Richard Hawley

For the article on the U.S. Air Force general, see Richard E. Hawley

Richard Hawley
Background information
Born	17 January 1967 (1967-01-17)
Origin	Sheffield, England
Genres	Alternative rock, indie pop, chamber pop, rockabilly, country, crooner
Instruments	vocals, guitar
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Mute
Associated acts	Treebound Story, Longpigs, Pulp, The Feral Cats, Arctic Monkeys
Website	http://www.richardhawley.co.uk/

Richard Hawley (born Richard Willis Hawley, 17 January 1967, Sheffield, England) is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer. After his first band Treebound Story (formed while he was still at school) broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. He later joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker. As a solo musician, Hawley has released six studio albums.

Solo career

Impressed by a home demo of his songs, both Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey (a former classmate from Hucklow Middle School) urged Hawley to record his first eponymous mini-album, released in 2000. In 2001, Late Night Final, named after the cry of vendors selling the Sheffield Star evening newspaper on the streets of the city^{[citation needed]}, was released to positive reviews from the press, if unspectacular sales. Two years later Hawley released Lowedges, named after a suburb of the city that the young Hawley had seen on the destination board of a bus. The NME called Lowedges the "first great album of 2003" and it topped an end-of-the-year poll held by Virgin Radio. Critical praise was widespread, leading many big names such as Coldplay, Radiohead and R.E.M. to enthuse about Hawley's work.

After the demise of Setanta Records in 2004, Hawley eventually signed to Mute Records, a division of EMI. Legal wrangling delayed Coles Corner, Hawley's fourth release, until September 2005. Again, Hawley mined the theme of his beloved home city, this time referencing the location where courting lovers meet. Coles Corner eventually gained a nomination for the Mercury Prize in 2006. Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, whose debut album won the prize, famously exclaimed "Someone call 999, Richard Hawley's been robbed!"

Hawley's 2007 album Lady's Bridge (again named with a Sheffield reference - Lady's Bridge is in the centre of Sheffield) was released in the United Kingdom on 20 August 2007. He performed a 16-date tour during September 2007 to promote the album. Merchandising on the tour included the usual t-shirts and posters, but also special edition bottles of Sheffield-made Henderson's Relish. The bottles featured the album's artwork, and a note that it gave extra flavour to meat, fish, soups, pies, casseroles and vegetables. Hawley previously used the relish to promote Coles Corner.

On 14 January 2008, Hawley was nominated for his first solo Brit Award for Best British Male Performer. Hawley was a headlining act at the 2008 Festival Internacional de Benicàssim in Spain. Hawley claimed that it was the best festival audience he had ever played to. Hawley recently produced, with Colin Elliot, and contributed two songs to the album Made in Sheffield, a compilation of songs by Sheffield-based songwriters for Tony Christie.

Truelove's Gutter, Richard's sixth studio album, was released on Mute Records on 21 September 2009. The album was nominated for, and won the Mojo record of the year.

His song "Don't Get Hung Up In Your Soul" was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week for 17 November 2009. and "Open Up Your Door" currently features as the soundtrack song to the Haagen-Dazs ice cream TV commercial in the UK.

Hawley's track "Tonight The Streets Are Ours" was chosen as the title track for the Oscar nominated 2010 Banksy film "Exit Through The Gift Shop" which premièred at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2010.

"You And I" by Richard Hawley and The Death Ramps (AKA The Arctic Monkeys), has been released as the B-Side of The Arctic Monkeys' single "Black Treacle" on January 23, 2012.

Session work

Hawley has also worked with several musicians, including Hank Marvin, A Girl Called Eddy, and Jarvis Cocker (and his Relaxed Muscle project). He played the guitar solo on All Saints' cover version of "Under the Bridge," and co-wrote Robbie Williams' song "Clean" from his debut album Life Thru a Lens.

Praise from R.E.M.'s Mike Mills led to him being approached to support the group on several concert dates in 2005. After contributing to Nancy Sinatra's 2004 self-titled album, Hawley supported her on a European tour in 2005.

In 1991, Hawley auditioned to be a guitarist in Morrissey's live band, but was rejected after he started singing "One Night" by Elvis Presley during his audition.

Hawley provided vocals for "Bad Woman," a B-side to Arctic Monkeys' single "Teddy Picker," released on 3 December 2007. He also co-wrote and provided vocals and guitar to the song "The Fix" on Elbow's Mercury Prize-winning 2008 album The Seldom Seen Kid. Hawley also performed the song with the band at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2008, on The Culture Show in June 2008, at Elbow's homecoming gigs in Manchester in 2008, Wembley Arena in March 2009, Blackpool's Empress Ballroom in March 2009 and at the MEN Arena in September 2009. He reprised his collaboration with Elbow on 17 January 2009 for a special recording of The Seldom Seen Kid with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, which was subsequently released as a special edition CD and DVD set titled The Seldom Seen Kid Live at Abbey Road in March 2009. He Recently appeared With Elbow on 19th March 2011 while the band were in Sheffield to perform "The Fix" as a bonus song on their UK Arena Tour.

Hawley's song "Baby, You're My Light" was included on the CD soundtrack for the 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Hawley himself made an appearance in the 2007 film Flick.

The song "Roll River Roll" from the Lady's Bridge album was used as the Theme tune to the TV show "Getting On"

Hawley occasionally gigs with The Feral Cats, a side project that enables him to explore his interest in rockabilly music.

October 2009, Hawley was joined on stage by Lisa Marie Presley in London for an encore, she sang vocals on a song the pair have been working on called 'Weary'. Hawley wants to help Presley relaunch her music career, and the two have embarked on a songwriting partnership in which Lisa Marie writes the lyrics and Hawley the music. In a new interview Presley said that she is currently recording a new album in London.

Hawley worked again with Arctic Monkeys in January 2012, providing vocals for the "Black Treacle"'s B-side, "You And I", released on 23rd January.

Discography

Albums

• Richard Hawley mini-album (Setanta SET153) (23 April 2001)
• Late Night Final (Setanta SET88) (15 October 2001)
• Lowedges (Setanta SET110) (10 February 2003) (UK #169)
• Coles Corner (Mute STUMM251) (5 September 2005) (UK #37)
• Richard Hawley: Extended Edition (Setanta) (21 May 2007)
• Lady's Bridge (Mute STUMM278) (20 August 2007) (UK #6)
• Live at the Devil's Arse (Mute) (26 January 2009)
• Truelove's Gutter (Mute STUMM312) (21 September 2009) (UK #17)
• Standing At The Sky's Edge (Due to be released on 07 May 2012)

Singles & EPs

• "Coming Home" (16 July 2001)
• "Baby, You're My Light" (4 February 2002) (UK #81)
• "Run for Me" (12 May 2003) (UK #186)
• "The Ocean" (22 August 2005) (UK #102)
• "Coles Corner" (31 October 2005) (UK #146)
• "Just Like the Rain" (23 January 2006) (UK #94)
• "Born Under a Bad Sign" (20 March 2006) (UK #81)
• "Coles Corner" (re-issue) (12 June 2006) (UK #136)
• "Hotel Room" (4 September 2006) (UK #64)
• "Tonight the Streets Are Ours" (6 August 2007) (UK #40)
• "Serious" (15 October 2007) (UK #83)
• "Valentine" (28 January 2008) (UK #134)
• Lady's Bridge EP (26 May 2008)
• "For Your Lover, Give Some Time" (10 August 2009)
• "Open Up Your Door" (30 November 2009)
• False Lights from the Land EP featuring Smoke Fairies (7 June 2010)

Treebound Story singles

• "My Life's Example" (1988) (Fon Records)
• "Swimming in the Heart of Jane" (1989) (Native Records 12NTV 40)
• "Take It" (1989) (Native Records 12NTV 43)

References

"I Remember" (1986) (FON)

External links

• Richard Hawley's official website
• Hawleyboard Online Community (Official message board where Hawley is a regular contributor)
• Mute Records - Richard Hawley's record label
• Lady's Bridge review on Comfort Comes
• MOG Review
• Treebound story