Rebecca Hollweg

Rebecca Hollweg (born 30 June 1964) is an English singer-songwriter. She has been described as "a talented songsmith" who "combines old-school craftsmanship with Joni Mitchell's perspectives on relationships and environment" and "a silky-voiced jazz-influenced songwriter" who "laces her low-key arrangements with exquisite vocals".

Early life and education Rebecca Hollweg was born in west London, and from the age of nine grew up in rural west Somerset. whose work is in the Tate Gallery collection and in private and corporate collections in North America and in Italy. His murals are in the Charlotte Street Hotel and the Soho Hotel in central London. Her mother Geraldine Hollweg (née James) is a silversmith and enameller, who trained as a painter at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford and worked as a scene painter at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her brother is chef and food writer Lucas Hollweg.

Rebecca Hollweg went to West Somerset College in Minehead and then to St Edmund Hall, Oxford. She has a Bachelor of Arts in French and German from Oxford University and a Diploma in Jazz and Studio Music from London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Professional career Performance and songwriting Rebecca Hollweg did her own headline tour of the United Kingdom in 2002, and supported The Byrds' Roger McGuinn on his 2002 UK tour. She also toured the UK in 2003, supporting Paul Carrack of Squeeze and Mike & The Mechanics. PizzaExpress Jazz Club, The Pheasantry and the Southbank Centre, as well as arts centres, theatres and music venues elsewhere in the UK. She is a regular musical guest of poet John Hegley at his monthly nights at the Betsey Trotwood pub in Clerkenwell, London and was also his guest twice during his poet-in-residency at Keats House, Hampstead.

In 2002 she wrote lyrics for "Falling", which had been composed by Harvie S and had been recorded by him as an instrumental piece played by saxophonist David Sanborn.

Three of her songs are on the soundtrack of a short film The Bitterest Pill, which stars BBC Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox. Other songs of hers have been covered live by Claire Martin. Rob Beattie in Q magazine described her as a "gifted tunesmith, happy to wrangle words into memorable phrases ('You cannot see these bruises/They are inside my head')" and praised "Weather Song, with its infectious chorus, and the beautiful, bouncing Warhol and Williams".

Songs from the album were played on Jeremy Vine's BBC Radio 2 show. The title track was used in a BBC television programme about women runners.

The album was produced by Andy Hamill, bass player with 4hero, Carleen Anderson and Shea Seger, the album features the same musicians as on June Babies and a sleeve design by Jeb Loy Nichols.

Andy Cole, writing in Maverick music magazine, said: "Rebecca writes deceptively about the everyday things of life... Orange Roses... is personally my contender for song of the year. It’s about wiping away the sadness and embracing new beginnings... These Are My Tears with its smooth electric guitar is something you could imagine the late Karen Carpenter wrapping her voice around this near perfect pop song...highly listenable from beginning to end which has you reaching for the replay button for more chill-out joy. Music of the highest quality."

Country Girl Her album Country Girl was released in February 2015. Produced and recorded by Andy Hamill at Emu's Nest Studios in London, it was mixed by Andy Hamill and Chris Lewis and was mastered by Chris Lewis. It was launched at the Cavendish Arms in Stockwell, London on 23 November 2014.

The title track was played on BBC Radio 2 by Janice Long and by Robert Elms on his BBC London 94.9 radio show. Jamie Cullum played the song "Light" on his BBC Radio 2 programme on 3 March 2015, saying "a great singer who I love very much... a real great listen from start to finish... this great, great album".

Reviewing Country Girl for Uncut magazine, Mick Houghton gave it 8 of 10, describing it as "another delightful batch of tunes" and adding: "The title track sets the tone, a jaunty, bass-driven, tongue-in-cheek look at city life, 'Ruby' is sung to her daughter and would have fitted snugly on any Carpenters’ album."

Broadcasting In February 2015 Rebecca Hollweg was on Robert Elms' BBC London 94.9 radio show. She has performed sessions for BBC 6Music, Simon Lederman's show on BBC London, Gyles Brandreth and Wendy Lloyd's programmes on LBC, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends and on Artsworld for Illumina TV.

Discography Album Release date Label The Demos Limited edition, published privately, 1999 Emu Records June Babies 9 October 2001 Emu Records (EMU 02) | Orange Roses 10 March 2008 She has also recorded duets with Tony Penultimate, aka Peter Brooke Turner of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, on his 2014 album Adventures in Gibberish. She sang a duet with Jeb Loy Nichols on his song "Dear Love" on Andy Hamill's album Bee for Bass (2003).

Publications (with Jeb Loy Nichols): The Ball That Got Stuck in the Tree, Emu Records, 2010.

Personal life Rebecca Hollweg lives in London. She and her husband, bass player Andy Hamill, married in 2003. They have a daughter, born in 2004.

References and footnotes