Lou Hickey

Lou Hickey

Lou Hickey is a UK singer-songwriter based around a blend of indie, jazz, cabaret and swing. She develops a self-directed DIY approach after experience in Glasgow punk bands, where she sings other people’s material, and after work promoting grassroots gigs at Glasgow venues including the 13th Note and Nice ’n’ Sleazy. Her background also includes classical training, a university degree in music, and singing with jazz and swing bands.

Recording

Her debut album, New Shoes, is written, engineered and produced by Hickey herself. It combines the influence of her jazz background with a punk-influenced attitude, and is built around piano-led songs with subtle jazz elements, lyrical wit and themes that deal with friendship, relationships and their failings. The album includes tracks such as A Lie and Does It Get Easier?.

Live work and performances

Hickey performs live as a solo artist, as a duo with cellist Susan Appelbe, and with a full band. Her live shows have taken her to Glasgow venues including King Tut’s, the Art School, the Carling Academy, Barfly, the Tron Theatre and George Square, as well as Edinburgh’s Jam House. She appears three times as headline musical guest at Club Noir, a large burlesque event in Europe, and also supports Suzanne Vega at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket. Other support slots include Clem Snide and Martha Wainwright.

Broadcasts and recognition

Her songs receive regular play online and on radio stations including Talk 107, Central FM, Forth FM and Q96. She also appears live in session on BBC Radio Scotland’s The Jazz House and performs at events such as the Glasgow International Jazz Festival and the Glasgow Musicworks convention. Reviews describe her music as combining smoky jazz, piano and cello, with a dramatic and melancholy tone.