Violet Skies

Hannah Berney, known professionally as Violet Skies, is a singer-songwriter and producer from Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales. She began her musical journey at a young age, with a clear focus on music as her future by age 4. Skies later adopted her great-grandmother’s name, Violet, with ‘Skies’ suggested by her mother, for her artistic moniker. Her career gained early recognition with the release of her first song, “How the Mighty,” in 2013, which was described by WalesOnline as a “classically arranged electro slow-burner.” She further established her presence with her debut solo EP, “Dragons,” in June 2014, leading to a performance on the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury Festival that same year. Skies also opened for A Great Big World at Bush Hall in Shepherd’s Bush in 2014 and released the song “Liar” in January 2015.

Skies has developed a reputation for writing “pop with teeth,” combining emotional vocals with honest lyrics and infectious melodies. She co-produces all her music. In addition to her solo work, Skies has spent several years writing for other artists globally. A significant milestone in her songwriting career includes co-writing “God Is a Dancer” for Mabel and Tiësto in 2019, which spent eight weeks in the UK Top 40, peaking at number 15. Her collaborations extend to notable artists such as Diana Ross, for whom she co-wrote “I Still Believe” in 2021, and Mabel with Tiësto for “God Is a Dancer” in 2019. The song “Insomnia” co-written with Tiësto reached 7.34 on the Spotify Top Tracks. “When I Come Home” co-written with Taska Black reached 3.04 on the Spotify Top Tracks. She also collaborated with Billy Lockett on “Talk,” appearing on Spotify’s top tracks. Skies released the EP “I’ll Buy a House” in June 2019, followed by an acoustic version shortly after, and another EP titled “Lonely” in April 2020 which further contributed to her more than 20 million streams across her EPs.

Beyond her musical output, Violet Skies co-founded sheWrites, a global series of female-only writing camps, with songwriter and producer Charlie McClean. This initiative aims to address imbalances in the music industry by creating a supportive environment for female, femme, LGBTQ+, and nonbinary songwriters, producers, and artists to collaborate and connect. She was selected for PRS Foundation’s Writer Producer Fund. In 2020, she released an instrumental piano-only EP featuring reworkings of her popular songs. Her debut album, “If I Saw You Again,” was released in June 2022, a project she largely completed during the COVID-19 lockdown in Los Angeles, allowing her extensive time for production and introspection.