PJ Harvey. Artist Spotlight September 2025.

Polly Jean "PJ" Harvey (born October 9, 1969) is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for her constantly evolving, genre-bending music. Her work, which often features unflinching lyrics and a theatrical approach, has earned her critical acclaim and a devoted following.
Early career with the PJ Harvey Trio
Automatic Dlamini: Harvey began her career in 1988, gaining ensemble experience by joining John Parish's Bristol-based band, Automatic Dlamini.
Formation of the trio: In 1991, she formed the PJ Harvey Trio with former bandmates Rob Ellis and Steve Vaughan.
Dry (1992): Their debut album, released on the independent label Too Pure, received widespread critical praise.
Rid of Me (1993): Produced by Steve Albini, this second album was more aggressive and was released by Island Records after a major label bidding war. The trio disbanded after touring to support the album.
Solo career and shifting musical styles
Following the trio's breakup, Harvey continued to release music under the PJ Harvey moniker, exploring a range of genres with each new release.
To Bring You My Love (1995): A blues-influenced record featuring expanded instrumentation, which became a commercial success and earned her Grammy nominations.
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000): This pop-rock leaning album won the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2001 and is her best-selling album in the UK.
White Chalk (2007): A dramatic departure in style, this album consisted primarily of piano-based ballads.
Let England Shake (2011): A politically charged record exploring themes of war and English history, it earned Harvey her second Mercury Prize, making her the only artist to receive the award twice.
The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016): Many of the album's politically charged lyrics were based on trips Harvey took to Washington, D.C., Kosovo, and Afghanistan.
I Inside the Old Year Dying (2023): Harvey's tenth studio album is based on her book-length narrative poem, Orlam.
Other notable projects
Beyond her solo albums, Harvey has maintained a prolific career with many collaborations and creative ventures:
Nick Cave: She collaborated with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on the 1996 album Murder Ballads.
John Parish: A long-time collaborator, they released the joint albums Dance Hall at Louse Point (1996) and A Woman a Man Walked By (2009).
Film and stage scores: Harvey has composed music for multiple theatrical productions, including Hedda Gabler and All About Eve, and for the TV series Bad Sisters.
Poetry and books: She is the author of two poetry books, The Hollow of the Hand (2015) and Orlam (2022).
September 2025 Artist Spotlight. PJ Harvey.
Complete Setlist 9/13/25
Rid Of Me (Live)
Commentary
I Inside The Old I Dying
Seem And I
Dress
The Wind
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
A Place Called Home
Happy And Bleeding
Commentary
To Bring You My Love (Live)
C'mon Billy
Down By The Water
Send His Love To Me
Commentary
Missed
Ecstacy
The Wheel
That Was My Veil
Who The F**k
Shame
White Chalk
The Words That Maketh Muder
Hanging In The Wire
My Friends Have
Commentary
As Close As This
My Own Private Revolution.
Recorded live at the She Shack Studio September September 8th-13th 2025.
© Copyright Danny Diess 2025.