BODIES Kat Frankie, B O D I E S

Last autumn, Kat Frankie surprised, amazed, moved to tears and thrilled audiences with her B O D I E S project. On her tour, she sold out the Elbphilharmonie and the Berlin Philharmonie, among others. With her a cappella ensemble, the show drew standing ovations from the audience.

The seeds for B O D I E S were planted some time ago. Frankie had been incorporating a cappella songs into her show for some time, alternating between vocal-only songs performed with her loop station or with her live band forgoing their instruments in favour of 4 part harmonies. Now the project has taken on a life of it's own. The sound of B O D I E S is indeed a very special one: without instruments on stage, the eight-piece ensemble delivers an astonishing range of human emotions. Sometimes incredibly powerful, sometimes tender and thoughtful, Frankie's compositions range from passionate to playful. And then there is the sheer physical power of eight women in harmony.

The upcoming album for B O D I E S sees Frankie exploring the possibilities of harmony even further. While some songs will already be familiar to audiences, new works such as "Wonder" and "Petrichor" are pure composition. Frankie has eschewed a lead vocal to focus on rich harmonies and an enveloping warmth. Frankie's vocal on "All of It" is also minimalist, yet it brims with longing, soaring above the ensemble's mantra-like backings. "Joan Didion" - it should be noted - is not about the author, but her protagonist's alienation and heartache. The epic "Versailles" is inspired by the story of the Women's March on Versailles in 1789, a protest led by women from the marketplaces of Paris who were angered by the shortage of bread. Eventually the women were joined by thousands of people in what became a significant event of the French Revolution.

The ensemble comprises Frankie with Albertine Sarges, Barbara Greshake, Erika Emerson, Fama M'Boup, Liza Wolowicz, Tara Nome Doyle and Trinidad Doherty. To quote Frankie, "part of what I think makes B O D I E S so strong is that every singer on stage is a talented solo-artist in their own right. They all know how to put on a show and they bring that power with them on stage. I'm not so interested in producing the homogenised sound you might usually expect of a choir: to get the best out of everyone there needs to be some room for individuality, and what I hope we've done is build a sense of community around that idea."