Bursting out of Chicago with bright blue-eyed Memphis soul, ‘Miss the Feeling’ embodies passion and heartache as Hollyy soar into our lives.
Stream: “Beach” – Hollyy
Warm grooves and stirring vocals wash over the ears as old and new become one on Hollyy’s debut EP. Bursting out of Chicago with bright blue-eyed Memphis soul, Miss the Feeling embodies passion and heartache as Hollyy soar. It’s a classic fire in the modern age, and it’s a true wonder to behold.
so many words, we both could say
another day, we let it get away
well i know you like pretending it’s all ok
love you always tell me, there is a way
on the beach on our ass all day
soothe my soul with your sweet embrace
humming so softly, next to my ears
waves all around, i can barely hear
we didn’t need the cash
all we took was our smokes and our bags
flying down the coastline
why can’t, why can’t we still be there
– “Beach,” Hollyy
Released September 25 via Gumpa Records, Miss the Feeling is the real deal. It’s the kind of soul your parents’ and grandparents’ generations gravitated to: Music built on visceral emotion, that cannot help but transmit that feeling out into the world for others to see, hear, and feel. Formed in summer 2018, Hollyy consists of Tanner Bednar (vocals), Brandon Couture (guitar), Peter Giere (keyboard), Rafe Soto (drums), and Dominic Zeier (bass).
While they released another EP in the past, Miss the Feeling (produced with the help of Royal Mountain Records’ Nixon Boyd) is Hollyy’s uncompromising and unapologetic introduction into the world: One that reaches down into our depths and squeezes us until we’ve got nothing left to give. Opener “What a Shame” sets the ensuing record up for greatness with enticing bass lines and fervent guitar licks, with Tanner Bednar’s aching voice bringing everything together into one dramatically alluring package.
What ensues feels like pure gold. “Beach” is a seductive, sultry delight; “Miss the Feeling” is an emotional upheaval; “Wondering Why” is an inescapably catchy lament with a dynamic dance beat; “Turn It Around” is an impressive display of the band’s control over dynamics and feeling.
Something that I see in her eyes
Shows me everything I need in my life
Now that her light is gone and I can’t hear her song
It’s gonna be another sleepless night
Don’t know how much more I can take
Not sure if I can carry the weight
Why’d I go and fall in love with you?
Oh darlin
You said you’d never leave me
Oh darlin
Said you would be mine
I miss the feeling
Of your hand on my face
Just left with memories I can’t erase
No I can’t go on pretending nothing is wrong
You’re not just someone that I can replace
Don’t know how much more I can take
Not sure if I can carry the weight
Why’d I go and fall in love with you?
– “Miss the Feeling,” Hollyy
“Miss the Feeling came to fruition after a year and a half of hashing out a cohesive project that draws from each of our experiences with freedom, escapism, and the inevitable heartbreak that’s experienced during your mid-twenties,” Bednar tells Atwood Magazine. “We’re proud of what this EP captures for us both as a band as well as people.”
By the time the bluesy “Nobody Loves Me (Like You Do)” closes Hollyy’s set with heartwarming sentiments of familiarity and connection, the audience is sold: These guys must be time travelers!
Is there any other explanation?
Miss the Feeling is decidedly “retro” – it’s the kind of old-school soul we will never tire of.
Taking inspirations from the likes of Sam Cooke, Leon Bridges, Whitney and Wilco, Hollyy have churned out a stunning six-song immersion that immediately likens them to such modern soul powerhouses like St. Paul and the Broken Bones. As summer fades to fall and winter looms ahead, this kind of burning, beautiful music will be like fodder to our fires – keeping us warm and cozy throughout the night.
Experience the full record via our below stream, and peek inside Hollyy’s Miss the Feeling with Atwood Magazine as vocalist Tanner Bednar goes track-by-track through the music and lyrics of their debut EP!
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:: stream/purchase Hollyy’s music here ::
Stream: ‘Miss the Feeling’ – Hollyy
:: Inside Miss the Feeling ::
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What a Shame
“This track took a life of its own when we went to record it in Toronto in 2019. It used to have a peppy bright pop guitar riff to it but we ended up smoothing it down to a more Dap Kings vibe when we started structuring around the rest of the songs on our project.”
Beach
“‘Beach’ started off as an escapist song about a breakup and trying to deal with the emotions and familiar locations. Even after much time has passed, our spatial memory remains intact and places can strongly remind us of people and past emotions.”
Miss the Feeling
“This is the title track of the EP and it recalls the devastation of losing someone important unexpectedly. Longing for days and times past and finding yourself confused and questioning why things turned out the way they did. Searching for closure and a way to move forward.”
Wondering Why
“Wondering Why came from an influential place of a lot of Archie Bell & the Drells mixed with Hozier. This combination of artists, paired with thematic reflective lyrics post-breakup, ended up fitting in really well with this project and coming together smoothly.”
Turn It Around
“Sometimes a relationship makes more sense after a break-up, and ‘Turn It Around’ is to try to move forward while also wanting to go back to fix things.
Nobody loves me (like you do)
“The EP deals with relationships, love, and our relationship to memories. I wrote this one toward the end of a difficult time in my relationship where life had started to change and it was unsure if we would still be together. I wrote the song as a reaffirming commitment to my girlfriend (partner) but also as a testament to what I’ve experienced ‘real’ love as. I would point to the Beatles numerous love ballads as my main inspiration for the structure and form. Around the time the song was written I was heavily listening to Abbey Road from front to back.”
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