Holli Scott

Biography

Weather and Weeds, the second album from Australian jazz vocalist and composer Holli Scott, reveals a delicate balance between beauty and darkness.

With her signature poetic flair and captivating melodies, Scott weaves stories that pull listeners in, rich with reflection and raw emotion. Her music defies easy categorisation - though deeply rooted in jazz, it effortlessly blends elements of folk, art music, and spoken word, creating a sound that is distinctly her own. Scott's sound has matured since her debut album DUST in 2019, evolving into something even more vulnerable and unrestrained. In Weather and Weeds, her rich, warm vocals are at the forefront, supported by an exceptional collaboration with two of jazz’s finest musicians: Grammy award-winning pianist Tal Cohen (USA) and world-renowned saxophonist Jamie Oehlers (AUS).

The absence of drums and bass gives this album a striking openness, allowing Cohen’s piano and Oehlers’ saxophone to engage in a dance of melody, harmony, and texture that supports, but never overshadows, Scott’s voice.

At its heart, Weather and Weeds is an exploration of relationships – both with people and with the ever-changing Australian landscape. Growing up in the rural town of Nannup in Western Australia, Scott spent much of her childhood surrounded by the natural beauty of the landscape. The vivid imagery from those formative years left a lasting impression, and her lyrics often reflect the magic of everyday moments and the deep emotional ties to her surroundings.

The trio came together after a chance meeting between Scott and Cohen at the Perth International Jazz Festival in 2022. While Scott and Oehlers had worked together for over a decade, this project marked the first time she collaborated with Cohen, whose piano work had long inspired her. The three musicians found an immediate connection, and with only a couple of rehearsals, jumped straight into recording the album in a single session.

The album’s first single, Back the Way We Came, is a standout that will stay in your head for days. Scott evokes the complex feelings of letting an old friendship fall away after a long time, and it is emoted by vivid images of late afternoon light and shadow.

The second single, Weather and Weeds, which also serves as the album’s title track, features multimeter rhythms and shifting time signatures reflecting the unpredictability of life’s transitions, while the open instrumentation allows space for the trio’s improvisational chemistry to shine.

Among Holli Scott’s personal favourites on the album is Unravelling, a track where the lyrical storytelling truly shines. The subtle intricacies of the arrangement and the interplay between her voice, Oehlers’ saxophone, and Cohen’s piano helps bring her words to life. She also holds For Mandy close to her heart – a tender tribute to a lost friend.

The re-imagining of Tom Waits’ Tango Till They’re Sore breathes new life into the song’s gritty, narrative-driven lyrics. Stripping the original’s roughedged instrumentation down to its emotional core, Scott’s interpretation takes on a haunting intimacy, blending her jazz sensibilities with Waits’ dark storytelling.

Inspired by influences ranging from Billie Holiday and Nina Simone to Tom Waits, Fiona Apple, and Joni Mitchell, Scott’s compositions reflect an intricate balance between lyrical storytelling and musical improvisation.

The trio’s musical chemistry is evident throughout, with Cohen’s freewheeling, imaginative playing and Oehlers’ lyrical, expressive saxophone lines perfectly complementing Scott’s melodies. Brodie Stewart’s recording, mixing and mastering ensures that the intimacy of these performances is preserved, giving listeners the feeling that they are in the room with the musicians.

Holli Scott’s artistry has been widely recognised in Australia, with nominations for WAM’s Song of the Year and Best Vocalist, international recognition as a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (USA, 2020), as well as being a finalist in the James Morrison Generations in Jazz Scholarship. Her work on projects like the soundtrack for This is the Police showcases her ability to transcend genres and find new ways to tell stories through music. Scott is a sessional staff member at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and has just begun her PhD research at the university on 'lyric-driven composition’.

Jamie Oehlers is one of Australia’s most celebrated jazz saxophonists. Winner of the 2003 World Saxophone Competition in Switzerland, Oehlers has received multiple Australian Jazz Bell Awards, including Best Australian Jazz Artist and Best Contemporary Jazz Album. With a career spanning decades and continents, Oehlers has performed with leading jazz musicians across the globe. He is also a dedicated educator, currently lecturing in jazz at WAAPA.

Tal Cohen is a Grammy award-winning jazz pianist whose expressive and imaginative playing has earned him global recognition. Now based in Miami, Cohen’s musical journey has taken him to stages worldwide, where he has collaborated with jazz luminaries such as Terence Blanchard, Greg Osby, Joe Lovano, and Ignacio Berroa. Cohen has received prestigious accolades, including winning the Barry Harris National Jazz Piano Competition at the Detroit Jazz Festival and the Freedman Fellowship, which he performed to a sold-out crowd at the Sydney Opera House.