Richard Hawley

Richard Hawley (born January 17, 1967) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and composer known for his richly nostalgic sound that blends rockabilly, country, and orchestral pop. Hailing from Sheffield, England, Hawley has earned critical acclaim both as a solo artist and a collaborator, and in recent years, he has expanded his musical storytelling into the world of theatre.

Before launching his solo career, Hawley was a member of the Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s and later played guitar for Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker. After those projects, Hawley shifted focus to his own music, releasing a series of deeply atmospheric and emotionally resonant albums including Late Night Final (2001), Coles Corner (2005), and Truelove’s Gutter (2009). His signature sound—marked by crooning vocals, lush arrangements, and themes of love, loss, and working-class life—evokes a bygone musical era while remaining thoroughly contemporary.

In 2019, Hawley made a notable foray into musical theatre by composing the music and lyrics for Standing at the Sky’s Edge, a stage musical set in Sheffield’s Park Hill housing estate. Featuring a book by Chris Bush, the production premiered at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre and was praised for its powerful storytelling and evocative score, using Hawley’s existing catalog alongside new material. The show transferred to the National Theatre in London and later to the West End, where it won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2023.

Throughout his career, Hawley has been nominated for several Mercury Prize and Brit Awards and has collaborated with artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Lisa Marie Presley, and Elbow. His music reflects a deep sense of place, particularly rooted in his hometown of Sheffield, and resonates with a timeless, cinematic quality.

Richard Hawley continues to be one of Britain’s most distinctive musical voices, celebrated for his ability to bridge the intimate and the epic—whether through albums, collaborations, or his growing work in musical theatre.