Holy Holy is a band that don’t do much by halves. Their soon to be released new album ‘My Own Pool Of Light’ for example has been a labour of love, recorded differently to previous efforts and with a unique sound that means labelling it won’t be easy. I spoke with vocalist Tim Carroll recently to get the low down.
“With this album, we were rarely in the one-room really. We’d be sending files back across the country, using pitch shifters and drum loops and pulling everything apart. I’m excited by it. And proud of all of it. In many ways, each album (this is the groups’ third) has its own story.”
Carroll’s own musical journey began early, and the soundtrack to The Blues Brothers was as big an influence as any in those early days.
“I look back and music was important to me. We had the Blues Brothers soundtrack with all these amazing musicians. As a family we would drive to the beach and sing all of the songs on the album. I’d be singing all the time to the point where people at school would tell me to stop sometimes. I started with piano lessons that my parents insisted on. And was 16 when I first picked up a guitar. And I would start to write a lot.”
Sometimes all it takes to crush or help a career can be some wise words and they came from an older friend of Carroll’s sister who saw his talent and encouraged it.
“A friend of my sister was very supportive and actually had me support him at shows. I fell in love with music. By the late 1990s music became my social world too. It was so much fun to be a part of it and that scene. Others would go clubbing and I’d be at gigs. Songwriting is hard but to write a good song is the hardest.”
With the release of the new album, the band are set to head out on a 16-date tour across September, October and November and plan to showcase their efforts over the last couple of years.
“We’re keen to present a big part of the album. I really want to play the new record. There are quite a few tracks that bleed into each other so the structure will be interesting. Rolling four or five songs together will be epic.”
The band head to Torquay on November 1 for what will no doubt be a unique show.
Release: My Own Pool of Light is available Friday 2 August via Wonderlick Recordings.
Written by Chris Michaels
