CHRISTOPHER HOLLAND - biog/discography

Chris took up the piano as a small child growing up in Greenwich South East London. He started piano lessons aged seven but soon started playing by ear (which was a bit painful at first). He found it more satisfying spending hours on end in his bedroom practicing and recording his first song, ‘It’s Getting Late' when he was just 12.Using a very old reel to reel tape machine and RMI electric piano that was handed down from squeeze. It was around this time in the late 70's that his elder brother Jools would rehearse with Squeeze in their front room. When they all finished and went to the pub he would sneak in and have a play on their instruments, including a brand new polymoog synthesizer that sounded something like a space ship taking off. His twin brother Rich would also jam along on the drums.

By his early teens while still at school he formed his own band B Sharp playing mainly organ and singing, featuring Rich on drums, James Butler (school friend) on bass and Lisa Covington and Lorriette Saunders on guitar and backing vocals who he met at a local party...They made their first TV debut at fifteen years old when they were spotted by Mick Robinson for a new show he was presenting for the BBC.

He left school at 16 to concentrate on the band, touring extensively around the country for a couple of years before being signed to Miles Copeland's IRS Label, releasing a couple of singles While The Goings Good and Tell Me Straight produced by Pascal Gabriel [S-Express, Inspiral carpets, EMF]

In between working on his own music he has continued to tour and record with various other artists including Green On Red, Squeeze, Stereophonics, Paul Weller Tom Jones (to name but a few). As well as regularly playing organ and writing with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

In 1999 he released his first solo album Cosmic Harmony Companion (on Beautiful Records BT003CD) containing some of his earliest compositions and featuring various guests musicians including Sam Brown, Kim Leslie, Rico Rodriguez, Gilson Lavis and Pino Palladino. This self-financed debut was recorded in-between various tours during 98/99 but with limited funds to promote it confidently slipped into obscurity. A follow up studio album 'Hoopatasso' was released in 2002 in a very limited number of just 250 and was only available at live shows, This served as a taster for Brother sun Sister moon (BT004CD) which was officially released in the summer of 2003 to much critical acclaim, featuring Ash Soan (ex Del Amitri, Faithless) on drums, Lisa Covington [ex B Sharp], Ron Box on guitars, Dave Swift on bass and Sam Brown providing B vocals. This was partly produced with Laurie Latham and Ron Box and has a very uplifting and summery feel about it…

Continuing to tour throughout 2004 as well as doing various solo acoustic shows and festivals, he spent the summer recording a one off project/collaboration with original B Sharp guitarist Lisa Covington. Featuring 13 original songs, using a wide range of vintage keyboards but with a definite ear to the future Butterfly Effect was released in 2005.

In 2006/7 in between touring Chris put the finishing touches to his 3rd studio album 'Everything you can imagine is real ' recorded again with Ron Box ..Featuring Melvyn Duffy-pedal steel, James Evans-clarinet and Edwina Hayes taking vocal duties on one track and providing beautiful harmonies throughout.
It has a warm folky/country feel and has many received great reviews, becoming album of the week in music week magazine.

2008/9
Chris has been doing various production and session
work incl performing with Al Green and Dave Gilmour and meeting up with his old mate ,record producer,musician Ethan Johns(kings of Leon,Ray Lamontagne,Paulo Nutini)
and subsequently recording on Tom Jones Praise and Blame album..

2010.
In between working with Jools and the orchestra,
Chris is currently working on over 30 new songs for a new double album due out next year
including various early demos and guests, including collaboration with the amazing Katy Shotter
.. more soon

Chris Holland Discography

Albums Chris appears on