Anna B Savage’s third album, You & i are Earth, feels like an invitation into a deeply personal yet universal exploration of connection—between people, places, and the natural world. Following her critically lauded albums A Common Turn and in|FLUX, Savage’s new work strikes a remarkable balance: intimate yet open-ended, delicate yet emotionally charged. Sounds of the sea and evocative strings open the record on “Talk to Me,” setting a tone that’s both tender and elemental. It’s an album that captivates not through grand gestures, but through its subtlety and intricacy.
This delicacy is at the heart of You & i are Earth, an album steeped in Savage’s love for her new home in Ireland and its profound influence on her life and art. Collaborating with some of Ireland’s finest musicians and producer John ‘Spud’ Murphy, Savage draws on her experiences—from the mythic landscapes of Donegal to her meditative connection to nature—to craft a record that’s as grounded as it is magical. With its themes of reckoning, duality, and vulnerability, the album resonates deeply, whether in the epic grace of its title track or the aching sweetness of songs like “The Rest of Our Lives.”
We sat down with Anna B Savage to discuss the inspirations behind You & i are Earth, her connection to Ireland, and how the album’s delicate yet powerful nature reflects her current creative and personal state.
BM: What inspired the title You and I Are Earth and how does it reflect the album’s themes?
Anna: The title is taken from the plate that was found in a London sewer that’s been doing the rounds on the internet for the last couple of years. No one knows where it came from. The plate says ‘You and i are Earth, 1661’ and that’s all we know. I think is the most romantic sentiment that exists (except perhaps ‘you are my music’ as a way of saying I love you’). Originally the album had a different title and this was just a song, but the more I thought on it the more I realised it (as your Q says) reflected the albums themes. For me this album is about falling in love, with a country, a landscape and with a man. The melding of selves and earth, the talisman of deep, grounding love. Hopefully these come across. I also loved the idea of adding to the lineage of this plate and its romance, adding my own love story to this. Maybe in ~400 years someone will find my little album and be transported to my romance and fill in the gaps all around it.
How has your time in Ireland shaped the music and lyrics of this record?
It’s hugely shaped it. It’s what it’s all about! I’m a sponge and I take in a lot of what’s around me. Moving to Ireland was a big shift for me, a new adventure and one which I didn’t expect to be quite as long as it looks like it may end up being. It’s been a place of refuge, of calm, of wildness, of rediscovery, of inspiration and also some homesickness. It’s got everything lol.
Can you talk about the collaboration with John ‘Spud’ Murphy and how he influenced the album’s sound?
Well Spud is just the best there is. I’d heard his work with Lankum (of course) as well as Ye Vagabonds, Junior Brother, and I knew he had recorded the most recent Black Midi and Goat Girl records. I think he’s got such a delicate musical sensibility – he so deftly translates the songs to record, allowing for the vast breadth of instrumentation to still sound present and vibrant and there on the songs, even when listening through terrible phone speakers (sorry Spud, sorry Lankum). I had been lucky enough to spend a couple of days with him in the studio working on something else, and knew he would bring his diligence, contentiousness and gentleness to our work. I wanted all of that for this record. He’s the best.
What role does nature and the natural world play in this album?
It’s funny being on a third album because I get told about motifs or themes through my entire catalogue. Obviously nature and the natural world feature heavily on this album, and I think they always have for me. Though perhaps it’s more pronounced on this record as often it’s uncertain whether I’m directing my love towards my partner, or towards the Irish landscape. And yes, that’s intentional. Hehe.
How does You and I Are Earth differ from your previous albums, A Common Turn and in|FLUX?
Hm – I think maybe that’s for other people to speculate lol. I think it felt simpler and gentler to write than either ACT or iF. It’s filled with nice things, rather than consumed with angst and self doubt. I just got to talk about a man who I love absolutely, and a place that I love deeply. That’s really nice isnt it.
“Agnes” is a standout track—what drew you to work with Anna Mieke on this song?
Thanks v much! Shes just fantastic. Honestly I’m not great at listening to music but I’d been hammering her Theatre album and had been lucky enough to meet her briefly at Sounds from a Safe Harbour a few months earlier. I wanted someone to voice Agnes, and after deliberating for ages I realised Anna was perfect. Ethereal, delicate and powerful, all wrapped up in her voice.
How has your approach to songwriting evolved over the course of your career?
I’ve learned to be more relaxed. I don’t have to prove anything anymore, I don’t think. Well, i need to prove that I can write bangers, but aside from that I feel like I can be much gentler to myself with both the process and the outcome now. I’m not expecting to change the world, or write one song that changes my life. I often just want to get out a kernel of emotional truth and write something nice. Or just to have fun!
The album features contributions from several Irish musicians—how did those collaborations come about?
Brian taught me when I did my masters, I always knew I wanted him on the record. I met Kate at Sounds from a Safe Harbour and thought she was mind bendingly good so asked her. Caimin I didn’t know but I knew of crash ensemble and I knew I wanted a bass. Cormac I also didn’t know but I knew I wanted someone to play fiddle, and who better than Cormac from blaady Lankum! Spud knew Caimin, Cormac and Kate having worked with them on other projects
How do the themes of love and connection manifest across the album’s tracks?
Hopefully well! I find it slightly hard to dissect my own songs in that way so I may have to leave that one to you…
What do you hope listeners take away from You and I Are Earth?
I hope when they’re in it they have just over half an hour of a nice time. And I hope they take away from it that there is love in the world, and things can be gentle and nice and still be worth something.
With You & i are Earth, Anna B Savage has crafted a work of quiet power and boundless intimacy, weaving together threads of place, emotion, and human connection. It’s an album that doesn’t demand attention but earns it through its vulnerability and grace. As Savage continues to evolve as an artist, this record stands as a testament to her ability to find profound beauty in the delicate, grounding us in the shared experience of living life.
