Anja McCloskey

Music – Des Moines

A very recent addition to Des Moines, Iowa, half-American, half-German and raised in Northern Germany, Anja grew up listening to her grandfather playing the accordion, picking up the instrument herself at the age of 5. By 11, she had joined an accordion orchestra in Elmshorn, Germany, where she remained, before spending a number of years in the UK. \"I’ve always loved the accordion,” says Anja. “It has great texture and is very dynamic. Plus, I realised there aren\'t that many accordion players around, so it feels kind of special.” 

With influences including Abigail Washburn, Rufus Wainwright and Sharon Van Etten, Anja is already a relative veteran of the music scene, having gained a raft of experience playing with avant-garde performance orchestra The Irrepressibles and folk-rock trailblazers Haunted Stereo.