “Dead Magic”, 2018, Team Rock: https://web.archive.org/web/20180327004841/http://teamrock.com/review/2018-02-28/anna-von-hausswolff-dead-magic-album-review

Laura Snapes, Interview with Anna von Hausswolff, The Guardian UK: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/22/anna-von-hausswolff-interview-dead-magic-organ

Discogs: Anna von Hausswolff (discography, tour dates)

…….

If you like stuff like this, please consider subscribing and sharing with your friends!