Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Olivia Chaney’s profile has been rising over the last few years, particularly in her native England, where she was recently nominated for BBC Radio 2’s Horizon Award for best emerging folk artist. She hasn't made a lot of recordings, but those who've caught her on stage have found an entrancing sound and unique sensibility, evolving and refining with each gig she played. Now she's out with her Nonesuch-label debut, "The Longest River." It's striking in its simplicity, and it preserves the passion and immediacy of her live performances with a deceptively-structured informality. Olivia's work has deep and varied roots that have enabled her to carve out something new yet timeless, bravely sparse, yet intensely lyrical. Original compositions are balanced alongside a typically eclectic range of covers that she has arranged and made her own, including the dramatic “Blessed Instant” by Norwegian voice-artist/composer Sidsel Endresen, 17th-century English composer Henry Purcell’s “There’s Not A Swain,” Chilean protest-singer Violeta Parra’s “La Jardinera,” and “Waxwing” from Scottish alt-folk singer-songwriter Alasdair Roberts.