Ani DiFranco

Ani DiFranco

Ani DiFranco is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and businesswoman from Buffalo, New York. Born Angela Maria DiFranco in 1970, she works within folk and is associated with indie and alternative music as well as singer-songwriter traditions.

Style and themes

DiFranco’s writing is often autobiographical and strongly political. Her songs address social issues including racism, sexism, sexual abuse, homophobia, reproductive rights, poverty and war. Her guitar style is marked by staccato playing, rapid fingerpicking and frequent use of alternate tunings. She also delivers many lines in a spoken style with rhythmic variation. Her lyrics are known for alliteration, metaphor, wordplay and restrained irony.

Career

She forms Righteous Babe Records in 1989 and releases her solo albums through that independent label. She is credited with 19 solo albums, not counting collaborative or live releases. Her work has a strong critical reputation, with a career album average of 72 on Metacritic. Living in Clip, a double live album from 1998, is her only album to achieve gold record status.

Recognition

DiFranco is widely regarded as a feminist figure in music. The Buffalo News describes her as Buffalo’s leading lady of rock music.