Holly Rees

Described as Laura-Marling-meets-Courtney-Barnett, Holly Rees is an indie-folk act based in Newcastle, UK.
After BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson backed her on his show with plays from her 2017 debut ‘Ilex’, Rees carried that momentum into booking festival slots at Hit The North and Evolution Emerging and playing supporting gigs with Coco and the Butterfields, Joseph J Jones, X Factor’s Sam Lavery, and Hannah Trigwell.
Rees’ sophomore EP ‘Slow Down’ came out in August 2018, climbed to #6 on the iTunes chart and garnered airplay across the United States and Europe, alongside support from BBC Introducing in the UK. Following a co-headline UK tour with Matt Dunbar, Rees released ‘Stick Around’ at the end of 2018, launched with a packed hometown show in which Rees also broke into full-band territory, heralding the release of live EP “Text Me When You Get There”.
2019 saw Rees take her live show to an international level with a 44 date tour across Canada, including joining the line-ups of festivals such as Calgary Stampede and Canadian Music Week. Just before heading back to the UK, Rees graced listeners with ‘Getting By’, a full-band anthem rivalling 2018’s softer release ‘Stick Around’. This time Rees and her band throw down for a punchy singalong about messy mental health, which has since received international airplay as well as support from home with BBC Introducing In The North East, and has solidified her move into the rockier full-band set up to take on 2020.


"a delicate voice that will rip through your ears and leave a lasting impression" - Songwriting Magazine

"I was listening to a girl from the North East the other day, Holly Rees, and her track ‘Toast’ and it floored me. It was so brave and created by someone who was really, truly, being themselves. Don’t believe anyone who tells you there is no future in music. There is. All you have to be is good." - Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music

“Her stage personality, songs, and voice reminded me of some legendary singer/songwriters from yesteryear” - Spotlight Music UK

"unapologetically down to earth lyricism" - RIDE MUSIC

“an earnest brand of songwriting that will take Holly farther than she thinks." - The Music Mermaid

"Charmingly goofy and engaging, she has that knack of captivating an audience with her storytelling and effortless patter between songs." - NARC. Magazine