Name Kathryn Williams Role Singer | Education Northumbria University | |
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Instruments Acoustic guitar, vocals Labels Caw Records, Eastwest Records, One Little Indian Records Website www.kathrynwilliams.net Albums Profiles | ||
Kathryn williams heart shaped stone songs from the shed
Kathryn Williams (born 15 February 1974, Liverpool, England) is an English singer-songwriter who to date has released 14 studio albums, written & arranged for a multitude of artists, and was nominated for the 2000 Mercury Music Prize.
Contents
- Kathryn williams heart shaped stone songs from the shed
- Kathryn Williams Cuckoo The Quay Sessions
- Music career
- The Crayonettes
- The Pond
- Songwriting art
- Albums
- Side projects
- Singles
- Appearances with other artists compilations and soundtracks
- Notable live appearances
- TV appearances
- References
Williams released her first album, Dog Leap Stairs, on her own Caw Records label in 1999 with a budget of £80. The follow-up, Little Black Numbers, garnered a Mercury Prize nomination in 2000, bringing her to the attention of a wider public.
Williams has collaborated and recorded with artists including Chris Difford, Ted Barnes, Thea Gilmore, John Martyn, Joel Salakula, Tobias Froberg, Ed Harcourt, James Yorkston, Marry Waterson, Boo Hewerdine, and Paul Smith.
Kathryn Williams - Cuckoo (The Quay Sessions)
Music career
Williams sold homemade CDs of her music at her early shows which led her to setting up her own record label, CAW Records, to release her debut album Dog Leap Stairs. After her second album, Little Black Numbers, was nominated for the Mercury Prize, she signed a licensing deal with Eastwest Records. Little Black Numbers reached No. 70 in the UK Albums Chart in 2001.
Her influences include Nina Simone, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Simon And Garfunkel and Velvet Underground
Throughout her career she has toured extensively solo and with bands as well as supporting roles with David Gray, Damien Rice, Ray LaMontange, Damien Dempsey, Melanie, Be Good Tanyas, The Riptide Movement, David Gates, Beth Orton, and in 2006 she was a special guest on Tom McRae's Hotel Cafe Tour,
In 2010, Williams signed with One Little Indian Records, who released her album The Quickening, produced by Kate St John later that year.
Her second release on the label, Crown Electric, was produced by Neil MacColl. Its lead single "Heart Shaped Stone" featured a video produced and directed by James Serafinowicz & Al Campbell.
Williams performed the title song "Beyond the Sea" for The Cafe, first screened on Sky1 in 2011. Her songs have also featured on episodes of How I Met Your Mother , Holby City, Weeds, David Walliams' Big Swim, and C.S.I.
In 2013, Williams was commissioned by New Writing North to produce songs in celebration of 50th anniversary of the publication of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. She performed five of the resulting tunes – "When Nothing Meant Less", "Battleships", 'The Mind Has Its Own Place", "Tango With Marco", and "Part Of Us" – at the 10th Durham Book Festival. Teaming up with Ed Harcourt as producer, she released Hypoxia on 15 June 2015.
In 2015 Emji, a finalist on the French TV talent show Nouvelle Star, won the 11th series singing "Toboggan (You Are The One)", a song written by Williams, David Saw & John Quarmby, which was her first single.
Williams appeared with Maxïmo Park at BBC 6Music Festival, Sage, Gateshead on 21 February 2015.
In 2016 Williams released her first full length jazz project with Anthony Kerr, 'Resonator' and undertook a tour supporting Scott Matthews as well as contributing vocals to the musical ' Fancy Pants' written by Squeeze's Chris Difford and frequent collaborator Boo Hewerdine
Her 14th album, a collaboration with author Laura Barnett featuring songs based on Barnett's second novel, 'Greatest Hits' was released on 16th June 2017
The Crayonettes
Williams collaborated with friend / former member of punk band Delicate Vomit, Anna Spencer, on a new project entitled The Crayonettes. Williams and Spencer, both tired of the same old children's CD format, decided to make their own record using their own children as an in house focus group. They released the album Playing Out: Songs For Children & Robots from One Little Indian (6 September 2010). The Guardian wrote that "Pirates On the Bus" "sounds like the Moomins playing The Slits."
The Pond
The Pond consisted of Williams alongside Simon Edwards, formerly of Fairground Attraction and fellow singer/songwriter Ginny Clee, releasing their self-titled CD in 2012.
BBC.co.uk called it "An elegant, charming and quietly profound record", and MOJO magazine "A whirling magimix of hypnotic, funky loops, vintage beats and sensuous harmonies".
Songwriting & art
Williams has been involved in writing retreats & sessions that enable songwriters to share, collaborate and produce ideas as well as learn new skills and techniques. Firstly tutoring at such events alongside Tom McRae, Samantha Parton and Chris Difford whose own retreats Williams has attended. As a result, Williams has established her own writing residential courses which took place in 2014-16.
Williams was given a New Writing North commission as poet in residence at Alnwick Garden in 2006. An audio CD Words from the Garden was released in 2007 featuring writings from Williams, Nev Clay, Emma McGordon & Anna Woodford set in a soundscape by Caroline Beck, with music by Williams and Clay.
As well as creating artwork for her debut album and Two, her collaboration with Neill MacColl, Kathryn produced the cover art for David Rotheray's Life Of Birds album. & Mardous' "Revolution Over The Phone" single.
Williams collaborated with Guardian writer Tim Dowling, Chris Difford & Ed Harcourt on a 2014 Christmas single "Snowfall" in aid of The Guardian's Christmas charity appeal.
Kathryn was selected as a judge for the British Poetry Society's Ted Hughes Award for Poetry 2016 in conjunction with poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy