With a classical background, Brisbane-based singer Holly Terrens is making waves within the local alternative pop scene.
2016 has seen Holly return with a new single, 'Disaster Brings Me Home'. She will return to the stage early next month to launch the track at Girl Power, a night celebrating 'women in music' and supporting the White Ribbon Foundation.
“I was trained classically,” Holly says. “I started playing [music] in late primary school, started writing songs in high school and then did a pop music degree and a classical musical degree at the Queensland Conservatorium; studying classical heavily influenced me.”
Holly’s music involves numerous layers throughout each track to produce her take on modern pop-rock; the songstress has even been described by the UK's Prog Magazine as: 'What Radiohead’s Thom Yorke might sound like if he had been born female.' “It's kind of surreal I guess, I never tried to be anyone else. It's really flattering,” Holly says with a laugh.
“Sometimes I'll write music first, if I get a good idea. I actually listen to a lot of rap music, so sometimes I'll get inspired lyrically and write out a lot of stuff and then take the good parts out.”The recording of ‘Disaster Brings Me Home’ took place in Japan, with Holly collaborating with Japanese band Colobs. “Recording in Japan was a really cool experience, because only the producer spoke English and it was really cool recording and communicating ideas musically, with a language barrier. That was really cool! I knew very limited Japanese [laughs].
“I think travelling to Japan and living and working with Japanese artists has really influenced me as well.”
You can expect to see a lot of crazy fashion, eyelashes and a whole lot of talent when seeing Holly Terrens. “I do modelling and I'm working alongside a Brisbane fashion designer, Ethan John. With this new single I'm releasing, the video is very avant-garde type of thing, so I'll definitely be bringing some of that on stage.”
Holly will be performing at Girl Power, an event raising awareness and much-needed funds to support the White Ribbon Foundation's work to end men’s violence against women. Funds raised at the event will support primary prevention initiatives in schools, workplaces and the broader community. “I'm so excited to be a part of that. There's so many wonderful female musicians in Brisbane. I'm stoked to be involved… I think it's good that more awareness is happening.”
Brisbane band Flynn Effect, fronted by Tomina Vincent, had the idea to organise the event that involved women from the music industry who supported the cause. “I think almost all of us know a woman who’s been the victim of violence at some time or another, and how helpless that can make someone feel, how there never seems to be anything we can do to help them… This was our attempt to do that something.”
Catch Holly Terrens at Girl Power alongside Flynn Effect, She Eats Hearts and Seraphic at the New Globe Theatre, Brisbane, 6 May.
