A Quick Chat with Holly Wild

Holly Wild embraces life's messy contradictions on Technicolour, a vibrant second album that explores love, jealousy, self-worth, and everything in between. The Sydney-based singer-songwriter blends dreamy indie-pop, rock influences, and stripped-back acoustic moments across 13 tracks, pairing catchy hooks with deeply personal storytelling. Following her 2024 debut Fire, Holly continues to explore the many sides of being human, from feeling fierce and confident to fragile and uncertain, sometimes all at once. We caught up with Holly Wild to talk about the album, the stories behind it, and more.

‘Technicolour’ is your second album. How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist since releasing ‘Fire’ in 2024?

Having a couple of years of experience promoting and playing these songs live, you get a real sense of what people respond to, especially your own audience. Some songs I write because I feel the world needs to hear them, but they’re often the heavier ones and they’re not as much fun to promote. I also love writing songs that are upbeat and a little more lively. They’re always well received live, and they’re so much fun to play. I’ll keep making the songs I feel need to be made, and I understand my audience a lot better now.

The album explores love, jealousy, self-worth and everything in between. What inspired you to bring these experiences together into one record?

These are all experiences I’ve had over the last couple of years. The whole point of the record is to explore the complexity of being human... how we can be brave and fragile at the same time, or highly driven and still feel like a mess. I didn’t want the album to focus on just one side of humanity. I wanted it to embrace all of it.

Where did the title ‘Technicolour’ come from, and what does it represent to you personally?

“Technicolour” is a lyric from one of the songs on the album, and it describes the many colours I feel: fierce but fragile, calm but driven, magical but still a mess. The spectrum is wide.

Was there one particular song off the album that felt especially important or challenging to write?

“Good Enough” wasn’t difficult to write, but it was the most important. I sat down with a co-writer who read through my journal and pieced my lines together like a puzzle, and then we added chords and melody.

It came after a meditation session where Lyn Bowtell, who was leading it, asked us to imagine ourselves in a field and told us, “You are magnificent.” I remember thinking, “But I don’t feel magnificent.” I was surrounded by incredible musicians and songwriters, and I felt small and insignificant. The song is about that horrible feeling of wondering whether you’re good enough. I think it’s universal, and everyone has felt it at some point. It’s probably the most vulnerable song on the album.

The record moves between dreamy indie-pop, bigger rock moments and stripped-back acoustic songs. How did you approach shaping the overall sound of the album?

I love it when an album takes you on a journey with some sonic variety, instead of every song sitting on the same plane. My vocal style ties everything together, and drawing from different genres gives the record lots of different flavours, which I really like. I listen to rock, folk and pop, so those influences naturally come out in my music.

You worked with Grammy-winning producers, including Brian Forbes. What did those collaborations bring to the creative process?

Working with really experienced producers is such a pleasure because they have a deep quality control system, and you have so much faith and trust that they’ll get it right. I really notice that when I work with Brian. I send him my acoustic version, we talk about references, and I give him an idea of the style I’m after. When he sends back his instrumental ideas, they’re beautifully spot on. It’s so comforting knowing I don’t have to make months of changes to get the sound I want. It’s always delightful and exciting to hear their ideas, because he always come up with something great.

‘Wild In My Imagination’ explores the experience of wanting someone but never acting on those feelings. Do you find it easier to express certain emotions through music than in everyday life?

Absolutely. Music gives you a space to say things you probably never would in real life, and I think everyone has thoughts they wouldn’t voice. That’s why music is so great. You can hear those thoughts in somebody else’s words, and it makes you feel less alone.

What do you think makes a great song?

A great song is one that stays with me after I’ve heard it. Maybe I keep thinking about the words, or the melody gets stuck in my head. When I’m listening to a great song, I zero in on it in detail and everything else in the room is forgotten. It takes me away from reality for a moment.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

I really love Ashe. She’s a little bit theatrical, a little bit glamorous, and she looks like she’d be a lot of fun. I’d love to go on tour with her. That would be a good time!

Who are some local or Australian artists you think deserve more attention?

I’m always finding new artists rather than fixating on just one. I’ve been lucky to share a stage with Summer Rain, who has a gorgeous voice, and I also love Pete McCredie. He’s got great acoustic vibes.

What’s something outside of music that brings a little colour into your life?

I love to explore and go places completely outside my normal reality. My favourite thing is to find somewhere naturally beautiful, a spectacular landscape or piece of nature, and spend time digging around and absorbing everything about that place. Travel and exploration is one of my favourite things to do.

If you had to describe ‘Technicolour’ in just three words, what would they be?

Vibrant, fierce, honest.

With ‘Technicolour’ arriving October 16, what else is on the horizon for Holly Wild?

I’m heading to Nashville on 18 October for a couple of weeks. I’ll be writing and catching up with all the producer and artist friends I’ve been collaborating with over the last 12 months. After I release this album, I plan to continue to write lots of songs, and a big goal for 2027 is to play more live shows.

Follow Holly Wild

https://linktr.ee/Hollywildmusic

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