HOLY HOLY ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE ‘YOU CANNOT CALL FOR LOVE LIKE A DOG’ ALONGSIDE UK/EU TOUR DATES, PRIMAVERA FESTIVAL & SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS
Nostalgic Aussie indie rockers, HOLY HOLY have treated us to a second taste of their anticipated debut record with the release of the exquisite new single, You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog, alongside Splendour In The Grass and Primavera Festival announcements and UK/EU tour dates set for May, hitting London, Brighton, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin, Ghent and Barcelona.
Recorded in Brisbane with Matt Redlich (Emma Louise, Ball Park Music, The Trouble With Templeton) at the helm, You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog unveils the band pushing in to a darker sound with atmospheric swells ebbing under sharp glassy guitar breaks, soaring vocal harmonies and driving bass. An extended instrumental outro has given space for guitarist Oscar Dawson to play in a way that has only been heard in a live setting, showcasing a developed sound that the band has embraced while on the road.
“I always imagined that I wouldn’t be allowed to play guitar in the way that I used to practice, in the privacy of my own room, as a spotted teenager. But somehow Tim, Matt Redlich and the other guys not only allowed me, but encouraged it as well. So, I figured, better give it to them. And that’s why there is a two minute guitar solo at the end of the song,” explains Dawson. “And yet still there is a part of me that thinks – ‘is this allowed…? Surely, guitar solos aren’t the done thing these days…’. But, I actually don’t believe that. I hope that we can hear more of this sort of thing; people really playing their instruments.”
The fundamental premise of the song is that love is fickle. “We try in our lives to do all kinds of things to control it and manage it and bend it to our wills, but sometimes you just wake up one day and it’s gone…and that’s that. Like ice melted,” says lead vocalist Tim Carroll. “And the point of that is, if you do find yourself in the enviable position of being ‘in love’ and feeling love – fucking enjoy it. Treat it like a good scotch. Breathe it in deep and wash it round your mouth and take in the bath and get drunk.”
A true visual masterpiece from beginning to end, the video clip was directed by Charlie Ford and Ford Sarhan from Wildchild Pictures (Courtney Barnett, Vance Joy) and shot over four days near Carroll’s home in picturesque North East Tasmania. “The landscape in Tasmania is really striking and powerful. Even living there, you never get used to it and we were keen to allow as much of that as possible to come through in the clip,” explains Carroll. “We shot footage in an abandoned miners shack that lies in a valley at the foot of Mount Arthur. We ran a generator for power, cranked the amps, set up the kit, and played for a couple of hours as the sun disappeared below the horizon… Being in the middle of nowhere, playing with a full band to a crowd of four people was strangely enjoyable.”
The band is fronted by the songwriting team, vocalist/composer Timothy Carroll and guitarist/composer Oscar Dawson. They are joined on the road by permanent drummer Ryan Strathie (Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Andy Bull), touring bassist Graham Ritchie (Airling, Emma Louise), and Brisbane-based producer Matt Redlich as their touring keys player.
Offering some insight in to the band’s long awaited debut LP and most comprehensive national tour yet, due to be announced mid-2015, Carroll radiates, “It’s pretty diverse… there’s laid back piano, heavy slow jams and long 70’s guitar breaks. There are some psychy bits and some sing-alongs. It’s also meant to be coming out on vinyl and that is going to be a real moment for us.”
UK / EU TOUR DATES
May 14 Daytime | The Great Escape (Komedia) | Brighton UK
May 14 Evening | The Great Escape (Spiegel Tent) | Brighton UK
May 17 | London Calling Festival | Amsterdam NL
May 18 | MTC Club | Cologne GER
May 19 | Cafe Video | Ghent BEL
May 20 | Comet Club | Berlin GER
May 22 | Dot to Dot Festival | Manchester UK
May 23 Daytime | Liverpool Sound City | Liverpool UK
May 23 Evening | Dot to Dot Festival | Bristol UK
May 24 | Dot to Dot Festival | Nottingham UK
May 26 | Old Blue Last | London UK
May 29 | Primavera Pro (The Aussie BBQ) | Barcelona SPN
May 30 | Primavera Sound (H&M Stage) | Barcelona SPN
What the media are saying about You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog::
“A banger of a tune.” NME
“Urgent and epic is the only way I can describe the killer new single from Holy Holy.” Dom Alessio, Triple J
“…Confusion, aggression, frustration; that’s the vibe pulsing through the unrelenting rhythm of the song. Lead singer Timothy Carroll’s vocal, usually so warm, sounds perfectly cutting and snide. So searing and scorching, this track makes dog lovers want to take puppies by the collar and kick them to the curb.” Semplesize
“You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog, is their latest mastery dropped that is a full paced track that has you begging for more. Opening with a groovy bass drive and catchy riff on the electric guitar, this one is a beautiful crescendo that shows off just how well the band work together. Layering piece and piece of each other onto each other, they mesh together drums, guitar, vocals and some produced elements to create a seamless creation. But watch yourself at the end, as the piercing electric guitar solo comes flying through.” AAA Backstage
“…one of the best songs to emerge from the Australian music industry so far in 2015.” Aphra Magazine
“With driving drums and distinct vocals the track sits on the long side, at five and a half minutes, but it could easily run twice as long and I doubt many would complain. I’ve got to be perfectly honest, this one has been on rotation since its release and all we want to do is hear it again.” Casual Band Blogger
“Whatever bar they had set for themselves last year has not just been raised by this track, but completely obliterated and rebuilt miles above.” Howl & Echoes
“The real highlight of this single — the moment that made me stop in my tracks — kicks off at 3:50. Oscar Dawson’s guitar solo just roars. It climbs and climbs, with a totally Pink Floyd vibe.” Indie Shuffle