This week we thought it was finally time to introduce you all to our assistant manager, Holly. Originally from Leeds, Holly moved to Huddersfield eleven years ago after meeting her husband. Though she’s a barista through the day, art is her main passion. It’s something she’s always done as a hobby. Art was her favourite subject at school and after briefly studying it, she now does freelance work in her spare time. Check out her work over at @blackdogdesignuk. We sat down and chatted to Holly about which band has shaped her music taste the most over the years.
- Which artist has impacted you the most musically?
The Beatles, by far. I fell in love with them when I was sixteen – I was going through a whole 60’s phase. I found that my art and style was being influenced by the era.
- Do you remember how you first discovered them?
We used to sing their songs at school. It was one of those things where I knew their music without ever really realising it was them. I remember looking through my dad’s rack of CD’s and being drawn to the album ‘Beatles 1’ because I loved the cover art. It was one of the first CD’s I listened to.
- Which particular album do you believe to be their most iconic and why?
Their compilation album ‘Love’. It was created way after The Beatles were in action, but it’s had the biggest impact on me musically. It came out in 2006 for Christmas. I remember seeing it advertised in the local ASDA. I was drawn to it because I was obsessed with the psychedelic cover art. It was just so bright and colourful. I always
think the cover tells you so much about the music. I didn’t realise at the time, but it was released as a soundtrack for Cirque du Soleil.
They have a show that has the same name. I didn’t listen to it online, I had the CD which I enjoyed more because each song merged onto the next like one big collage of iconic music. The way each track flows on to the other makes it sound like a piece of art.
- ‘My favourite song on the album is’... and why?
It’s hard to pick a song because they all naturally flow on to each other, but ‘Track 4’ is my favourite. It starts with Eleanor Rigby and goes into Julia but it’s done in a way that is so beautifully blended. Then it goes into I Am The Walrus and I just love it. They reference different songs and tracks, so you just find yourself trying to pick up on these little nuggets and surprises throughout.
- What draws you to this genre of music?
I love how they’re not just stuck in one style. You can really hear how they develop throughout their lives. Their life experiences are reflected in the music. I enjoy the early stuff but then I like the fact that they don’t stick to it for the rest of their career. It sounds like what they were going through at the time, like how Revolver has those Indian influences. It’s the same as when you’re doing art – it’s always good to have that flexibility. As a person, your tastes and inspirations are always changing.
- Why should other people listen to this album?
It’s The Beatles, but not as you’ve heard them before. If you’re a hardcore Beatles fan, there are little hints and references that you pick up on throughout. It was produced by George Martin and his son Giles, and you can tell they had a lot of fun with the album. It really reflects the vibe and energy of The Beatles. It makes me happy even when some of the words are a bit bleak. There’s this saying that I really love – it says ‘I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things’. That’s really relevant with this album. It brings it back to what the Beatles are all about, peace and love.
- If you’re into this style of music, who else would you recommend
listening to?
I recently picked up George Harrison’s solo album ‘All Things Must Pass’. I never really noticed him before with him being the quiet one in the band, but after I watched the new ‘Get Back’ documentary, I started to see him in a new light.
Written for The Turntable by Hannah Robinson-Wright. Hannah is a 24-year-old aspiring author and poet from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. After achieving a first-class degree in English Literature, she is now completing a Masters at the Manchester Writing School and spends her free time exploring Huddersfield's idyllic countryside, maintaining a vegan food blog and performing around the UK with various musical projects.
