A Quick Chat with Holly Hebe

Mood Ring explores everything from heartbreak to superstition and self-discovery. Looking back now that it's out in the world, what surprised you most about making the EP?

I think what surprised me most was how much I learnt about myself while making it. A lot of these songs came from moments where I was just trying to make sense of what I was feeling, so looking back now, it almost feels like a little snapshot of that time in my life. I can hear myself working through everything in real time. Seeing people connect with their own stories through these songs has probably been the biggest surprise. It's reminded me that even the most personal experiences can end up feeling really universal.

Mood Ring feels incredibly personal, but it's also something a lot of people seem to see themselves in. Has sharing these songs changed your relationship with them?

Definitely. I wrote a lot of these songs when everything still felt really fresh, so for a long time they were just mine. Once you put them out into the world, they stop belonging only to you. Hearing people tell me they've attached their own memories or experiences to a song is really special. It reminds me that heartbreak and hope are such universal things, even if they feel incredibly lonely when you're in the middle of them.

You're bringing your Mood Ring tour to Auckland as part of Live Nation's Next On series for your first New Zealand headline show. What does that opportunity mean to you?

It's honestly so exciting. This will be my first headline show in New Zealand, so it feels like a really special milestone. I've been lucky enough to meet so many lovely people at shows over the last year, and it's exciting to finally bring the Mood Ring world over to Auckland. I love how intimate The Tuning Fork is too. It feels like the perfect room for these songs, and I can't wait to share them there.

Your songs create such vivid emotional worlds. How do you translate that atmosphere from the studio to the stage?

For me, it's all about making people feel like they're stepping into the world of the songs. I love all the little production details and thinking about how everything, from the lighting to the setlist, helps tell the story. But at the same time, I never want it to feel overthought. I think the emotion has to come first, and everything else should just support that.

Now that Mood Ring is out in the world and you're taking it on the road, what are you hoping people take away from the live experience?

I hope people leave feeling like they've been able to escape into the music for a little while. These songs came from a really personal place, but it's been so special watching people find their own meaning in them. I'm mostly just excited to play them with people in the room. That's always been my favourite part of releasing music, seeing people make the songs their own.

Next On - Holly Hebe - Wed 29 July 2029 - The Tuning Fork Auckland.