An Interview With The Very Promising Rising Indie-Pop/Alternative Singer-Songwriter HOLLY HENRY!

Holly Henry has been singing since the age of 3.  Her unique, ethereal voice first caught the public’s ear as a contestant on the fifth season of The Voice.

This Minnesota-based singer-songwriter has gone on to build an international fan base as a partner with YouTube and through original music releases. Henry’s original songs continue to top the iTunes charts.

This summer, she released her debut album, “King Paten” via Garden Ghost Records. Next year, she hopes to release another 100% self-produced collection. All of Holly’s music can be purchased on iTunes and heard on Spotify. 

Learn more about Holly in the following All Access interview:  

Thanks for your time! Now that we are entering the fall of 2016, what are some words you would use to describe this year? What have been some of the highlights for you and your music?

Words I would use to describe this year would be productive and encouraging. This year my first full length album King Paten  was created and the result was everything I wanted. The majority of the first few months were spent writing and recording the album which was a dream. I felt like it was everything I’ve ever wanted to give to my followers and they received it so well, with it charting in many different countries. I have also been investing more time and energy into my YouTube channel and am so happy to see it grow everyday. All in all a very motivating year for me, personally.

Growing up, did you always want to be a musician? Can you recall your earliest musical memory?

I don t think there was ever a moment in which I decided that I wanted to be a musician. I always loved music but it was never a primary goal. It was just something I enjoyed. My first musical memory is probably when I sang America the Beautiful at my uncle s wedding. The song choice seemed appropriate in my 3-year-old mind.

You’ve released so many incredible covers. What have been the most challenging and fun ones to put together? What about your most favorite covers? Are you constantly working on them?

Thank you! I’m a big fan of production so any covers on my channel you see that contain harmonies, different instruments, etc. are definitely my favorites to work on. There is a cover of Bon Iver’s Calgary which I put my heart and soul into and it s my favorite cover I’ve done. I also really enjoyed singing Sweet Dreams by the Eurthymics because I wrote a bunch of really weird harmonies for it.

I like changing songs up a lot compared to the original but not everyone loves that so I do it less often than I d like. I am constantly working on covers. I release 3-4 a month, the majority of them being requests people leave in my YouTube comments. So, I am always working on/listening to new songs.

I understand that you are now working on your original material and hope to release a full album next year? How has that process been going?

The new album is in the works but it s at it s very early stages. (Laughter) So far I just have a notebook with words I like and weird lyrics that I’m mulling over. I hope to self-produce this next album which I have always wanted to do. So, I think the process will be quite different from any other album I’ve recorded in that I will most likely be writing most of the songs as I go along rather than write the album in advance. It will probably be out next year because I like to get things done. (Laughter)

How has it been going writing your own songs? Where do you find the inspiration for them?

Writing is higher than singing on my list of priorities. I love to sing but writing is what I enjoy the most. I try to be inspired by the world around me vs. a specific musical style because I never want to come across like I m stealing someone s else vibe. I want to stand alone and be considered unique so I tend to be inspired by books, nature, memories, love, loss etc etc etc.

Who are some of your favorite artists and what bands continue to inspire you and your music? Who would you love to work with in the future?

Oops! (Laughter) I sort of answered that above. I look up to people who are completely different from anyone else. Or, rather, they were the first to do something. I love Sufjan Stevens. I think he has this incredible talent of conveying emotion through lyrics that you may not even completely understand because they are very personal to him. But, you still feel so connected to it. I also love Lana Del Rey. I think she s just so cool and writes about whatever she wants. She s 100% unique and I’m very drawn to that. I’d love to work with either of them.

Where do you think you are happiest-in the studio recording, performing or elsewhere?

I am happiest when writing music, I think. I don’t love performing and studio work can be very tedious. I think just the act of writing by myself tends to be the thing that drives me to work hard at this career because I really do enjoy it.

At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope listeners take away from your songs?

I hope that people listen to my music and think,  I don’t really know who I would compare this album to, you know? That may be an unreasonable goal. But, I’d love to know that my music is completely my own, not bits and pieces from other artists. I think the message of my music is curiosity. Always keep it and always explore, whether it s exploring the world or just exploring your own mind. Thank you to you and your readers for taking the time to read!

Follow Holly Henry on Social Media Here:

https://hollyhenry.bandcamp.com/

http://hollyhenrymusic.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hollymaezers

Instagram: https://instagram.com/hollymaehenry/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/hollyhenrymusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hollymaehenry