Holly Henderson is a 29-year-old composer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Maidstone, Kent.
She performs her haunting and gregarious take on ‘Baroque Pop/Rock’ with an immersive and dynamic band, that both record, and play live together.
Her music lies somewhere between a newly crafted area of The Beatles and PJ Harvey, if they existed in the charming, flamboyant core of 70s British singer-songwriting.
It encompasses her unique persona as an avant-garde virtuoso guitarist, with layers of piano, bells, flutes, harpsichord, Paul McCartney-esque meandering bass lines, Holly’s classic, rich voice along with relentlessly melodic harmonies and whimsical arrangements of original compositions will throw you both back in time, and into the future.
Her album The Walls (released Feb 10th 2023) received critical acclaim, from reviews, playlisting, and accolades from Clash Magazine, BBC London, BBC Introducing, BBC Upload, Frank Skinner/Absolute Radio, Cerys Matthews, What’s On Guide, Vents Magazine, BBC 6’s Fresh On The Net, Shindig Magazine, Prog Magazine ‘It accumulates drama with exquisite patience’ and more – with the sophomore release being slated as ‘The first true classic album of 2023’ by Americana Magazine’s Tim Martin.
Holly’s latest single, Leggy Man (Nov 30th 2024) is a standalone single, and the first ‘full band’ release, since The Walls.
Leggy Man is a fitting, typically Kentish, whimsical entrement. Recorded in the same part of rural England as The Walls. Only this time fittingly, in an attic, a room of instruments, with a wry smile.
Light relief in the way Henderson’s fans have become accustomed to, knowing just about anything musically, awaits around the next creative corner.
An ode to coexistence, this song is a proposition of peace to a spider that has moved in.
‘I know you need a home, but it’s not here’ The visitor has a right to life, but not to take up residence, with this equally beautiful, and humorous song, delicately constructed and arranged with essential melodies, organic elements, turned 60s magic, violins, guitars and a flourish of witty Art Rock referencing in the bridge. This song builds like the silk threads of a web, wrapping you in a warm blanket of sound, before you are consumed by your own irrational fears, and fuzz guitar.
As a producer (winner of ‘Best Rock Production Music Track at PMAs 2023), composer, and songwriter, Holly has contributed everything from her vast repertoire, of lyrics, arrangement, multi-instrumental sessions, production, and musical directing, to entire compositions, written, performed and mixed in their entirety, for a range of commercial endeavours, as well as highly successful production music endeavours, co-writes with artists, and compositions for major labels and media companies.
Her credits, clients, and co-writers include, but aren’t limited to –
Universal Production Music, BMG Production Music (of which Holly won a Production Music Award for Best Rock Track 2022 with a track on her solo EP on BMG’s At The Studios, ‘Let The Rain In), BMG UK, 411 Music, Gramoscope, Warner Music, Billie Marten, L Devine, Dom Monks, Nerina Pallot, Isabel Gracefield, Tim Bazell, Lea G, Tommy Scott (Space), Mel Gaynor (Simple Minds), Pete Thorn (Chris Cornell), Blair Sinta (Alanis Morissette), Freddie Cowan (The Vaccines), Jon Button (The Who/Sheryl Crow), Chandeen, Skybabysiren, and many more.