Soap&Skin

Austrian alternative singer/songwriter Anja Plaschg made her critically acclaimed album debut as Soap & Skin in 2009 as a teenager and experienced Top Five commercial success in her homeland. Born on April 5, 1990, in Gnas, Austria, and raised on a pig farm, Plaschg began writing and performing music on piano as a teenager and ultimately went on to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. She made her commercial recording debut as Soap & Skin in 2008 with an eponymous four-track EP. The following year, at age 18, she released her debut album, Lovetune for Vacuum, on the Pias Recordings label. Comprised of songs written between 2005 and 2008, Lovetune for Vacuum spawned a pair of hit singles (“Spiracle,” “Mr. Gaunt Pt. 1000″) and reached the Top Five of the albums chart in Austria. Released internationally, the album also charted in France and Belgium. In general, reviews of Lovetune for Vacuum were favorable, often drawing comparisons between Plaschg and celebrated female singer/songwriters such as Cat Power, Nico, Kate Bush, and Björk. 2010 saw her win the European Breaker Borders Award for international success. The following year saw a quiet period for the artist as she focused on writing further material and other creative endeavors. In 2012 she made her debut as an actress in the German movie Stilleben. She then retreated from the industry for a number of years to focus on her personal life before returning with her third album — From Gas to Solid/You Are My Friend — in mid-2018. ~ Jason Birchmeier