Ahead of topping the bill at The Finsbury on 29 August, Holly Redford Jones talks to LITM about her new single and journeys both real and imagined. Grab yourself a free ticket for the show.
By Chris Sharpe
Photocred: Athena Kulb
Chris) Hey Holly, it's fantastic that you’re booked in for a headline show at The Finsbury. What can the audience expect?
Holly) Thanks for inviting me back, I’m really looking forward to playing! This time I’m performing with a band, which is exciting. We’ll be playing some indie-rock tunes and trying out a few new songs on the lo-fi pop side of things.
What's been happening over the past six months?
It’s been an exciting few months! Back in April I was announced as one of the winners of the Drake Yolanda Award, a new prize for emerging artists. Then in May, I put out my second single, ‘Bonjour Madame’. Over the summer I have been stretching my wings as a solo act, travelling around the country for festivals and shows. A particular highlight this year was playing Nozstock in Herefordshire (not Hertfordshire as I had originally thought…). But I am looking forward to being back with the band for the show at The Finsbury!
What’s influenced your writing of late?
I wrote my most recent single, ‘Bonjour Madame’, while living in London. (I recently moved back up North, which I would highly recommend to anybody struggling with London prices!) While writing the song I was influenced both by my own personal frustrations at feeling trapped in a low-paid bar job with little time for creativity, coupled with anxieties about the political and cultural forces at work in the country. The song gives voice to a daydream I entertained about escaping over the Channel to France before the opportunity to do so potentially slips away.
Name three hot acts we should be checking out right now.
Last month I became slightly obsessed with the US band Khruangbin. I’ve been doing a lot of driving on my own this summer and they have basically become my default soundtrack. I’m also a big fan of Puma Blue and very excited to see what he does next. My last choice is sort of the opposite to “hot” but I was sad to hear of the passing of David Berman recently, so I have been reacquainting myself with the Silver Jews album, American Water.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
I’m currently working on a music video for what will be my third single, which I’m hoping to put out at the end of September. Then I’m going to be spending some time in Nashville putting some finishing touches on an EP I’ve been working on for quite a long time now. Fingers crossed that will be ready for the end of the year!