Holly Humberstone

Holly found breakout success when the world was in lockdown; her distinctive vocals, candidness, and tender 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 – Avril Lavigne, Prince and Olivia Rodrigo – 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.”

Holly Humberstone will be live at the Bellwether on Thursday, May 23.