Holy Holy are an Australian
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band formed by songwriters Timothy Carroll (vocals, guitar) and Oscar Dawson (guitar) in 2011. The pair were later joined by Ryan Strathie (drums), and by touring musicians Graham Ritchie (bass guitar) and Matt Redlich (keyboards, backing vocals). They have released four top-20 studio albums and have been nominated for two
ARIA Award
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
.
Band members
Current members
* Timothy Carroll – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Oscar Dawson – lead guitar, keyboards, bass, production
Current touring musicians
* Ryan Strathie - drums, backing vocals
* Graham Ritchie – bass guitar
* Lily Richardson – backing vocals
* Grace Richardson – backing vocals
Former touring musicians
* Matt Redlich – keyboards, backing vocals
History
2011–2013: Formation and ''The Pacific EP''
Australian-born songwriters Timothy Carroll and Oscar Dawson initially met as volunteer English teachers in Southeast Asia. They reconnected in 2011 while Carroll was living in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
. Dawson had moved to
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
with his then-band, Dukes of Windsor. When Dawson visited in Sweden, Carroll asked him to assist with some songs, which later formed the basis for their debut extended play, ''
The Pacific EP''.
Holy Holy released their first single, "Impossible Like You", independently in May 2013 and the band played their first shows in capital cities of Australia. They signed to Sydney label,
Wonderlick Entertainment
Wonderlick Entertainment is an Australian music company with its head office located in Sydney, Australia. It was founded by co-CEOs Gregg Donovan and Stu MacQueen in 2007, building on Donovan's existing list of clients. Donovan and MacQueen expan ...
in December 2013, and released ''
The Pacific EP'' in March 2013. Meanwhile, Carroll enlisted drummer Ryan Strathie (ex-
Hungry Kids of Hungary
Hungry Kids of Hungary (often shortened to HKOH) were an Australian four-piece indie pop band from Brisbane, Queensland. The band consisted of Dean McGrath (lead vocals, guitar), Kane Mazlin (lead vocals, keys), Ben Dalton (bass guitar, vocals) ...
) and bass guitarist Graham Ritchie (ex-
Emma Louise
Emma Louise Lobb (born 16 July 1991), who performs as Emma Louise, is an Australian indie pop singer-songwriter from Cairns. She is best known for her 2011 debut single "Jungle". Two studio albums, '' Vs Head vs Heart'' (March 2013) and '' Supe ...
, Airling), to join the band. Producer Matt Redlich (of
Ball Park Music
Ball Park Music are an Australian five-piece indie rock band from Brisbane, who formed in 2008. The band consists of Sam Cromack, Jennifer Boyce, Paul Furness, Dean Hanson and Daniel Hanson. Their debut studio album '' Happiness and Surroundin ...
, Emma Louise, the Trouble with Templeton), joined them as a guest touring musician on keyboards and backing vocals. The five-piece version of Holy Holy opened for
Boy & Bear
Boy & Bear are an Australian indie folk band formed in 2009, consisting of David Hosking (vocals and guitar), Killian Gavin (vocals and guitar), Tim Hart (drums and vocals), Jonathan Hart (vocals, banjo, mandolin and keyboards), and David Symes ...
,
the Preatures
The Preatures were an Australian indie rock band from Sydney, New South Wales, who formed in 2010. The band consisted of lead vocalist and keyboardist Isabella "Izzi" Manfredi, guitarist and vocalist Jack Moffitt, bassist Thomas Champion, a ...
and Ball Park Music.
2014–2015: ''When the Storms Would Come''
The band recorded their debut studio album, ''
When the Storms Would Come'', with producer Redlich. It was mostly recorded to 16-track 2-inch tape. The album was released in July 2015 and debuted at No. 11 on the
ARIA Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
. The album received positive reviews.
In July 2015, the band played sets at
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near B ...
in
Byron Bay
Byron Bay ( Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a hea ...
and
Falls Festival
Falls Music & Arts Festival (commonly known as Falls) is a multi-day music festival held annually in Lorne (Victoria), Marion Bay (Tasmania), Byron Bay (New South Wales) and Fremantle (Western Australia), Australia over the New Year's Eve ...
and well as completing a twenty-date Australian tour and European dates in the UK and The Netherlands. ''
Artrocker
Artrocker is a UK-based collective involved in music promotion and publishing. It was started by Paul Cox and Tom Fawcett who had been co-promoters of a London night called The Sausage Machine. Having started life with an online newsletter and eve ...
'' magazine in the UK hailed Holy Holy in their top 6 bands at The Great Escape in 2015, saying "will probably soon take over all of the universe with their wholesome psychedelic take on alt-rock, alt-country, dusty roads and beards".
2016–2017: ''Paint''
Straight off the back of a relentless touring schedule and festival appearances for ''When the Storms Would Come'', Holy Holy announced they were back in the studio.
In August 2016, released "Darwinism", the lead single from their second studio album.
The name was said to tie in with the theme of evolution, with Darwinism meaning 'evolution of species by natural selection advanced by Charles Darwin'. They released the single "Elevator" in November 2016 and the album ''
Paint
Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...
'' was released in February 2017 and peaked at No. 11 on the
ARIA Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
. During the week of album release, Holy Holy released numerous videos for different songs from the LP - artists' interpretations of the songs; as part of a mini art series called Painting to Paint. The project was headed by Australian artist James Drinkwater.
2018–2019: ''My Own Pool of Light''
In September 2018, Holy Holy released a new single entitled "Faces", and started an Australian national tour. Their third album, ''
My Own Pool of Light
''My Own Pool of Light'' is the third studio album by indie rock band Holy Holy, released on 2 August 2019. The album debuted and peaked at number 14 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
It was the first album self-produced by the band. In an interview w ...
'' was released in August 2019 and peaked at number 14 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the
2019 ARIA Music Awards, it was nominated for
Best Rock Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sever ...
.
2020–2021: ''Hello My Beautiful World''
On 17 June 2021, the band announced their fourth studio album ''
Hello My Beautiful World
''Hello My Beautiful World'' is the fourth studio album by indie rock band Holy Holy, released on 20 August 2021. The album debuted at number 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart and is their highest ARIA chart peak.
At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the al ...
''. The album's third single, "Believe Anything", was released alongside the album's announcement.
The album debuted at number 4 on the
ARIA Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, achieving their highest chart peak.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
As lead artists
As featured artists
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of
Australian music
The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. Holy Holy have received two nominations.
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2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, ''
My Own Pool of Light
''My Own Pool of Light'' is the third studio album by indie rock band Holy Holy, released on 2 August 2019. The album debuted and peaked at number 14 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
It was the first album self-produced by the band. In an interview w ...
''
,
ARIA Award for Best Rock Album
The ARIA Music Award for Best Rock Album, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Indust ...
,
,
, -
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2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, ''Hello My Beautiful World''
, Best Rock Album
,
,
Environmental Music Prize
The
Environmental Music Prize
The Environmental Music Prize is a prize launched in partnership with Green Music Australia. It aims to celebrate and amplify powerful music videos that inspire action for climate and conservation. It was launched during the United Nations Cl ...
is a quest to find a theme song to inspire action on climate and conservation. It commenced in 2022.
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, -
, rowspan="2", 2022
, "Hello My Beautiful World"
, rowspan="2", Environmental Music Prize
,
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, -
, "Port Road"
,
, -
J Awards
The
J Awards
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...
are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
's youth-focused radio station
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
. They commenced in 2005. Holy Holy have received one nomination.
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, -
! scope="row",
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, ''My Own Pool of Light''
, Australian Album of the Year
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, ''Hello My Beautiful World''
, Australian Album of the Year
,
,
National Live Music Awards
The
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of the Australian live scene – recognising the best vocal talents and musicians alongside ...
(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016. Holy Holy have received nominations in 2016,
2017,
and 2020.
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, -
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2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, Themselves
, International Live Achievement (Group)
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, rowspan="2", Oscar Dawson of Holy Holy
, Live Guitarist of the Year
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, Live Guitarist of the Year
,
,
Rolling Stone Australia Awards
The
Rolling Stone Australia Awards
The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. The awards initially commenced in 201 ...
are awarded annually in January or February by the
Australian edition of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.
!
, -
, 2022
, Holy Holy
, Rolling Stone Readers' Choice Award
,
,
, -
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2011 establishments in Australia
Australian indie pop groups
Australian indie rock groups
Musical groups established in 2011
Sony Music Australia artists