Floramay Holliday Releases 'All About' Ahead of New EP 'Hearts Have Wings'
In the past few months, Floramay Holliday, the Dallas, Texas via Florence, South Carolina songstress, has been rolling out her first new songs in almost fourteen years, leading up to the release of her new EP, Hearts Have Wings (6/30/23). The americana-country legend who has worked with the likes of Willie Nelson, Ray Benson and Guy Clark, recently got back into the studio with producer and brother-in-law, Will Holland (Pixies, Dead Can Dance) in Boston, MA at Chillhouse Studios to record a slew of new songs that are now being released on Roseneath Records. The success of the first two singles, the title track "Hearts Have Wings" and "Long Goodbye", have garnered fresh interest in both her long and storied career and her new music.
The “Hearts Have Wings“ EP is a collection of uplifting and reflective songs co written with producer, Will Holland. From the lively roots-rock of “All About”, to the nostalgic ballad of “This Old Chair”, and the soulful reminiscence of “Long Goodbye”, these songs build upon her career’s work. With haunting melodies, moving messages and diverse musical influences, Floramay explains that she feeIs the record offers "something for all of my fans, new and old."
On Thursday, June 22nd, Holliday will release the last single off the forthcoming EP, "All About." The upbeat and uplifting track stands in stark contrast to the first two singles, both of which were classic ballads, and shows the versatility of Holliday as a singer and song crafter. Somehow soothing, even when soaring, "All About" carries a message of hope and faith that can be found within the overarching thread of Holliday's entire catalog.
“All About’ was an older song of mine that I’d never recorded. I took a fresh look at it with Will, and it became an upbeat celebration, reminiscent of Derek and the Dominoes. My brother Dewey Ervin plays harmonica on this track and he really brings it home to our family band, the Roseneath Ramblers, back to our roots!"
This newfound partnership with her brother in law, Will Holland, created the ideal avenue to bring these songs to life. Floramay describes that the "process of creating this album happened over a period of time, beginning with writing with Will and my cousin Hilton McLeod at Roseneath Farm, my mother’s home, where I grew up. My husband Gabor Racz was also there with his harmonica, adding to the songs. The pandemic hit, and we began to work remotely, finishing old songs and writing new ones. I’d record rough drafts of songs I was working on, and Will would add his magic, tweaking lyrics and adding melodies, collaborating until we agreed they were done."
Essentially recorded both in the studio and remotely during the covid pandemic, the EP represents a rebirth and reemergence of focus for Holliday who had taken a hiatus from touring and the music industry grind that she had been so immersed in since the early success of her former Floramay Holliday Band, and the beloved Austin trio, Sis Deville. For much of the EP, Will Holland enlisted Paul Wolsencroft (Slightly Stoopid, Organically Good Trio), Tommy Benedetti (John Brown's Body, Dub Apocalypse) and Nate Edgar (The Nth Power, John Brown's body) as Floramay's backing band, as well as co-writing some of the material. The record evolved into the perfect amalgamation of the band-driven earlier material to the more gospel and ruminative offerings on her solo albums, or her collaborative works with Guy Clark or Ray Benson.
Currently Floramay Holliday has been gearing up for the release of Hearts Have Wings and has also been back on the stage recently, playing to packed houses in her home markets of Dallas and Austin, TX, with more dates being announced as we speak.
