This record is about the ‘sweet way’. A state of mind, of going with it, around and around. It’s staring through windows, at trees and listening to birds. It’s about empowering yourself. It’s about the beauty of seclusion and creativity, the power of touch and of one another. It’s rolling moment to moment on the wheel of time. It’s about death and not being afraid of it. Above all, it’s about happiness and getting there. 


“It’s so good to have time and space to work on these songs because as you wait and listen and hear the tunes and lines that work, even arrangements of lines, come up in your singing mind.”  Taken from Redd’s diary when some of these songs were written in France.

The songs for this record were written using a steel string parlour guitar, telecaster, hammond organ, piano, layered harmonies and shaking tambourine.

Songs were developed on a folding formica table moved deep inside a French forest glade, in a hut on the side of a Czech mountain, on a German road trip, inside dark quiet rooms and looking out of bus windows in London.
It’s cosmic blue sky garage folk hut rock.

RECORDING 
The album was recorded straight to tape on the ‘Alice’ desk at Gizzard Analogue studios, named for the White Rabbit pictured on it. Electric instruments were overdubbed onto the acoustic guitar tracks, the same method used for Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Sound of Silence’, giving a laidback feel to the songs that’s perfect for the  ‘Sweet Way Around’.

Vanessa Anne Redd: Vocals, guitars, hammond, piano, percussion, string arrangements. 
Bass: Marc Makarov
Drums: Ed Deegan
Strings: Antonia Pagulatos
Produced by VAR and Ed Deegan 
Mixed and mastered by Ed Deegan 

INSPIRATION
The summer of love,‘Book of Longing'; Leonard Cohen’s poetry, Sandy Denny, Felt, Joni Mitchell,The Fall; Mr Pharmacist, Etta James, Marina Abramovic, The Exciters ‘Blowing up my Mind’, Timothy Leary, Billy Childish. Holly Golightly, Bob Dylan ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, The Byrds, Nico, David Bowie, Simon and Garfunkel, Mammas and Papas, all tambourine players everywhere, Neil Young’s solo on the live video of ‘Young and Crosby Stills and Nash - Down by the River’.

Sweet Way Around album

Sweet Way Around is the third solo album from British/German singer-songwriter Vanessa Anne Redd. Recorded at Gizzard Studios, London, on 70's equipment and straight onto analogue tape.
It's a bit cosmic-hut folk rock, cottage-core field folk and blue sky rock, a bit Dylan, The Byrds, Syd Barrett, Joni Mitchell, Beth Gibbons, Shirley Collins, The Fall, with harmony drenched 60’s girl groups mixed in. It was written between the French countryside and on top of a Czech mountain, in the trees and amongst the ivy. It's there to give you a Sweet Way Around.

Won't Be Long

Take Me An Arrow

By The Time

Sweet Way Around

Another One Besides

Some Things We'll Never Know

Bus Driver

Strange Affair

Dark Minds

D C Drawers

palette of guitars from sweet finger picked folk to fuzz droning. Sweeping melodies mix cathartic, light, country tinged ebbing harmonies through to percussion, piano sparkles, uplifting swathes of hammond, stabbing brass and strings.
She’s just finishing her fourth solo record to be released later this year following on from her last LP “Sweet Way Around”, her critically acclaimed solo debut “Behind the Wall” and “Zumbo Waxes”. She’s inspired by artists such as Julie Collins, Karen Dalton, Can, Holly Go-Lightly, Nico, Leonard Cohen, Billy Childish and Angel Olson. 
Vanessa records using analogue tape giving her sound warmth and grit, using Toerag Studios (White Stripes) for her debut and Gizzard Analogue Studios (Holly Golightly) for her following records. Her sound is sweet yet tough and is described by Vanessa as “a simple grunge-folk affair”. She’s received support from BBC Radio’s Steve Lamacq, Lauren Laverne, Janice Long and Radio X’s John Kennedy, along with a coveted Album of the Month recommendation by UK music magazine Loud & Quiet, and praise by magazines such as Songwriter, UNCUT, RnR and Clash Magazine. 
 She has previously released albums as part of electronic act Rubicks, and alt-folk duo Six Years, has toured the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA with the likes of Gary Numan and John Foxx and played SXSW and Canadian Music Week. She also tours extensively in Germany and sings with German cult indie band Phillip Boa and the Voodoo Club.
Her music has been released through her co-owned label Sharp Attack Records and licensed to Universal, Mute, Modular DJ’s and Rough Trade compilations. It has appeared in fashion films (Valentino/Pam Hogg) and skate/snowboarding videos. 
She makes her own films and videos to accompany her music.

“ Redd’s artful storytelling never gets predictable…a gritty growling note in the music and her vocal melodies that makes sure that songs ..have something to snag against..shoegazer territory but builds into an almost operatic outburst of joyous overlapping vocals.” UNCUT magazine

“VAR’s induction to the singer-songwriter premier league..Vanessa Anne Redd has assembled what can easily stand amongst the best singer-songwriter albums of the year..British-German musician has created a brand new contemporary folk”  Loud & Quiet

“Bold stark songwriting..Driving, direct, and wholly affecting. Comparisons could be made to PJ Harvey's imperial phase, but really Vanessa Anne Redd stands apart. Tune in now.” Clash Magazine

“Vanessa Anne Redd is a crafty and artful songwriter. [Her] weird, disjointed psychedelic-folk takes us down the rabbit hole on a fearless songwriting adventure.”  Songwriting magazine

Sweet Way Around album

vanessaanneredd