Holly Arrowsmith releases new single 'Desert Owl'

Born in the spacious desertscape of Santa Fe, New Mexico and raised in the pristine surroundings of Queenstown, it’s no wonder Holly Arrowsmith’s songs encompass a reverence for nature. 

'Desert Owl', the first single from her forthcoming album For The Weary Traveller is an unequivocal reflection of her New Mexican heritage.

This memorable track commences with an evocative minor to major acoustic riff, woozy pedal steel, jaunty drum beat and Holly's captivating, earthy voice - placid one moment, plaintive the next. 

Arrowsmith is influenced by the nature poets - in this case Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the line "The Red Sun on the mountain burst" from the poem Jeckoyva. These words inspire the song's imagery and the personification of nature in the form of a 'Desert Owl' and mark the beginning of the track's chorus. 

Funded in part by an AMP scholarship and a successful Kickstarter campaign, For The Weary Traveller is due for release on July 31st and is a collection of unique beautifully crafted songs with tastefully restrained instrumentation.

 At just 21 years old, Holly has already showcased The New Zealand Country Music Awards, Rhythm And Alps and Rhythm and Vines. Last year she delivered a TEDx talk on ‘Honest Music’, and has opened for internationally acclaimed folk artist Rodriguez, captivating crowds with songs from her EP The River.

'Desert Owl' is now available for purchase from Bandcamp and for streaming on Spotify.