I Am Harlequin or IAH is the recording and production alias of London-based singer/songwriter and producer Anne Freier.
I Am Harlequin | |
|---|---|
 IAH in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anne Freier |
| Born | Dresden, Germany |
| Genres | Pop |
| Instrument(s) | Voice, piano, computer |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Website | iah |
Anne was born in Dresden, Germany. She mentions that her father, who grew up during East Germany's GDR regime, had a big impact on her musical influences, introducing her to the likes of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper, Yes, Billy Joel, Kate Bush, Grace Slick, Ricky Lee Jones, Tori Amos, and Joni Mitchell, but also classical music such as Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and later Sondheim.[1]
Anne wrote her first song at the age of seven with the help of a bear-inspired English book for children.[2] She then performed regularly with her sister in front of family and friends and soon moved to London. She is a trained singer. Whilst at university studying music she focused on production and technology, recording herself performing on the piano with a laptop and an Mbox on Pro Tools. In addition to music, IAH designs and sews most of her stage wear. She edits and directs her own music videos [3] and writes fiction in her spare time.
IAH previously performed at Liverpool Sound City, Brighton Festival, Boardmasters Festival and LastFm Presents at the Garage and earned the seventeenth spot in the top 20 of the LastFm Discovery Charts.
Her single "Wild One" featured on award-winning drama Skins Season 6, Episode 9 as well as The Client List. In the same year, I Am Harlequin performed in a live session on BBC 4's acclaimed Loose Ends, alongside the Civil Wars.
In Feb 2014, she wrote and featured on producer duo Hermanos Inglesos' single "The Fastlane", released through Sony Music.[4]
IAH also remixes music and has previously remixed Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" for which she received public praise, turning the song into a symphonic choir piece.[5]
The Independent previously praised IAH as “One To Watch […] she’s the beautifully cool pop star we’ve been waiting for” [6] Joining a Wonderland live session, the magazine said: "Anne’s all about the performance, not the polish, not that her voice needs it, but her offhand style only adds to her effortlessly cool aura in her Wonderland Session."[7] Vulture Hound called her latest single "Dance With Anyone" "the kind of groove you want immersed within your ‘Sound of Summer’ playlist" [8]
Discography edit
Wild One
- Released: May 2013
- Format: CD and Digital
- Label: Oh! Inverted World
- Writer: Anne Freier
- Producer: Anne Freier
The Fastlane feat. I Am Harlequin
- Released: Feb 2014
- Format: CD and Digital
- Label: Sony Music
- Writer: Anne Freier
- Producer: Hermanos Inglesos
I Was in Love
- Released: 03 November 2014
- Format: Digital
- Label: Stop Being Cute
- Writer: Anne Freier
- Producer: I Am Harlequin & Domzilla
Kill the Night
- Released: 23 February 2015
- Format: Digital
- Label: Stop Being Cute
- Writer: Anne Freier
- Producer: I Am Harlequin & Domzilla
Side Effects feat. I Am Harlequin
- Released: May 2015
- Format: Digital
- Label: Sony Music
- Writer: Anne Freier
- Producer: Hermanos Inglesos
Dance with Anyone
- Released: 26 June 2015
- Format: Digital
- Label: Stop Being Cute
- Writer: Anne Freier
- Producer: Domzilla
References edit
- ^ "Record of the Day". www.recordoftheday.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2016-10-30
- ^ "About". www.iamharlequin.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-07. Retrieved 2016-10-30
- ^ IAmHarlequinVEVO. "IAmHarlequinVEVO". YouTube. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
- ^ "Hermanos Inglesos - The Fastlane ft. I Am Harlequin". YouTube. 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
- ^ "Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now"". Talent House. Retrieved 2016-10-30
- ^ "Ones to Watch Novella to Action Bronson". independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2016-10-30
- ^ "Wonderland Sessions: I Am Harlequin". Wonderland Magazine. 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
- ^ King, Georgie (2015-06-10). "» "Feel-good, disco-infused pop": I Am Harlequin – Dance With Anyone (Single Review) VultureHound Magazine". Vulturehound.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-14.