Holli Scott is an award-winning jazz vocalist, composer and bandleader quickly establishing herself in the Australian and international music scenes. Her music is eclectic, soulful, and dark, and draws inspiration from a broad range of artists including Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Nick Cave, Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple and Tom Waits. Scott has honed a unique, rich sound, with lyrics that create emotive images.
Scott grew up in the Southwest of WA and draws on imagery from her childhood in her compositions. The bulk of her works is showcased by quintet Holli Scott & the Rush Hour Circus, and she also composes for and performs with UMBRA trio – an ensemble with a focus on free, improvised soundscapes, created with the aid of electronic effects.
Most recently, she formed a trio with Grammy award–winning pianist Tal Cohen (USA), and World Saxophone Contest winner Jamie Oehlers (Perth, WA). While Cohen was in Australia briefly in March 2024, the trio recorded an eight-track studio album, to be released at PIJF. Scott graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts’ jazz performance program in 2015. In 2019, Scott released her debut album of original compositions and arrangements entitled DUST, which gained traction on ABC jazz and local radio. Since its release, Scott has received multiple award nominations from the WAM Awards, and placed in the top three in the John Lennon Song Writing Contest (USA, 2020).