Story & Lesson Highlights with Hurricane Holly of Brooklyn

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Hurricane Holly. Check out our conversation below.

Hurricane Holly, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
My favorite thing to do is spend hours and hours sitting with a friend and harmonizing to every song we know. I recently spent an entire evening with my 82 year old friend Jimmy switching off between his favorite songs and mine! It taught me so much about his soul and he was so thankful for the experience. We laughed, we cried, and we sang for 9 hours straight perfecting harmonies knocking papers over and feeling alive! I love collaboration and I love music and I LOVE people in all wakes of life!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a Singer/Songwriter who in the last three years has transitioned into full band leader and musical artist! That worn Brand is so hard for me still! We are called Hurricane Holly and when asked about what genre of music we play I have been trying to coin the phrase STORM POP! But the reality is we don’t fit nicely into any genre and I’ve found it hard to fit into any brand! I love being able to change every day. To learn and grow and explore and experience all kinds of music and people and life. We have Pop vibes, Punk vibes, folk, rock, ska, vibes and the occasional musical theater anthem! But the main thing we are trying to do is help heal and teach this broken world with meaningful pointed music.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I have my whole life been a peacekeeper and people pleaser! I tend to care more about how everyone else is feeling and make sure the people around me have what they need and are happy safe and calm! I think this is an amazing trait and I have no intention of letting that part of me die or be tainted. However sometimes that has stopped me from leading in a way that serves my dreams and the people on my team who also want to know what I want, how I see my music, and how I want my career to look. I have had to start being ok with tension and the fact that I will have to make choices that not everyone in my band or on my team will like or agree with and that’s just part of growing as a community! Tension can be a good thing and sitting with hard moments helps us grow as people and as friends!

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
When I started writing songs. I consider myself a very genuine person but I rent to show the world my positive good energy self and keep the dark parts for when I’m alone in my room (or crying to my mom) but when I started writing songs all my true feelings, fears, insecurities, shame and self loathing poured out of me. Often after people see me sing my songs they say something along the lines of “that is not what I expected from you” I can not lie in my music it’s the truest form of me. I have tried to give up on my dreams many times but always just before I call it quits someone reaches out to thank me for the words and honesty in my music, to tell me to keep going because my songs are healing and relevant to all who hear them. I am the best of myself when I’m singing my songs!

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
Someone in my life a few years ago said something to me, about how they think of me, and it was the best way I’ve heard to articulate one of the most fundamental truths about how I live my life. They said “ you can have whatever you want, and you don’t have to take it from anybody”. I thought this was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me and it is the truth I live by! I do not consider myself a rebel because that implies you are still allowing other peoples wants and judgments to rule and control your life. But I have always lived in a way where I am in charge of my own body, my own happiness, my own beliefs, my own wants and needs. And I never let those needs or wants be at the detriment of others. There is enough in this world for everyone as long as you are not HOARDING recourses. There is enough attention for me and everyone in the circle of people I’m speaking with. There is enough love from my parents for me and my siblings. There is enough time for all the friends and lovers. I was never rich in monetary ways but I always had enough! More than enough in fact. Sometimes we get abundance mixed up with excess. With excess comes fear of scarcity. Abundance is the calm hopeful belief that if we share and balance and only eat until we are full there can be enough for everyone. There is no reason for anyone on earth to be starving for food, love, or pleasure. We can have whatever we want and we don’t have to Take it from anyone:)

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am doing what I was born to do without any doubt in my mind. I had started my adult life chasing a life in theater where I would audition and hope someone liked me enough to choose me. When I started writing songs everything about how I feel about myself and look at the world changed. I no longer let orher people decide my worth. I created my own show my own songs my own path in life. And the feeling that goes through my body when I am channeling a song is unlike anything else I have felt. A full body Yes!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.hurricaneholly.com
• Instagram: Hurricanehollymusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ebf2GY27R/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/cVyknjisaLU?si=XMjia6GrimTlN8Vz
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/mRamkacXS8XNiezc7
• Other: Spotify

  https://open.spotify.com/album/6u145bdsL44h1GWsaTvSFs?si=SXfYuIaHQKCjYrUSuprrBQ

Image Credits
George Redner
Scott Pilgrim