Signe Tollefsen is an American–Dutch singer-songwriter, settled in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, Netherlands. Her music has been described as

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

Biography

Growing up in Utrecht, the Netherlands, as the child of an American father and a Dutch mother, Signe Tollefsen started to sing at the age of 7. She went to the "Kathedrale Koorschool Utrecht", the choir school in Utrecht (other members were Colin Benders, better known as

Kyteman Colin Benders (born 5 December 1986 in Utrecht) is a Dutch techno artist. He is also the founding figure of The Kyteman Orchestra. Childhood Benders grew up in Sterrenwijk, Utrecht. Primary school was not easy for Colin; various diagnoses, like ...

). She composed her first songs on guitar at the age of 14, inspired by artists such as

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...

, Edith Piaf, and

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

. At 15, she moved to the UK to finish high school (

European School, Culham The European School, Culham (ESC) was one of the fourteen European Schools and the only one in the United Kingdom. Located in Culham near Abingdon in Oxfordshire. It was founded in 1978 for the purpose of providing an education to the children ...

) and studied classical singing at the

Royal Northern College of Music The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a conservatoire located in Manchester, England. It is one of four conservatoires associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition to being a centre of music education ...

. She eventually gave up classical song for studies in philosophy at the

University of Hull The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hull ...

, when she started singing her own songs in public at Hull's infamous underground club "The Adelphi". She moved back to the Netherlands to study medicine, but gave up and started studying at the

Amsterdam Conservatory The Conservatorium van Amsterdam (CvA) is a Dutch conservatoire of music located in Amsterdam. This school is the music division of the Amsterdam University of the Arts, the city's vocational university of arts. The Conservatorium van Amsterdam ...

with René van Barneveld ('Tres Manos', the

Urban Dance Squad Urban Dance Squad was a Dutch rap rock band formed after what was originally intended as a one-time jam-session at a festival in Utrecht on December 20, 1986. The band consisted of a guitarist, bassist, drummer, rapper, and DJ. Urban Dance Squ ...

). In 2005, she played with Stephen Malkmus ('S.M.', Pavement) in Italy and Germany. In December 2006 she won the audience prize and the prize for best musician at the ''Grolsch Grote Prijs van Nederland'' in the category singer-songwriter, thus qualifying to record a promotion single and to appear on well-known stages. Her picture appeared on the front page of the newspaper "''Sp!ts''". Between 2006 and 2009, she shared the stage with

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, Stephen Malkmus,

Alela Diane Alela Diane Menig (born April 20, 1983), known as Alela Diane, is an American singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California, Nevada City, California. Early life and education Diane was born in Nevada City, California, Nevada City, California ...

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, and Japan's singer David Sylvian. In 2008 famous Dutch singer

Mathilde Santing Mathilde Santing (born Mathilde Eleveld, 24 October 1958) is a Dutch singer. Santing was born in Amstelveen, Netherlands. She started receiving national attention in 1981 after she appeared in a Dutch television program called ''Sonja Op Maandag ...

recorded her song "Sweet Tears" on her album ''Forty-Nine''. In September 2009 Tollefsen's eponymous debut album came out on CoraZong Records, recorded in Los Angeles (USA) and Utrecht (NL). It was very well-received by the press and was later released in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and the UK. In 2010 she toured the UK twice (April and November) and the USA and Canada (September). Her EP, entitled ''Baggage'' came out in January 2011 and was produced by Ralph Timmermans. This album contained 6 covers and was published by Cavalier Records and V2. In March 2011 she was a guest musician in ''De Wereld Draait Door'', a popular Dutch TV show with an average of 1.5 million viewers, singing "Borrowed Song", which will appear on her second album. Her second album ''Hayes'', also produced by Ralph Timmermans, came out in September 2011, and is said to be a transitional album, where Tollefsen switches from acoustic guitar to electric. Timmermans co-wrote "Daddy", "Scared" and "Here Is What". "Where You Been" was recorded in Los Angeles by Brian Adler, "Speak To Me" and "Since I'm Leaving" were recorded in Sweden by Tollefsen herself in June 2011, where she spent a month writing. Two more songs she wrote there will be recorded for her next album.

Reviews

; thisull : ''Quite simply put Signe has the most amazing voice. Her vocal range has to be heard to be believed, the controlled and measured delivery marvelled at, the maturity and richness of tone surprising in one so young.'' ..''Her voice hypnotic, her guitar style minimalist, almost ponderous as she falls into full-bodied deep sounds or pin-prick sharp notes.'' (Second half of article.)

Discography

* ''Signe Tollefsen'' – September 2009 :1. It Smells of You :2. History Class :3. You, Me & The Brewers :4. Jeff :5. Hooked (You Spit in My Whiskey) :6. King of the Fire :7. Mama :8. My Old Man :9. Sweet Tears :10. Up To No Good :11. It Was Ooo :12. Oh My! :13. This Is It * ''Baggage'' – January 2011 :1. You Are My Sunshine (Jimmy Davis) :2. No Thank You (The Woodwards) :3. Glory Box (Portishead) :4. Dirty Diana (Michael Jackson) :5. Down by the Water (PJ Harvey) :6. As The World Falls Down (David Bowie) * ''Hayes'' – September 2011 :1. 185 MPH :2. Drunk Orchestra :3. Speak To Me :4. Since I'm Leaving :5. Daddy :6. Where You Been :7. Make Me A (Wo)man :8. Homecoming :9. Borrowed Song :10. Here Is What :11. Scared

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tollefsen, Signe 1981 births Living people Conservatorium van Amsterdam alumni Dutch guitarists Dutch people of American descent Dutch singer-songwriters Dutch songwriters Musicians from Utrecht (city) 21st-century Dutch singers 21st-century Dutch women singers 21st-century guitarists 21st-century women guitarists

Biography

Reviews

Discography

See also

References

External links