Holly Humberstone: The singer dabbling with 'dark, wonky pop'
- Published
If you've grown up sharing a bedroom or fought with siblings, then Holly Humberstone has got your back.
At the start of lockdown, the 20-year-old moved back home to Lincolnshire with her three sisters and her parents, who are both NHS doctors.
"It was extremely chaotic. We've all got big personalities and there's six of us in one house," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.
In March, she'd just come off a huge tour with Lewis Capaldi and says the change of pace took the family a while to adjust to as they tried to "co-exist".
During those first few weeks, it was difficult for her to see her parents so stressed as they worked long hours and dealt with an ever-changing pandemic.
But things have gradually got a bit calmer and says the experience was a "nice excuse" for her whole family to come back together and reconnect.
Allow YouTube content?
This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
One of her sisters even helped out her career by filming the video to her single Overkill.
Taking an old VHS camera, she made Holly run through the local forest at dusk with her guitar in hand, creating a video that's a bit like the Blair Witch Project.
Still in the early stages of her career, Holly describes her music as "dark, wonky pop" but admits she's still trying to figure out exactly what her sound is.
"I take influence from loads of different places but I love Lorde and Phoebe Bridgers who both have really personal and 'on-the-nose' lyrics."
Allow Instagram content?
This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Things moved fast for Holly after she went from playing small venues to arenas as the support act on Lewis Capaldi's European tour.
"It was a highlight for me but seriously intense.
"I perform on my own so I have no band to fall back on or anything. It was amazing for my self confidence."
Holly's music is for fans of:
HAIM
Lorde
Bon Iver
Phoebe Bridgers
Maggie Rogers
Like so many other musicians, Holly's got used to gig cancellations and recently had a couple of November headline shows rescheduled to next year.
"Hopefully I'll get to perform soon. I also miss doing sessions so hopefully there will be some kind of normality."
Despite lockdown, she's still on course to release her debut EP and recently filmed a special performance for the Jimmy Kimmel show - which has fast become a rite of passage for many upcoming British artists.
Even though her parents are both doctors, their interest in the arts meant they encouraged Holly to take up music and be creative.
She says TV was banned in the house so instead she would make up songs and music on her piano from poetry books.
"It makes us sound really strict but it was actually fun".
You might also like:
Like many of us, she struggled through the first few weeks of lockdown and found that as a writer, she had "nothing to write about".
"But I took the pressure off myself and understood that I had all this time to create things," she says.
Her surroundings have helped too with the countryside providing peace and quiet, and a good place to escape from her three sisters when things get a bit too hectic in the house.
"I've been grateful to be in the countryside. Lincolnshire has so much space and it's been such a nice place to lock down and isolate."
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, external, Facebook, external, Twitter, external and YouTube, external.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
- Published1 June 2020
- Published28 July 2020
- Published6 August 2020
- Published17 August 2020