Holy Holy

Recorded in a series of modest studios and spare rooms in Tasmania and Victoria, HOLY HOLY's fourth album, Hello My Beautiful World is perhaps their most fully realised. Built upon a foundation of electronic beats and rolling synths, the record combines lush string arrangements, May-esque guitar riffs and chanted vocals to produce a heady and persuasive mix. The record moves fluidly through a collection of feverish moods and atmospheres, unfolding unpredictably and building to a series of wild and unhinged highs. It’s a dense and ambitious record suited to close and repeated listening. “We were given all the freedom in the world to do whatever we wanted, and this is what we did,” says vocalist Tim Carroll of the record. “It's a work we're proud of. Some of the songs are really different for us, however, at the same time, I feel really connected to this album.” Fans of the band have already witnessed – at least partially – their reinvention. Recent single ‘How You Been’ saw them add a spring to their step amidst a wash of synths and samples. The accompanying music video sees this exuberance realized, as a single camera tracks Carroll dancing haphazardly under the surreal pink sky of Tasmania's Spring Bay Mill. Before that, ‘Port Rd’ threw a curveball with its steady build from pulsing, palm-mute guitar to an all-out rave. That's all without mentioning the hyperactive delivery of Melbourne rapper Queen P, who emphatically makes her mark within the song through her fiery guest verses. Needless to say, the lead-offs to Hello My Beautiful World stand out significantly from a sonic standpoint when placed next to previous efforts from the band – and in a way, that's entirely the point. “Our first record had somewhat of an old-school, band-in-the-room feel to it,” says Oscar Dawson, the band's guitarist and primary producer, reflecting on the changes the band have made over the years. “It was very nice, but I've been increasingly inclined to get further and further away from that sound as we go on. To that end, in 2020 we had almost the perfect arrangement – not only did we want to get away from the sound of being a rock band, but given the pandemic we kind of had to.” Indeed, like many records you'll be hearing throughout 2021, Hello My Beautiful World was largely forged in the midst of Australia's lockdown period. With Carroll in Launceston and Dawson in Melbourne, the two continued to work on their parts separately. Whilst other bands would see this as an obstacle, it's worth noting that the duo are very used to this arrangement – prior to his move to Tasmania, Carroll was based in Brisbane. “If anything, I'm closer to Oscar now than I was before,” he quips. Dawson, meanwhile, jokingly boasts that Holy Holy “have been making iso records for years.” The pair didn't tackle the album entirely on their own, however. Japanese Wallpaper – who previously worked with the band on their 2019 album My Own Pool of Light – added distinctive texture and flair across the album, most notably on album opener, ‘Believe Anything’ and the reflective yet driving ‘Stand Where I’m Standing’. Sisterly duo CLEWS, meanwhile, have their voices featured on the incessant, electric cut ‘The Aftergone’. Throw in the flourishes of composer Toby Alexander's string arrangements, plus collaborations with The Presets Kim Moyes, and you're looking at a record that sees the band redefining itself as a powerful force in the Australian songwriting landscape. “Sharing a song with someone is a really special thing,” Carroll says. “When we're picking out collaborators, we're looking for people that sit outside of what we do – people that do something different; something special. One of the reasons we reached out to Kim and Japanese Wallpaper, for instance, was because of their expertise in the electronic pop world. I'm really happy with what we've come up with together – I feel like it's a real extension of our sound.” Dawson agrees. “When we work with people from different genres, it’s not that we’re totally different from them. There are heaps of similarities too. Music genres aren’t black-and-white, there isn’t some sort of binary,” he adds. “It's all about the grey zone where the two of you meet in the middle – you realise that you connect on a certain level, but you also have access to a different perspective. You’re similar enough to be together in the first place; but where you differ is where the light can come through.’ Hello My Beautiful World is an accomplished release from a band that is certainly not short on accomplishments. With their three full-length albums to date, the duo have built a loyal and dedicated fanbase with over 100 million streams across their body of work and multiple gold and platinum singles hanging on their walls. If that wasn't enough, there are nominations for ARIA Awards, J Awards and National Live Music Awards to take note of. Achievements such as these are testament to the band’s connection with their fans - maintained through their fanatically attended live shows and unique songwriting. The music of Holy Holy, too, has always been paired with titles that evoke striking, intriguing imagery – after all, two of their most popular songs are named ‘Teach Me About Dying’ and ‘You Cannot Call for Love Like a Dog’. With Hello My Beautiful World, however, they may have chanced upon their most striking album title yet – and the best part is that neither Carroll nor Dawson can directly take credit for it. “It's actually something my son once said, when he was really young,” recalls Carroll. “We'd just moved to Tasmania, and one morning he opened the curtains and just said it out the window; hello, my beautiful world. There was something about it... I just found it so beautiful. When we were making our last record I had it as a potential name, but it just didn't fit. This time around – especially with everything going on in the world right now – it feels right.” Hello My Beautiful World will be released through Wonderlick Recording Company on 20th August and is available to pre order now LINKFIRE (coming Suz) Available in all formats including Limited Edition clear vinyl, with a 24-page booklet including the 11 original song artworks.