Annemarieke Coenders 

Annemarieke Coenders from Groningen began her musical journey over thirty years ago as one half of the vocal duo Ygdrassil. For fifteen years they performed across the Netherlands and abroad, releasing five albums. After the duo ended, she continued as a solo singer-songwriter. Together with drummer and soundscape artist Wim Sebo, she released two albums of original work: Go (2010) and Making heaps digging holes (2012). She is also an active member of the Groningen singer-songwriter collective The Songclub.

Although she has always been a prolific songwriter, it took some time before new material made its way into the studio. In 2026, her album Open Ogen will finally see the light of day. The record is a folky indie-pop journey of eleven Dutch-language songs touching on themes such as doubt, death, love, holidays close to home, growing older, and even Mathieu van der Poel. Despite its wide range, the album feels like a cohesive whole.

Contributions by drummer Lielian Tan (VeNCe, Flageolettes), trombonist Obed Brinkman (O-bat, Jammah Tammah), and guitarist/singer Fred Goverde (TAXITAXI, solo artist) add depth and texture to the album. Their work blends seamlessly with Coenders’ rhythmic guitar in unusual tunings and her warm, storytelling voice. The recording sessions took place at the It’s a Bear Studio of Harmen Ridderbos (Town of Saints, Weird Youth), who also appears on the album playing harmonium and bass.

While Annemarieke Coenders usually performs solo, the full ensemble will join her for the release show of Open Ogen at VERA. A first preview of the album will arrive at the end of 2025 with the release of the music video for Kraaienpoten.