JAMEY JOHNSON JOINED HOLUP ON STAGE FOR DUET AT ALBUM RELEASE SHOW; SAYS OF HOLUP’S ARTISTRY: “I’VE SEEN A LOT OF SONGWRITERS IN THIS TOWN, BUT I DON’T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS EVER DONE WHAT YOU’VE DONE.”
WILDFLOWER PRODUCED BY RYAN HADLOCK (ZACH BRYAN, BRANDI CARLILE, THE LUMINEERS, WYATT FLORES)
“The world isn’t easy or simple, and Holup conveys that with detailed lyrics and spare, acoustic-guitar-based arrangements. Her grainy, sometimes shuddered vocals carry an intimate quality perfectly suited to her penchant for sad story songs.” – Billboard
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Today prolific artist-writer Zandi Holup releases her debut album Wildflower – a revelatory body of work born from embracing her singular eccentricity. Produced by Ryan Hadlock (Zach Bryan, Wyatt Flores), over the course of Wildflower‘s eleven tracks, Holup embeds her songwriting with a lovely entangling of poetry, confession and fable-like narrative. According to Billboard, “The world isn’t easy or simple, and Holup conveys that with detailed lyrics and spare, acoustic-guitar-based arrangements.”
Listen to Wildflower here.
“The record is called Wildflower because that’s the closest thing I’ve found to describing who I am. I didn’t grow in a garden with neat little rows. I came up through the cracks, untamed and reaching for light no matter where I was planted,” shares Holup. “These songs are pieces of me; sun-drenched, storm-beaten, still standing. I’m a songwriter before anything else, and this album is my way of saying: Here’s how I see the world. Here’s how it feels to be me. It’s a bouquet of moments, some dark, some weak, some strong, some introspective, some confident, but all rooted in truth.”
On Monday, Holup celebrated Wildflower with an album release show at Nashville’s The Basement where she played each track to a packed room and brought out special guest and former tourmate Jamey Johnson. The pair quieted the room with an unforgettable Stevie Nicks / Don Henley cover of “Leather and Lace,” watch here. About Holup’s artistry, Johnson shared with the crowd: “I’ve seen a lot of songwriters in this town, but I don’t know if anybody has ever done what you’ve done. This looks beautiful. It sounds beautiful.”
When it came time to create Wildflower, Holup joined forces with producer Hadlock and spent a month recording at Bear Creek Studios in the woods of northwest Washington. With the help of several musicians from nearby Seattle, Holup and Hadlock dreamed up an intentionally simplistic but exquisitely detailed sound firmly centered on her voice and lyrics.
The new album includes previously released tracks like the sublimely devastating “Mountain Man,” most recent “Mary Jane” and her unforgettable label introduction “Gas Station Flowers.” Today’s complete release rounds out Holup’s piercingly honest catalog of growing acclaim – with the sobering self-awareness of “All That’s Left Is Me,” live-show standout “Runs In The Family” and more. An up-close glimpse into the limitless facets of her heart and mind, Wildflower takes its title from a quietly triumphant track that unlocks a certain glory in the pain of not belonging.
Not only a prolific writer but also performer, the Pennsylvania-born, Nashville-based artist has shared the stage with Steve Earle, Amanda Shires, Johnson, Wyatt Flores, 49 Winchester, Midland and more. Holup has an upcoming billing at AMERICANAFEST. For more information visit zandiholupmusic.com.
PRAISE FOR ZANDI HOLUP AND WILDFLOWER
“It doesn’t take more than a few notes to realize that Zandi Holup is the artist that the genre has so desperately been needing.” – All Country News
“The world isn’t easy or simple, and Holup conveys that with detailed lyrics and spare, acoustic-guitar-based arrangements. Her grainy, sometimes shuddered vocals carry an intimate quality perfectly suited to her penchant for sad story songs.” – Billboard
“For fans of folk-inspired country music, it’s exciting to have a new female artist creating raw and real stories.” – Country Central
“…you really do feel like these songs are coming from her soul.” – Entertainment Focus
“Holup finds a way to bring an incandescent beauty to the most painful of experiences that’s one part Alison Krauss, one part Lana Del Rey, a heavy helping of Joni Mitchell and a little splash of Linda Ronstadt for good measure.” – Holler
“As clear as day, a star is born here. This is genuinely brilliant.” – Maximum Volume Music
“She has an attractive rasp in her drawling delivery.” – MusicRow
Wildflower track list
Produced by: Ryan Hadlock, Zandi Holup
*Produced by Al Torrence
ABOUT ZANDI HOLUP
Singer/songwriter Zandi Holup has the kind of voice that instantly cuts to the heart’s deepest corners: enchanting, enigmatic, profoundly world-weary but radiant with raw feeling. After building grassroots following by sharing her demos and song fragments online, Holup landed a deal with Big Loud Records and set to work on her debut album, Wildflower: a revelatory body of work born from embracing her singular eccentricity, ultimately bringing an incandescent beauty to the most painful of experiences. Holup joined forces with producer Ryan Hadlock (Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers, Wyatt Flores) on the record, captured during a month recording at Bear Creek Studios in the woods of northwest Washington. Cut from the same cloth as legendary folk singer-songwriters like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, Holup’s raw brand of original folk country flourishes through unfiltered storytelling reminiscent of Dolly Parton and emphasized by her emotive vocals. A mesmerizing performer, Holup has opened for the likes of country legend and Grand Ole Opry member Steve Earle, Amanda Shires, Midland and more. “It’s almost like my voice is the embodiment of who I am as a person, and when I sing, I feel like it’s my soul coming out,” Holup shares.
CONNECT WITH ZANDI HOLUP
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK
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Media Contacts
Corey Brewer + Rachel Heatherly | Big Loud
corey@bigloud.com, rachel@bigloud.com
