Anna Calvi has shared a new single called ‘Ain’t No Grave’. Written for the sixth season of the British series Peaky Blinders, the track will appear on Calvi’s upcoming EP Tommy, which arrives on May 6 via Domino. Listen to ‘Ain’t No Grave’ below.
Calvi previously wrote and performed the score for season five of Peaky Blinders, which is when ‘Ain’t No Grave’ made its first appearance. The Tommy EP includes another song she wrote for the show, ‘Burning Down’, as well as a cover of ‘Red Right Hand’, the Peaky Blinders theme song by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘All The Tired Horses’.
“I’ve been living in the character of Tommy Shelby for years now, after scoring series 5 and this final series of Peaky Blinders,” Calvi said in a press release. “The only way to write for this show is to get inside his head – I’ve dreamed about him every night for months, and when I pick up my guitar I try to play to his inner thoughts. My guitar is his violence and my voice is his hope. I always felt he should have ‘a song’ that sums him up – he’s the ultimate antihero – murderous, cold, terrifying, and yet has a deep love for his family and a naive childlike hope that he will one day rise above it all. I wanted to believe that ‘Aint No Grave’ was the song going round in his head as he slow motion walks through his life. I think Tommy will be a part of me forever!”
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight added: “A new Anna Calvi single is always cause for celebration and I’d like to add my name to the list of people who are singing its praises. I’d also like to thank Anna for all the work she has put in on the soundtrack of series six of Peaky Blinders.”
In 2020, Calvi released the Hunted EP, featuring reworkings of songs from her most recent full-length Hunter.
Tommy EP Cover Artwork:
Tommy EP Tracklist:
1. Ain’t No Grave
2. Burning Down
3. Red Right Hand
4. All The Tired Horses