An independent singer-songwriter and creative, Kaurna-based Holly 'Cookie' Baker returns from a half-decade-plus pause of her touring and recording career with a new single titled 'The Winter'.
An artist who knew early in life that music was her future – force-feeding Christmas Day concerts to her family on the front verandah – before her break from recording-touring (to focus on her work as a songwriter and creative arts producer), Holly released a number of singles as well as a LP – 'This Is Not A Love Song' – in the second half of the '10s.
Cookie's creative path also led to touring with Mick Thomas (Weddings Parties Anything) and sharing stages with the likes of Neko Case, Augie March, Kate Miller- Heidke, Ben Lee, Jen Cloher, Vikki Thorn (The Waifs) and Angie Hart (Frente!).
Holly also recorded a song with Australian music royalty and rambunctious Renaissance man, Tim Rogers – 2017's 'The Summer' that acts as an accidental sister song to 'The Winter', Baker's first new music in six years.
A beguiling, yet sombre dark pop love song, 'The Winter' offers bruised empathy, laced with haunting emotion, the songwriting poignant, the evocative strings adding a layer of cinematic beauty.
A song that Holly has refined and whittled away at for a number of years, 'The Winter' also features the vocals of seasoned Adelaide singer-songwriter Ollie English, the pairing charmingly delicate offering a graceful elegance that's intoxicating.
Ahead of the song's release tomorrow (26 September), today scenestr is delighted to premiere 'The Winter'. Enjoy.
"Although the first verse and chorus of 'The Winter' bounced around for years before I finished it, I didn't know where it thematically came from for the longest time," shares Cookie.
"Then it revealed itself to me as being the narrative of two people in a relationship experiencing the same dissatisfaction within the relationship at the same time.
"Through that heartache and resignation though, the song is actually full of hope, self-actualisation and self-trust. I want it to feel like a long-armed aural hug that can wrap around the listener in layers.
"I would love for it to feel comforting for those feeling lonely or alone – a battle for many in increasing desires for both isolation and connection."
Prior to recording 'The Winter', Holly entered the studio with a number of pre-conceived sonic ingredients she wanted to weave into the song. "There were only three elements I knew I wanted to incorporate with certainty; strings, abundant yummy vocal layers, and wanting to feel that sweet spot between intimate and cinematic.
"Everything else was on the table in the beginning. I love things huge and dynamic, I also love close, soft and vulnerable. A combination of both sets my heart alight."
The studio time allowed Cookie to strengthen one friendship whilst nurturing a new creative connection. "The whole process and our time in the studio was very relaxed, creative and fun," she says. "Ollie (English, vocals) and I are close friends and he thrills me with his beautiful vocal tone, depth and range.
"It's really important to me that everyone I'm working on music with feels themselves, feels comfortable throwing any ideas out there, and has a good time.
"Mario (Spate, engineer and producer) and I spent a lot of time talking and getting to know each other - he is a very kind, talented person without a shred of ego and has a beautiful, intimate studio space that anyone would feel welcome and at ease in.
"We basically used producing 'The Winter' as a template to see how we worked together too for future collaborations; it was wonderful for me for that moment of 'this is definitely going to work' to arrive very quickly!"
With such distinctly rich and textured vocals throughout 'The Winter', one may surmise there were many hours spent and countless takes required to land with the finished product. Sometimes, however, the spontaneity of the original supersedes the desire for perfection.
"The vocal on the track is my first ever take. I remember thinking 'I won't be using this, but what the hell' as I had really bad hay fever that day and I never thought that that resulting take would be something I would use, but as experience of that has taught me, these things can take you by surprise.
"Mario then had pretty debilitating hay fever our next session, followed by Ollie also battling a wild bout of hay fever on his vocal day! But sneeze city subsided and one of my favourite parts of the process was sticking Ollie in front of the mic to wail away some improv for backing vocals; we used loads of these atmospherically."
Holly 'Cookie' Baker 2025 Tour Dates
Sun 5 Oct - Merri Creek Tavern (Melbourne)* with Ollie EnglishFri 10 Oct - Jive (Adelaide)* supporting Salt Tree
