Track Of The Day 26/5 – Holly Walker

Holly Walker’s voice might well be intimately familiar to you. An emphatic collaborator, she’s been able to work on some hugely successful releases, in particular her work with Maribou State. Now, though, she’s ready to go it alone – and speak her truth in the process.

A full solo album is being prepared, working with a raft of close friends and special guests. For now, she’s able to share new single ‘How Can I Tell You’, a glorious piece of electronic pop that allows the temperature to plunge below zero.

Constructed at home on keys, studio sessions took place alongside Mercury-Prize nominated friend and collaborator, Jamie Woon. Together, they brought her vision into being, with ‘How Can I Tell You’ attempting to grapple with loss, grief, and the hopeless task of putting emotions into words.

An attempt at communication, ‘How Can I Tell You’ ends up saying so much more than mere words could manage on their own.

“I used to work as a nanny,” Holly explains. “The little girl I looked after was crying at bedtime; she’d heard at school that dying was a permanent thing, and was distraught. I wanted to comfort her, but was myself dealing with grief and the death of someone very close to me. I gave a tacky description of heaven, but really wanted to say, I know, I’m just as gutted about this as you are!”

“Years later I wrote this song to say ‘We’re in this existential crisis together. And even though you’re only 7, we can always be friends.’”

Tune in now.