Gifted artist leaves no stone unturned
Who They?
Holland Andrews is a New York vocalist and performance artist who creates abstract, elegant soundscapes tackling themes of repression and catharsis. Alongside their body of solo work, Andrews has composed music for film, theatre and dance, and has undertaken notable collaborations with performers such as Peter Broderick and Son Lux. While they have previously released music under the alias Like A Villain, it is arguably under their own name that Andrews produces their most sensitive and affecting work.
Why Holland Andrews?
Many of Andrews’ compositions are based around their intriguing vocal style, which is openly influenced by jazz, opera and musical theatre (a hangover from the theatre camps they attended as a child). The combination of these diverse musical leanings and Andrews’ difficult teenage years – they were 16 when their mother committed suicide – is what makes their voice so unique, in that they have the ability to effortlessly follow dissonance with a calming sense of release and tranquility. You will likely find a sense of exorcism within Andrews’ work, even if avant-garde soundscapes don’t usually make up a large chunk of your daily listening.
Tell Us More…
Andrews’ latest EP, ‘Forgettings’, builds on the foundations of the artist’s earlier solo work, but possesses a richer intensity than their previous releases. The opening track, ‘Transform Forever’, is particularly representative of this, weaving from one extreme to another within the space of three-and-a-half minutes. Oregon Public Broadcasting described one of Andrews’ performances as “the channeling of deep reserves of light and darkness, for the benefit of audiences battered by emotional trauma”. Andrews will be playing at the historic Musikbrauerei in Berlin on 8 October – a must-see, by all accounts.
‘Forgettings’ is out on LEITER
