Already nominated for two Ivor Novello’s, winning the BRIT Rising Star in 2022 and coming runner up in BBC Sound Of 2021, Humberstone’s bear-all storytelling is the heart of her craft, with new songs “Antichrist” and “Room Service”, the double A-Side single that reflect her introspection and extraversion, two opposing artistic multitudes that inform Holly’s lyricism and sound.
Holly found breakout success when the world was in lockdown; her distinctive vocals and candid energy on Falling Asleep At The Wheel proved a tonic. Striking themes of lost loves, family units, and the deep-set fears of youth intertwine with organic sonic production, all held together by Holly’s ethereal voice. It quickly set alight – she was Ivor Novello-nominated and came runner-up in the BBC Sound of 2021 poll. A major career marker punctuated her 21st year, when Holly was awarded BRITS Rising Star 2022, following a legacy of artists including Adele and Florence & the Machine.
“I have had such a fun, crazy, challenging few years,” Holly says, “I wanted to put absolutely all of that into this album. An album is a much different headspace for me, but it is filled with snapshots of where I’ve been and where I’m at.” She cites her inspirations and their “iconic” debuts – Prince, Lorde, Fleetwood Mac and Bon Iver – as reference points, but never cut-and-paste blueprints for her own story. Paint My Bedroom Black is Holly’s personal world building exercise. “My favourite artists create work that magics up an entirely new universe,” she says. “That's what I want to do with my album and live shows.”
