Jolie Holland (born September 11, 1975)[1] is an American singer and performer who combines elements of
folk,
traditional,
experimental, and rock.[2]
Career
Growing up in her birth place of
Houston, Texas,[1] Holland left in 1994, moving to
Austin,
New Orleans, and
San Francisco before ending up in
Vancouver, Canada, where she was one of the founding members of
The Be Good Tanyas. Holland left the band before the release of their debut album, Blue Horse, on which she appears prominently.[3] She returned to San Francisco, where she recorded her first album, 2002's Catalpa.[4] Originally self-released, the album was later picked up and re-released by
ANTI-. In 2004 she released her first album for ANTI-, 2004's Escondida. ANTI- labelmates
Tom Waits and
Sage Francis are both outspoken fans of Holland's: Waits nominated her for the
Shortlist music prize,[5] while Francis has said that Escondida was his most listened to album of 2005.[6]
As well as releasing another four solo albums for ANTI- and touring globally, Holland has performed a number of collaborations with other artists, including with fan Sage Francis (on his album Human the Death Dance) and
Booker T. (with whom she recorded "
What A Wonderful World" in 2007). In 2016, she reunited with Be Good Tanyas bandmate Samantha Parton and they began touring as a duo,[7] releasing the jointly-credited album Wildflower Blues, on Cinquefoil Records, in 2017 and embarking on a joint tour through 2018.[8]
Multiple vocal, instrumental, and writing contributions on the
Be Good Tanyas' debut album,
Blue Horse, released in 2000 (after Holland's departure from the band).[9]
Multiple collaborations with
David Dondero, including backing vocals on the song "Analysis of a 1970's Divorce" on Dondero's 2001 album Shooting at the Sun With a Water Gun[10]