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 ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. She is the daughter of visual artists, who have both internationally exhibited. Her father, Alexander Hollweg (grandson of the painter

Edward Wadsworth Edward Alexander Wadsworth (29 October 1889 – 21 June 1949) was an English artist, closely associated with modernist Vorticism movement. He painted coastal views, abstracts, portraits and still-life in tempera medium and works printed usin ...

and son of the Olympic

ice-hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ho ...

player Joachim Albrecht von Bethmann-Hollweg), was a painter and sculptor whose work is in the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

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 The Soho Hotel is a luxury 5-star hotel in London, England. Located at 4 Richmond Mews in Soho, the hotel has 96 bedrooms and suites, each one individually designed by Firmdale Hotels’ co-owner and Creative Director, Kit Kemp Judith Kit Kemp ...

in central London. Her mother Geraldine Hollweg (née James) is a

silversmith A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms ''silversmith'' and ''goldsmith'' are not exactly synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product may vary grea ...

and enameller, who trained as a painter at the

Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art The Ruskin School of Art, known as the Ruskin, is an art school at the University of Oxford, England. It is part of Oxford's Humanities Division. History The Ruskin grew out the Oxford School of Art, which was founded in 1865 and later became ...

, 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 St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any universit ...

. She has a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

in French and German from

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

and a Diploma in Jazz and Studio Music from London's

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

Professional career

Performance and songwriting

Rebecca Hollweg did her own headline tour of the United Kingdom in 2002, and supported

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

on his 2002 UK tour. She also toured the UK in 2003, supporting Paul Carrack of Squeeze and Mike & The Mechanics. She has played London venues including Ronnie Scott's, 606 Club, PizzaExpress Jazz Club

The Pheasantry The Pheasantry, 152 King's Road, Chelsea, London, is a Grade II listed building that was home to a number of important figures in 1960s London and a small music venue in the 1970s where a number of bands were able to play their first gigs. Early ...

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 John Richard Hegley (born 1 October 1953) is an English performance poet, comedian, musician and songwriter. Early life He was born in the Newington Green area of Islington, London, England, into a Roman Catholic household. He was brought up i ...

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 Keats House is a writer's house museum in what was once the home of the Romantic poet John Keats. It is in Keats Grove, Hampstead, toward the edge of inner north London. Maps before about 1915 show the road with one of its earlier names, Joh ...

, 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 David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 19 ...

. Singer

Carleen Anderson Carleen Cassandra Anderson (born May 10, 1957) is an American singer and musician. She is known for her work with the Young Disciples and numerous collaborations. Her distinguished solo career began in 1992. She is the acclaimed composer, writer ...

recorded it, with Rebecca Hollweg's lyrics, on Andy Hamill's 2002 album ''Bee for Bass''. Rebecca Hollweg then recorded it on her 2008 album ''Orange Roses''. Three of her songs are on the soundtrack of a short film ''The Bitterest Pill'', which stars

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

Sara Cox Sara Joanne Cyzer (née Cox; born 13 December 1974) is an English broadcaster. She presented ''Radio 1 Breakfast'' on BBC Radio 1 from 3 April 2000 until 19 December 2003. Since January 2019 she now hosts the BBC Radio 2 drivetime show, Monday ...

. Other songs of hers have been covered live by Claire Martin. Rebecca Hollweg performs with a band which, as of 2017, consists of Phil Peskett (piano), Andy Hamill (bass), Mike Outram (guitar), Tom Gordon (drums) and Justin Woodward (vibes).

''The Demos''

In 1999 Rebecca Hollweg published, privately in a limited edition, a

demo album Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film * Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhe ...

, '' The Demos'', which featured earlier versions of songs from ''June Babies'' and ''Orange Roses''. Since 2009 it has also been available via the CD Baby website.

''June Babies''

In October 2001 she released her first album, '' June Babies''. Consisting of melodic pop songs, it featured string arrangements by Chris Bowden and a guest appearance by Jeb Loy Nichols. It was critically acclaimed in the British national and music press. Dan Cairns, writing in the ''Culture'' section of ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, w ...

'', praised "the title track’s ode to friendship and late developers, the bare-bones upcloseness of Where Are You Going? and the wryly observational Is It Me You’re Looking For?" and said: "there is something of

oni An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess ...

Mitchell in her soaring vocal lines and uzanneVega in her confessional ones, though there are unexpected echoes, too, of Marianne Faithfull at her throatiest". 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 Jeremy Guy Vine (born 17 May 1965) is an English television and radio personality, presenter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known as the host of his BBC Radio 2 lunchtime programme which presents news, views, interviews with live guest ...

'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 4hero are an electronic music group from Dollis Hill, London, comprising producers Mark "Marc Mac" Clair & Denis "Dego" McFarlane. While the band is often cited as ''4 Hero'' or ''4-Hero'', the name is stylised as ''4hero'' on their albums and ...

and Shea Seger, who has played bass on albums by Laura Mvula, Rumer,

Natacha Atlas Natacha Atlas ( ar, نتاشا أطلس}; born 20 March 1964) is an Egyptian-Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "'' cha'abi moderne''" (modern popular music). Her mu ...

, 4Hero,

Nitin Sawhney Nitin Sawhney , D.Mus (; born 1964) is a British musician, producer and composer. A recipient of the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, among multiple international awards throughout his career. Sawhney's work combines Asian a ...

, and has also worked with Kylie,

Martha Reeves Martha Rose Reeves (born July 18, 1941) is an American R&B and pop singer. She is the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas which scored over a dozen hit singles, including " Come and Get These Memories", " Nowhere to R ...

, Tim Minchin, John Hegley, and

Omar ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...

''Orange Roses''

In March 2008 she completed and released '' Orange Roses'', whose songs have a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

tinge. Produced by Andy Hamill and mixed by Brad Nunn of 4hero, the album features the same musicians as on ''June Babies'' and a sleeve design by Jeb Loy Nichols. Reviewing the album for NetRhythms, Mike Davies described it as "an equally warm, mellow affair that colours the folk core with jazz, pop and country on more songs about childhood, the awakenings passing years bring, beginning and endings, and relationships". Mick Houghton, in a four-starred review in the March issue of ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'', described her as "akin to an old school Brill Building songsmith. Carole King couldn’t have come up with a better pop song than 'These Are My Tears'. If only the Carpenters were around to cover it – someone should." 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.''Country Girl'' sleeve notes 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 Janice Berry ( Chegwin; 5 April 1955 – 25 December 2021), known professionally by her first married name Janice Long, was an English broadcaster who was best known for her work in British music radio. In a career that spanned five decades, ...

and by

Robert Elms Robert Frederick Elms (born 12 June 1959) is an English writer and broadcaster. Elms was a writer for ''The Face'' magazine in the 1980s and is currently known for his long-running radio show on BBC Radio London. His book, ''The Way We Wore'', ...

on his

BBC London 94.9 BBC Radio London is the BBC's local radio station serving Greater London and its surrounding areas. The station broadcasts across the area and beyond, on the 94.9 FM frequency, DAB, Virgin Media channel 937, Sky channel 0152 (in the Lond ...

radio show.

Jamie Cullum Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...

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". Jamie Cullum says this at 36:14 Reviewing ''Country Girl'' for ''

'' 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."

''Other People's Songs''

Hollweg released a digital album, ''Other People's Songs'', in November 2020.

Broadcasting

In February 2015 Rebecca Hollweg was on

radio show. Also in February 2015, she was interviewed and played live on ''

World Update ''World Update'' was a radio programme that was BBC World Service's morning news strand. Broadcast at 10:06 GMT, it was also carried by public radio stations across the United States. Between 2003 and 2020, the programme was presented by Dan Da ...

'' with Dan Damon on BBC World Service radio, and the title track of her new album ''Country Girl'' was played on BBC Radio 2 by

. She has been interviewed and played live on ''

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by ...

'' on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

and the

Nicky Campbell Nicholas Andrew Argyll Campbell, OBE (born Nicholas Lackey, 10 April 1961) is a Scottish broadcaster and journalist. He has worked in television and radio since 1981 and as a network presenter with BBC Radio since 1987. Early life Campbell wa ...

show on

Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that broadcasts mainly news, sport, discussion, interviews and phone-ins. It is the principal BBC radio station covering sport in the United Kingdom, broadcas ...

and has appeared twice on Janice Long's show. She has performed sessions for

BBC 6Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...

, Simon Lederman's show on

BBC London BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily ''BBC London News'' and weekly '' Sunday Politics'' on television, ...

Gyles Brandreth Gyles Daubeney Brandreth (born 8 March 1948) is an English broadcaster, writer and former politician. He has worked as a television presenter, theatre producer, journalist, author and publisher. He was a presenter for TV-am's '' Good Morning ...

and Wendy Lloyd's programmes on

LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadca ...

BBC Radio Scotland BBC Radio Scotland is a Scotland, Scottish radio station, radio network owned and operated by BBC Scotland, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of programmes. It replaced the Scottish BBC Radio 4 opt-out service of the same na ...

, BBC Radio 4's '' Loose Ends'' and on ''Artsworld'' for Illumina TV.

Discography

Other recordings

Rebeca Hollweg provided background vocals on ''Now Then'', the 2005 album by Jeb Loy Nichols and on ''Hopetown House'', the 2009 album by Clara Sanabras & the Real Lowdown. She has also recorded duets with Tony Penultimate, aka Peter Brooke Turner of the

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UOGB) is a British musical ensemble founded in 1985 by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux as a bit of fun. The orchestra features ukuleles of various sizes and registers from soprano to bass. The UOGB is ...

, 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, Ruby, born in 2004.

References and footnotes

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollweg, Rebecca 1964 births Living people 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers 21st-century guitarists Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Alumni of St Edmund Hall, Oxford English country singer-songwriters English guitarists English people of German descent English women guitarists English women singer-songwriters Musicians from London Von Bethmann-Hollweg family 21st-century women guitarists