Penelope Trappes
Biography Penelope Trappes
Penelope Trappes
is a London-based, Australian-born vocalist, musician and ethereal soundscaper. She spent 2016 writing and recording what would become her first solo album, ‘Penelope One’ in a piano studio in East London. Composed of mostly percussion-less, reverb-heavy haunting atmospherics with dystopian themes, the LP was released via Optimo Music in 2017 on vinyl and as a photo book. The first single ‘Puppets’ premiered by opening the Fendi SS17 runway show.
Penelope signed to Houndstooth in 2018 and released her sophomore LP ‘Penelope Two’ to critical acclaim. The minimalist, ethereal album was built around field recordings, meditations, guitars, synth drones, piano and reverb, and deals with mortality, predestination and empathy. 2019 saw the release of ‘Penelope Redeux’ consisting of reworks of songs from ‘Penelope Two’ by Cosey Fanni Tutti, Mogwai, Félicia Atkinson, Nik Colk Void and more. ‘Penelope Three’ will be out in Spring of 2021 on Houndstooth.
When not making music Penelope works on photography, video and performance art as part of a visual arts collective, Agnes Haus.
“Referencing Scott Walker and This Mortal Coil, Trappes uses a minimal palette to frame her spellbinding, spectral songs in a starkly beautiful sound, suggesting a collaboration between Mazzy Star and Leyland Kirby, or Felicia Atkinson writing for Lynch. Truly remarkable” Boomkat
“A shiver inducing introspective work, drawing influence from Nick Cave and Grouper” The FADER
“A majestic collection of dystopian lullabies” 20 Jazz Funk Greats
