About
Quotes
"Across the late '80s and' 90s, Heidi. Berry recorded five albums for British independent labels, Creation and 4AD. It's a slender but profound body of work, yet to receive its due. Firefly is a lovely folk-rock mini-album, six gorgeous, autumnal songs, played starkly with Martin Duffy, then of Felt, and members of The Weather Prophets, as her backing band. But Below The Waves is Berry's first masterpiece. It's near perfect."
- John Dale, Uncut (2023)
“Music often has to do with the time it was made, but Heidi’s three (4AD) albums transcend that for me. Her albums are at the core of what I hoped I was doing with 4AD - to represent people who could express themselves in music that has nothing to do with the flow and flavour of the decade in which they were made. It’s the same reason why Nick Drake’s music works for people. Heidi’s music is not about where she fitted in. Instead, it has great lasting value.”
- Ivo Watts-Russell, 4AD Founder,
in Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD, by Martin Aston (2013)
Biography
Heidi Berry is a British-American singer-songwriter. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts and moved to England as a young teenager. Her mother has French Canadian roots and sang Jazz during 1960s. Heidi's father was a struggling artist and actor, who moved the family frequently around the northeast USA in search of work. She and her siblings changed schools frequently and experienced a childhood in as diverse environments New York’s Greenwich Village bohemian lifestyle and then rural New Hampshire, where the family foraged and grew potatoes to survive. After her parents' divorce, her mother married British architect, John F. C. Turner and soon after, the family emigrated to London, England.
The impact of such a varied upbringing contributed in no small way to Berry’s unique “voice” as an artist. As Berry herself says, “When you move around a lot, you give up trying to fit in; what’s hip in one school won’t cut it in another. So there's no point in trying to keep up. You develop your own values, learn to follow your own compass.” And this may help to explain the highly eclectic nature of Heidi's musical output.
Having grown up in a creative environment, Heidi was naturally drawn to pursue an artistic career. After finishing her school education in London, she went on to gain a degree in Fine Art from Chelsea School of Art and Middlesex University, and then a post-graduate qualification in Art Education from Goldsmith's College. All the while, she maintained an interest in music and was privately amassing a body of original songs. In 1985, her then partner, Pete Astor (The Loft, Weather Prophets) was first to hear these songs and he put a word in the ear of Alan McGee, founder of Creation Records. This led to the release of her first two solo albums, Firefly and Below the Waves, the latter was her first recording to feature her brother, Christopher Berry on guitar.
Heidi's Creation label mate, Lawrence, the legendary enigmatic leader of the band Felt, was an early champion of her work. And it was while opening for Felt that Berry caught the attention of 4AD's Ivo Watts-Russell. On the strength of this performance, she was invited her to lend her voice to the song 'Til I Gain Control Again', on This Mortal Coil's third album, Blood and eventually to sign to 4AD label.
Heidi felt much more at home within 4AD's individual and female-led environment, where she was given the support to fully realise her creative vision. Her first 4AD solo release in 1991, Love "...has the melancholy of a folk record that has had all its signposts removed, like a village in a war." (Jim Irvin, Melody Maker). It was produced by Peter Walsh, and features an array of musicians, including Martin McCarrick (Siouxsie & the Banshees), Terry Bickers and Laurence O'Keefe (Levitation), Ian Kearey (Oysterband) and saxophonist Lol Coxhill.
The eponymous Heidi Berry followed in 1993 and 4AD describes it as a "masterfully arranged set of late-night contemplation". It features the minor hit, 'The Moon And The Sun' and the song 'For The Rose' features Danny Thompson on double bass. The record was produced by Hugh Jones at the famous Rockfield Studios in Wales.
Miracle was her final full album for 4AD, released in 1996. This was again produced by Hugh Jones and recorded at Rockfield Studios. It features musical performances by Christopher Berry, Laurence O'Keefe, violinist Anne Wood (Raincoats) and drummer Jon Brookes (Charlatans).
Heidi has toured extensively in the UK, US and Europe and has guested with Breathless, Spear of Destiny and Stephen Hero. Her 4AD sampler single, 'The Devil' was recorded in Ireland and produced by Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance), who she toured with in Ireland. She also collaborated with Andy Cowton on BBC soundtracks and her solo work has featured on US television. The Lost Girls collaboration with Patrick Fitgerald of Kitchens of Distinction produced the superb 'Needle’s Eye' (4AD, 2001) and a full Lost Girls album was released on 3-Loop records in 2014. Both Firefly and Below the Waves were reissued on the Glass Modern label in 2023, with reimagined artwork, designed by Heidi.
Heidi Berry currently resides on the South Coast of England. She lectures in songwriting, performance and creative education at a university in Brighton and holds a Masters Degree in Songwriting. She continues to create new music and is currently working on an illustrated album scheduled for release in 2024.
For business enquiries only, contact: info@heidiberrymusic.com