The Webb Sisters

The Webb Sisters are a UK folk-pop duo made up of sisters Charley Webb and Hattie Webb. They are from Kent, England, and grew up in a musical family, with two drummer brothers, Brad Webb and Rocco Rands-Webb. Their father is an entrepreneur and drummer, and their mother is a tennis coach. The pair have performed and written together since childhood.

Formation and performance style

Charley and Hattie Webb sing their own songs and cover versions, often in close harmony. Hattie plays harp, and also mandolin, while Charley plays guitar, clarinet and piano. Hattie uses a small acoustic/electric harp that she straps on like an accordion. As teenagers, they give recitals around the country and perform at charity functions and parties. They also play for Princess Anne twice and for Queen Elizabeth II once.

Early career and recordings

The sisters first work with record producer Johnny Pierce, who invites them to Nashville. There they record their debut album, Piece of Mind, then later spend time in California selling the album at gigs. They are then offered a publishing deal by Windswept Pacific Publishing and sign a record deal with Universal Records. After returning to the UK, they work with Mercury Records for the release of Daylight Crossing.

Daylight Crossing is produced by Steve Lipson and Youth and recorded at Sarm Hook End, Abbey Road and Olympic Studios. It includes writing collaborations with Mike Elizondo, Jeff Trott, Bridget Benenate, Matthew Gerrard and Steve Booker. The album also features Simon Tong and Simon Jones of The Verve, plus Steve Gadd and Pino Palladino. It receives BBC Radio 2’s “Record of the Week” and “Album of the Week” and reaches number 2 on the UK TV music video airplay chart. iTunes names it “Album of the Week” and selects “Torches” as “Single of the Week”.

Further releases and collaborations

The Webb Sisters release the EPs Comes In Twos and The Other Side, followed by Always On My Mind and When Will You Come Home?. Their studio album Savages appears in 2011 and is produced by Peter Asher. It is nominated for the Adult Contemporary category at the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards, and their song “Baroque Thoughts” wins in that category. Their single and EP work also includes “I Still Hear It” and “Still the Only One”.

They contribute vocals to a number of other recordings, including Vanessa Carlton’s Heroes & Thieves, Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins, Paul Chesne’s “White Man’s Curse”, Sting’s If on a Winter’s Night..., Leonard Cohen’s Live in London DVD, Catherine Feeny’s “People In The Hole”, Leonard Cohen’s Songs From The Road, Natalie Maines’ “God Only Knows”, Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few’s “June In Siberia”, Kevin Doherty’s “Esplendido Corazón”, The Avett Brothers’ “Life”, and Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Love Has Come For You. They also record “Fortune of Soldiers” for the Judy Collins tribute album alongside Chrissie Hynde, Dolly Parton, Shawn Colvin and Rufus Wainwright.

Live work and Leonard Cohen

In 2008, The Webb Sisters join Leonard Cohen’s band on his first tour in fifteen years. They remain part of the touring line-up through the world tour that runs from Canada and Europe to New Zealand, Australia and North America, ending in Las Vegas in 2010. The tour includes performances at the Big Chill, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage and Coachella. The live release Leonard Cohen Live in London is recorded at the O2 Arena in London, and Charley and Hattie appear on the song “If It Be Your Will”.

They also tour with Jamie Cullum, Jason Mraz, James Morrison, Kubb and Rufus Wainwright, and perform on The Sharon Osbourne Show. In 2007 they represent the UK at America’s 400th Anniversary celebrations in Jamestown, Virginia, where they first perform “Pocahontas”, a song written with Sharon Robinson. They also work with Angelo Petraglia and Craig Wiseman around this period.

Awards and recognition

The Webb Sisters’ performances with Leonard Cohen receive the Meteor Music Award for best international live performance of the year. Their song “Baroque Thoughts” wins at the Independent Music Awards. Their recording of “Still the Only One” is later used on the CBS series Cane, and they sing on Natalie Maines’ version of “God Only Knows”, which appears in the finale of HBO’s Big Love.