Holly Head
- bizzarre
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
Holly Head meld heavy-stringed melody to melancholy on compelling, trippy new single I’ve Had Want.
Holly Head’s credentials as purveyors of visceral, politico-punk founded on contagious grooves meet sonic evolution on I’ve Had Want, the four-piece’s fourth single.
Following a hugely successful UK tour earlier this year as main support to Westside Cowboy, the band returns with a track that balances familiar rhythmic imperative and socio-political weight with moments of their own, classic indie proclivities.
I’ve Had Want represents a glimpse into a more for giving and melodic shade of patiently hewn song craft usually hidden within an otherwise frenetic setlist, co-written again by Westside Cowboy’s drummer, and former Holly Head lead guitarist, Paddy Murphy.
Holly Head’s February single, No Country Is An Island, was birthed from the same enduringly close artistic and personal link between the two bands. Known for pasting political dissent over danceable basslines, pummelling drums, scuzzy guitars and brutally candid vocals, Holly Head’s experimentations with lighter sonic shades come without sacrificing intensity.
Uninterested in specifically “poppifying” their sound, they nevertheless strive to dilute frustration and anxiety in the atmospheric pull of both verse-chorus-verse songwriting and sample-led alternative music.
Lyrically, I’ve Had Want wrestles with depression, numbness and the ways personal struggles become entangled with the wide spread systems of planned, cruel imbalance impacting everybody’s existence.
Singer and lyricist, Joe says:
“It can take a heavy toll on your mental health to process all the negative emotions we feel about the inequality and suffering we see around the world. Our anger shouldn’t be repressed though, and we still feel we must continue to tackle the same issues we’ve talked about in the past. The music is different on this track, but it’s still about wealth inequality, racial hate and animal rights to name a few but, this time, it’s through a wider range of emotions than solely anger.”
Feeling their way around inspirational touch points including UNKLE, DJ Shadow, Tricky and Cornershop alongside the band’s stated interests in Wu-Lu, Happy Mondays, Kokoroko, Fugazi and Fela Kuti, I’ve Had Want emerged from a dreamy, late-night demo Joe and bassist Liam broke out together.
Liam’s melodic, forward-facing bass work has become one of the band’s defining traits. Long before Holly Head became an amalgamation of shared influences and ideas, the nimble and creative bassist’s formative inspirations came from bassists such as Peter Hook, Mani and Nikolai Fraiture. While New Order, Stone Roses and The Strokes’ songs aren’t often counted in as present day fixtures on Holly Head’s tour van playlist, each musician’s innovation in putting bass guitar to the front of the mix and letting the heavier strings lead a song’s melody counts as a debt the band are pushing to repay in their own music.
Holly Head’s growing reputation as one of Manchester’s most vital underground bands has been built through relentless live performances and support slots alongsidenot only Westside Cowboy, but the likes of Sprints and Welly. Their frenetic debut single, No Gain, has already achieved cult status within grassroots guitar circles and earned the band a BBC 6 Music New Music Fix live session in late 2024.
Tour Dates
Fri 26 June: Rossendale, Gather Festival
Fri 3 July: Manchester, The Abbey
Sat 25 July: London, Bad Vibrations
Sun 30 August: Chester, Alexanders
Fri 4 September: London, The Lexington
Thu 24 September: London, Shacklewell Arms
Wed 7 October: Salford, Beyond The Music
Fri 22 – Sun 24 October: Rotterdam, Left of The Dial
Sat 31 October: Bristol, The Louisiana
