Beccy Owen
Beccy Owen is a musician, singer, songwriter, performer, producer, musical director and sound designer.
She has established herself as a cherished part of the North East’s cultural fabric and has performed at the UK’s most renowned venues, festivals and live art programmes. Described as a “formidable and open-hearted musician” (Woodwork UK) and by BBC Radio 6’s Tom Robinson as a “very special talent” Beccy has released seven critically acclaimed albums to date and has shared line-ups with the likes of Elvis Costello, Nitin Sawhney, John Grant and Kate Rusby.
Beccy’s debut album “The Sweetest of Tales from the Bitterest Edge” celebrates it’s 20th anniversary this year, whilst her most recent long player, “Chaotica”, was released in 2019 in collaboration with the all-female collective The Refuge. Despite the challenges of remaining staunchly independent, Beccy has continued to forge her own path across the decades with a seemingly indefatigable energy for making, performing and connecting. Her work often uses rich harmony, playful vocal techniques and mesmeric rhythms to place listeners and audiences at the heart of a singular musical experience.
Taking influence from pop, electronica, folk, jazz, classical, ambient and cinematic music, Beccy’s work has historically focused on the human voice accompanied by piano and other instruments.
Talking about her residency at The Glasshouse, Beccy says:
“Music has always been a tool for personal healing and exploration for me. As a neurodivergent person I perceive sound as a portal to alternative realities and states. During the residency I want to explore music as an intentional ritual and focus on how, in a collective sense, we might begin to process the mass-trauma of the past few years via music’s reverberating magic. I’m looking forward to having the time and support to experiment and develop something that is genuinely immersive.”
As well as her work as an artist, Beccy also considers herself to be a ‘social musician’. In 2016 she founded Beccy Owen’s Pop-Up choirs, a series of on-going group singing experiences for all. Beccy has been nominated for a Special Recognition award for this work at this year’s Journal Culture Awards, and was also nominated as a Community Champion for her online sessions during the pandemic.
