She states "Do not LABEL me as a country singer just because I love country best. Only about 1/4 of my songlist is country." A singer from Australia that has a uniquely vocal range and sings a lot of other things besides country. Sl Enquirer was able to sit down with Holly and have some fun talking to this great person.
Orion Baral (OB): Hi there Holly, thanks for sitting down with me. I will start this interview off with an easy question. So tell the readers how did you discover Second Life and get involved in the music scene?
Holly Giles: I was part of another online community called IMVU, and I had heard about SL from there. I tried a few times over the years with a few different accounts and could never figure out how to use SL until a few years ago when suddenly it all fell into place. I started a Music venue in Feb 2018 with a friend, hiring DJs. My friend then introduced me to Live Music by taking me to a Downunder show. I was hooked from then on. I canceled all DJs at my venue and filled my line up with Live Performers, only finally working up the courage to perform there myself 7 months later. I haven't looked back and would be LOST without the Live Music Community here in SL.
OB: Well, I and the readers are glad you did come to check out Second Life. So tell me your voice can be spread out over many genres which you do all very well I might add. But tell me what is your favorite genre and more importantly, what is your “in the shower belting out like no one is around”, song?
Holly Giles: I love all genres and don't really HAVE a favourite, but I was born and raised on country music, listening to everyone from Dolly Parton through to Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, etc. Also, my mum was a lead singer in a country band when I was very young and my grandfather also performed at festivals till the day he died. Country is in my blood you could say lol. I gotta say that the one song I always seem to find myself belting out in the shower is 'Help Me Make It Through The Night'.
OB: Well a little Kris Kristoferson never hurt anyone I guess :) So, do you write your own music, or just do covers?
Holly Giles: I only do covers. I think that if I knew HOW to write songs and if I gave myself a chance to, I could probably write some good ones, but I think I'll just leave it to the professionals hehe
Holly Giles: I have dabbled in a few instruments through the years; Piano, Flute, Guitar, (not to mention the Recorder in my early years lol). I never really stuck with any of them, although Piano seemed to be the one that I picked up the easiest. I do own 3 guitars (my mum keeps buying them for me for birthdays O.o) and I keep picking them up and trying to teach myself, but my fingers always hurt too much within the first half hour and I just put it down, because I'm a sook and I hate pain lol. I have been thinking recently of trying the piano again though.
OB: Oh I think we all learned the recorder when we were young. Tell the readers if you can e what does music mean to you personally?
Holly Giles: Music is everything to me. It's an expression of your greatest joys, your deepest losses, your happiest energies. I can't think of a single time in my life when music has failed to bring me comfort and truth.
OB: That is very true, a lot of people I have interviewed relate to music on such a personal emotional level I think it is great to hear that. Which artist most inspires you from SL and RL and why?
Holly Giles: In SL I have to say my partner Winter (and no, it's not biased talking lol). He brings such joy and energy to his shows, such love and caring for his fans and he inspires me to want to do better in my own shows. In RL, I think there are just way too many greats out there to be able to pick just one, so I won't.
OB: Oh sure no biased there :) But seriously I can see what you mean, we have always loved his shows and always have a great time. So tell us what advice did someone in the music field give you that still resonates with you to this day? What advice would you give others?
Holly Giles: "Just Be Yourself". I have always been incredible socially awkward and found it stressful to speak during my shows. Singing was easy, but trying to think of something to say between songs was terrifying. I would stammer, stutter, and then apologize for saying things that were not 'professional', and apologize for talking jibberish and letting out way too much nervous rambling. The more I rambled the more nervous I got. Then one day someone told me, I honestly can't remember who, to just be myself. To talk jibberish, and be clumsy and just stop stressing so much about being liked; because I am LOVED, and that people find my rambling endearing and personable. Since then, I ramble so much that my manager (BAD Management) has a 'Shut Up and Sing' gesture on standby during my shows, and he uses it a lot, hahaha. I would give the same advice.
Holly Giles: Honestly, for 80% of my shows, I don't get nervous anymore. The only times I do are when I'm tired and just KNOW I'm going to be boring and ramble on drolly instead of with high energy lol. I just KNOW it will be a bad show so I get nervous about it. I also get nervous before a debut show at a new venue, or when I'm dual streaming. I find the only way to 'deal' with it is to just 'Shut Up and Sing' because after a few songs the nerves just go away.
OB: Holly it has been a pleasure thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me. Before we leave is there anything else you would like our readers to know, your shows, how they can book you?
Holly Giles: For Bookings, I am currently only available to sing between 4pm SLT to 7am SLT. (I'm Aussie, so my timezone sucks)
Additional Information:
Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/embed?src=fics.holly@gmail.com&ctz=America/Vancouver
Group: secondlife:///app/group/66bdf1ab-75e9-a188-efdc-17bed8836fe2/about
Website: https://livemusic-sl.wixsite.com/hollygiles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holly.giles.37017
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-142367177/tracks
Discord: Holly Giles#1496
Preferred contact for Bookings: To book me, you can contact BadOne Resident from BAD Management
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