Celebrated local musician Anjimile stopped by Live & Local last week, just ahead of the release of their new album, “You’re Free To Go.”
“It was partly inspired by my relationship with my partner,” Anjimile says of the new album. “We’ve been dating for the last two years. (And) it was a bit inspired by my relationship with my mother – the kind of fracture there, with me being trans and her being not super accepting…
“(And the title track) was like a love song written for my partner – written for and about my partner, but also about the spiritual awakening that I feel took place within myself when we met, and the power of connection to change your life. And that seemed like a pretty good synopsis of my whole vibe, the whole record.”
Purchase “You’re Free To Go” on Bandcamp.
Anjimile Chithambo isn’t a Triangle native: he was born in Texas and launched his career in Boston, before multiple people simultaneously drew him down to Durham five years ago.
“In 2020 I put out my first album on a record label,” Anjimile says. “And it got decent press and people started DMing me for industry partnership, like management and booking – but one of those DMs was from Martin Anderson, who has a management company down here called The Glow, and he swept me off my feet professionally…and I have a really good friend who lives here, who moved here from Boston like a decade ago, and she’s always been like, ‘Hey, the Durham music scene is awesome. You should come down.’ And I’ve always been like, ‘I’m not sure I want to go back to the South’ – but I’m really, really glad I’ve come back.”
The new album officially dropped on March 13. Produced by Grammy winner Brad Cook (Megafaun), its 12 tracks feature a powerhouse lineup of contributing musicians, including Nathan Stocker (Hippo Campus), Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver), Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), and Libby Rodenbough (Mipso), all working together to create a sound that’s mellower and more intimate – and even more personally introspective – than the tracks on Anjimile’s previous album, 2023’s acclaimed “The King.”
“We got a little indie folk action,” Anjimile says. “We got some acoustic guitars, some violin, some emotional drumming.” (The “emotional drumming” comes in for one very specific passage on one very specific track.) The songs themselves explore themes of self-discovery, loss, renewal, liberation, and spirituality, speaking both to Anjimile’s own personal trans journey and to the universal experience of change, transformation, and love.
Now that the album is out, Anjimile is preparing to promote it with a nationwide tour in May and June. First, though, he’s celebrating the release with a monthlong local residency: he’s playing at the Fuzzy Needle in Durham every Thursday night in March, from 8-10 p.m.
Click here for more information about Anjimile’s shows in Durham this month.
“My intention for this album was to make a record that I loved and believed in,” Anjimile says. “And we did that. We did that. So mission accomplished. Now on to tour.”
Anjimile Chithambo stopped by Live & Local last week to discuss “You’re Free To Go” and play three tracks: “Rust and Wire,” “Like You Really Mean It,” and “Waits For Me.” Listen:
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