Johanna Warren - The Rockfield Sessions, Vol. 1 (2023)

After releasing six albums of original songs and touring relentlessly for the better part of the last decade, Johanna is (mostly) retiring from the music business. To mark the occasion, she decided to “throw a stylish funeral for her past self” by documenting 28 songs from her catalog, stripped down and pristinely captured at the magical Rockfield Studios in rural Wales, a stone’s throw from where she now lives.

One of the most frequent reflections Johanna has received from listeners after her shows over the years is, “Your records are cool, but I actually prefer what you do live!” Taking this feedback to heart, Johanna set out to make a very raw, honest and vulnerable record that captures authentic performances, with zero edits and no additional production. The goal, Warren says, was to “challenge myself to leave in all the little ‘mistakes’ that I would normally be inclined to ‘fix.' I just wanted to document what I’ve been up to all these years, while I still remember how to play these songs, before turning the page and entering a new chapter of my life.”

Warren recorded all 28 tracks over the course of two days at Rockfield—an old pig farm turned into the world’s first residential recording studio in 1963, and birthplace of some of the most legendary recordings of all time, including Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The first 13 of these 28 tracks are included in Volume 1, with Volume 2 expected in early 2024.