Born in the spacious
desertscape of Santa Fe, New Mexico and raised in the pristine surroundings of
Queenstown, it’s no wonder Holly Arrowsmith’s songs encompass a reverence for
nature.
Desert Owl, the first single
from her forthcoming album
For The Weary Traveller is
an unequivocal reflection of her New Mexican heritage.
This memorable track commences with an evocative minor to major acoustic riff,
woozy pedal steel, jaunty drum beat and Holly's captivating, earthy voice -
placid one moment, plaintive the next.
Arrowsmith is influenced by the nature poets - in this case Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow and the line 'The Red Sun on the mountain
burst" from the poem
Jeckoyva. These words
inspire the song's imagery and the personification of nature in the form
of a
Desert Owl and mark the beginning of the track's chorus.
Funded in part by an AMP scholarship and a successful Kickstarter
campaign,
For The Weary Traveller is due for release
on July 31
st and is a collection of
unique beautifully crafted songs with tastefully restrained instrumentation.
At just
21 years old, Holly has already showcased The New Zealand Country Music
Awards, Rhythm And Alps and Rhythm and
Vines. Last year she delivered a TEDxtalk on ‘Honest Music’, and has opened for internationally acclaimed folk
artist Rodriguez, captivating crowds with songs from her EP
The
River.
Desert Owl is now available for purchase from
Bandcamp and
for streaming on
Spotify.
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