Fresh off the release of her new album Not The Girl Holly Macve chatted to Lily about inspiration, writing and her new release.
Holly Macve’s music feels like a secret garden. As you enter into her world of folk/pop fusion, the artist lulls whoever listens with delicately sewn melodies, all sung in her smokey voice. It’s no surprise then, that her demeanour is as charming as her music. Excitable and engaging, she spills about her lockdown dwelling. “I’m doing good, the sun is shining today which makes everything a little easier,” she smiles. “I’ve been listening to Cutworms newest album quite a bit. I’ve also recently discovered a Japanese film director called Hirokazu Koreeda who has been inspiring me massively!”
Macve has been releasing music since 2016, but it’s always been a constant presence in her life. “I grew up in a very musical household. My mum is a Music Therapist and my step dad makes acoustic guitars so there was no escaping it really!” She laughs. “It just felt like a very natural thing for me to do and something I enjoyed from a very early age. I fell in love with Elvis and The Everly Brothers as a child, I think they taught me a lot about harmonies and melodies!”
Their musical influences stuck, as Macve took the same path as her icons, and emerged onto the scene as a full on folk songstress. Open and endearing, her tracks mix pop and rock elements into a magnetic folk fusion that let’s her detailed storytelling shine. However, her tracks are far from typical, as Macave soon started experimenting with her voice through her musc, resulting in captivating abstract moments across her register. “I just sing whatever comes naturally from the heart. I alter my style depending on what I’m singing about or what kind of emotion I’m trying to get across,” she explains. “Of course there are so many amazing singers that I am inspired by and if I’m going through a phase of listening to one specific artist, then this can subconsciously influence the way I use my voice.”
This exploration of sound and style has led to her grand return with ‘Not The Girl’, a release that marks an evolution for Macve’s artistry. “I know so much more than I did about recording, producing and arranging. It’s been such a joy to take my time learning and pushing myself with this album.” she pauses. “My first album was very raw and pretty minimal, which I would never change, but I feel that this album has more depth to it in terms of sounds and textures. I experimented much more sonically and it’s definitely a result of more diverse influences.” It’s something of an understatement, as Holly collaborated with legendary singer-songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones “This record was a long process for me & Bill’s influence was an important part of the journey,” she admits. “Bill played some really beautiful guitar parts on the record, he’s amazing. He’s so great with slide guitar in particular, those parts really helped create a dreamy/cinematic feel, which I love.”
The result is a beautifully crafted series of works, with one track flowing from the other. The tracks feel interconnected in their sounds,, but the artist doesn’t put that on a direct influence. “I didn’t set out to have any particular themes but there’s definitely a sense of freedom, liberation and a sort of ‘coming of age’ feeling.” She says. “I usually have a magic moment of inspiration where it all comes to me at once. Unfortunately it doesn’t happen all that often though. It’s strange, at times I can feel the song brewing inside me for weeks and it’s such a relief when something is finally born haha. I write poetry too and I turn these into songs if I think they are strong enough.” It’s an album that contains an honesty that transcends time, and connects with the consciousness in all of us. “The album is for the listeners. It is theirs to take whatever they want from! I just hope it resonates with people and makes them feel something.” It’s an intention that integrates itself into every premise of Macve’s music, and with the future wide open, it seems that her emotional, eclectic tracks will only send her forward.
Listen to Holly Macve’s new album on Spotify and Apple Music.
