Agnes Obel

Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel is a Danish singer, songwriter, and musician born on 28 October 1980 in Gentofte, Copenhagen. Based in Berlin, she is recognized for her solo musical career in which she writes, plays, sings, records, and produces her own material. Her work frequently features piano and vocals prominently, accompanied by classical and electronic instrumentation.

Obel grew up in an unconventional household alongside her younger brother and a father who collected instruments and strange objects, while her mother played Bartók and Chopin on the piano. Obel learned classical piano at a young age, guided by a teacher who encouraged her to focus on music she enjoyed. Musically, she found early inspiration in Jan Johansson's European folk tunes performed in a jazz style. In 1990, she joined a small band as a singer and bass guitar player, and in 1994, she appeared in Thomas Vinterberg's short film The Boy Who Walked Backwards. She later attended high school at Det frie Gymnasium, but left at age seventeen to learn studio sound techniques.

Obel launched her solo recording career with her debut album, Philharmonics, released in 2010 by PIAS Recordings. She wrote, performed, recorded, and produced the material herself. The album achieved commercial success, receiving a gold certification in Belgium in June 2011. Following her U.S. performance debut at the South by Southwest festival in March 2011, Obel earned several accolades, including the 2011 Robert Award for Best Song for "Riverside," a European Border Breakers Award, and five prizes at the November 2011 Danish Music Awards, including Best Album and Best Debut Artist.

Her second studio album, Aventine, was released in September 2013. Obel recorded the material in a small room using close-miking techniques to create sparse soundscapes. The album charted in the top 40 across nine countries and received positive critical reviews. To support the record, she performed at events such as the iTunes UK Festival in London and at L'Olympia in Paris. A deluxe edition of Aventine appeared in October 2014, featuring three new tracks and a remix of "Fuel to Fire" by filmmaker David Lynch.

In 2016, Obel released her third studio album, Citizen of Glass, which was preceded by the singles "Familiar" and "Golden Green." The project expanded her sound beyond piano, violins, and cellos to include harpsichords, a spinet, a celesta, and a 1930s electronic instrument called a Trautonium. Citizen of Glass received critical acclaim and was awarded the IMPALA Album of the Year Award 2016 for independent European releases.

In February 2018, Obel signed with Deutsche Grammophon in partnership with Blue Note for North American releases. That May, she curated and performed for Late Night Tales: Agnes Obel, a compilation album featuring selected tracks by artists such as Nina Simone, Henry Mancini, and Michelle Gurevich alongside her own original and cover recordings. Her fourth studio album, Myopia, was recorded in self-imposed creative isolation and released in February 2020, supported by the single "Island of Doom."