PJ Harvey has been incredibly busy as of late. Aside from recording her live album project (her first full length in four years), she’s co-written a poetry book The Hollow Of The Hand, traveled between Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Washington, DC with photographer/filmmaker Seamus Murphy and created a multi-media performance to tie it all together. Pitchfork reports that the singer-songwriter held the performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Friday for her birthday.
The book followed Harvey and Murphy’s travels during the 2011-2014 period and the performance at the launch was divided into sections titled after their journeys to Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Washington. Accompanied by photographs and films courtesy of Murphy, Harvey read excerpts from the book, including poems titled Dance on the Mountain, Begging Bowl and 3 a.m. Washington, D.C. among others. However, perhaps most excitingly, the singer also debut a total of ten new songs on the night.
Joined by longtime collaborator John Parish and Gallon Drunk’s James Johnston, Harvey performed the new songs Chain of Keys, The Wheel, The Orange Monkey, Dollar Dollar, The Community of Hope, Homo Sappy Blues, Medicinals, Near the Memorials to Vietnam and Lincoln, River Anacostia and The Ministry of Social Affairs. Though an official release date for the new album has yet to be announced, there are a few fan clips floating about the internet that you can watch until then: