CELEBRITY FEATURE
PLAYING
BY HER
OWN RULES
New Zealand musician
Hollie Smith has worked with
numerous bands including
Trinity Roots, Fat Freddy’s
Drop and Detroit dance legend
Recloose. She was approached
by New Zealand song writing
royalty Don McGlashan to
perform on a movie soundtrack
single ‘Bathe in The River’ that
topped the New Zealand singles
charts and became one of the
biggest and iconic singles in
New Zealand history.
It’s 25 years since you first started
performing. How have you evolved as
a musician in that time?
That’s a hard question to answer!
Everyone (hopefully) evolves daily so that’s
a lot of days! It’s not like I’m Madonna or
anything where I reinvent myself every
decade but of course I would hope
I’ve come a long way since being a shy
13-year-old… still shy though!
Is it still nerve-wracking performing live
or coming up with new material?
I think anxiety will always be inbred
in certain industries - it comes out
in different ways and sometimes
unexpectedly, so yes and no, I guess.
New material is only harder because you
second guess it a bit more-in regard to
making sure it’s not too similar to other
songs. I’ve always found lyrics hard, so
finding new inspiration takes longer
sometimes.
What gives you your inspiration for writing
music?
All sorts! Everything around me. People,
feelings, politics, current affairs, family -
I’m inspired all the time… I just also happen
to be an incredibly skilful procrastinator.
Marlborough is known as a bit of a
starting platform for upcoming musicians.
What advice would you give to someone
just starting out in the industry?
Sounds cheesy but I guess just stay true to
what you want to do and what you want to
achieve. Don’t conform to rules.
If you are in music for the right reasons,
then it will just continue. Also, regardless
of assumptions, if you want to do this
to get rich, move along, it’s not for you.
How easy is it to combine what you want
to write with producing something you
feel is relevant to your fans?
be able to recite a Hollie Smith song. I
write what I write and hope that someone
likes it. (NB. Bathe is not mine)
When you’re 80-years-old, what key
musical milestones would you like to
have achieved?
If I make it to 80 it will be a miracle.
Hollie Smith is a judge at the
Southern Jam Youth Jazz
Festival held in Marlborough and
will perform on Saturday 10th
August at the Finale Gala Concert
alongside band “The Committee”
and all participating schools.
Get your tickets now at the ASB
Theatre box office or online at
ticketek.co.nz
I have never had a hit single and most
people unless they are big ‘fans’ wouldn’t
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