Interview: Faith Holt Talks New LP and Signing to Chillwavve Records
Posted: by The Editor
Faith Holt’s new record, The Difference, was released last November with a limited cassette run through fan-favorite label Chillwavve Records. The album has a chill, somber sound that makes it suitable for wintertime listening. Holt blends emo and country guitar tones the way that Hodera and Much Love-era Microwave do. As a big fan of folk – particularly, Taylor Swift’s album folklore – this album catches my attention as something that’d be nice to play during a writing or reading session in a nook with a fat dog. I asked her a few questions about working with Chillwavve Records and the challenges of writing a full-length record after a career of singles.
The Alternative: First off, congratulations on the record and partnering up with Chillwavve! Can you tell me a bit about what working with CR has been like for you?
Faith Holt: Working with Chillwavve has been great! I ended up getting involved with them when Yvette was playing guitar with Hit Like a Girl at a show I played in January 2019. I was in a bit of a funk at the time, but we hit it off when talking after my set. A fun fact is that we bonded when she approached me about my song “Cycle,” which was new at the time. We became closer friends over time, and she wanted to pass the record to the others when I finished. Robert and Alex [from Chillwavve Records] were also nothing but kind to me. They’ve really believed in the release, which means a lot to me.
From what I’ve gathered, almost all of your previous releases have been singles or compilations of tracks without a central theme. The Difference appears to be your first attempt at a collection of songs for a project. What do you think was the difference (pardon the pun) for writing this particular release?
For a few years prior to The Difference, I’d actually been “working on a record.” There was always a body of songs I was working on, but there was also a revolving door because I would write new ones I liked better. Here and there, I just released songs as singles instead due to being antsy. Honestly, I think I just didn’t fully grasp the sound or direction I wanted to go in until this batch. Early 2019 is when the songs that became The Difference started to take shape and I realized the connections some of the songs had. A lot of songs reference each other or the same events in subtle ways on accident, and it made me want to flesh them out the way they should be.
After my own listen-through, I described the album as feeling like if early Taylor Swift was influenced by indie instead of country rock. Would you say that’s accurate? What influences did you pull from for this release, narratively or musically?
Honestly, I could see it. I admit I’ve had my time being pretty into Taylor Swift and have seen her a few times. You also referenced Hodera [in Luciano’s blurb on Holt in this installment of The Alternative’s Weekly Roundup], which I love because “Best Intentions” basically has the best bridge of all time in my book. My background involved me playing in church for years through high school and college. My love of reverb comes from that time. If you’ve ever played in church, you know what I mean by that. Narratively, I’m surely influenced by Julien Baker and Animal Flag when it comes to dealing with some of the religious turmoil. Julien was my first insight into dealing with the dichotomy I fell into with religion and in a way, gave me permission to talk about it by doing it first. In hindsight, I’d say Grandview’s album Everything Between Paint and a Wall is one of my longest ongoing influences. I’ve continually been obsessed with it since stumbling upon it a few years ago. Other notable influences are early Now, Now, Phoebe Bridgers, and Manchester Orchestra.
What’s on the horizon for you, as a musician or just as a creative artist?
Currently, I’m not entirely sure. I may be releasing another song by the end of the year that feels appropriate for seeing 2020 out the door. Since I wrapped up tracking on The Difference early this year, I’ve felt dry and unable to write much. A few ideas have surfaced, but nothing’s been completed or become anything I’m proud of. Early next year, I’m going to take a couple days off to focus and see if I can stir the creative pot again. Until then, a music video may be in the near future – which will be fun to put out – and I’m going to be seeing what I can do to continue to promote the record during this time of no live shows.
Faith’s new record can be streamed here, and you can grab one of the limited series of these dope cassettes from Chillwavve Records.
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Luciano Ferrara | @LucianoRFerrara
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