“I was a name on a page I was a fix for a phase, a muse for writer’s block. A story told of a foregone failure, heard the click and felt the shot”
Hailing from Minnesota, but currently kicking around Chicago, Kiersten Holine is a soft and sweet voiced folkster whose relaxed sound is perfect for a contemplative, rainy, day. Her newest album, Candescent, was released in April and is a collection of eight gorgeous songs. It’s a record that begs you to lay back, close your eyes, and just listen. Much like MFH favorite Jeff Pianki, who appears on the record, Candescent is an ethereal beauty. There’s a fragility to it, not the sound, but the words and the voice. A quiet desperation even. Like she’s trying to hold everything together, but not sure she can. It might fall apart. The sixth track says it all as Holine sings “trying to keep you to hold on/ maybe just smile/ wanna know what should I do/ wanna know it’s worthwhile.”
I spent my entire weekend listening to Ms. Holine and at first it was her voice that captured my imagination but, as the days wore on, it was her words that dug deep in my brain. Songs like “Queen of Hearts Blues” (from which the quote at the top comes) and “Ignoble” from her first release, are incredibly well written and two of the best lyrically driven songs I’ve heard in quite a while. Forget being convoluted, forget hiding, Holine’s songwriting is piercingly emotional, honest, and fearless. Clearly, she is more than just a pleasant voice.
Recommended Songs: “Nomad,” “Queen of Hearts Blues (ft. Caleb Groh),” “Realigned (ft. Jeff Pianki),” “Keep You To Hold On (ft. Michael Pierce),” “The Shape Our Frames Made,” “Ignoble”
For more on Kiersten Holine check out the songs below. Also, be sure to check out her albums on iTunes or bandcamp, like her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and Tumblr.
