How this musician is confronting the patriarchy with her fungi fantasy
This is A HOT MINUTE WITH, a quick-fire interview series championing all the rising talent catapulting into fashion, art and music’s fickle stratosphere. From pinch-me moments to bad dates and even worse chat-up lines, think of it as an overindulgent conversation – like the ones you have in sticky club toilets at 4.A.M. Except these guests don’t regret the overshare…
NAME DELILAH HOLLIDAY
AGE 24
LOCATION London
STAR SIGN Aries
LIFE MANTRA One love, no stress.
PARTY TRICK Being the life and soul of the party.
Why does feeling like a mushroom have to be such a bad thing? For North London-based singer, Delilah Holliday, feeling fungi is how she captured the psychedelic attitude and mycelium mellowness, and turned it into the artwork behind her latest track, DEVOTED 2 U. Featured on her upcoming EP, Collective Consciousness, which drops on the 23rd April, Holliday navigates ‘mind-bending’ symphony through her sound, with soothing tolls that tease at a spiritual journey, alluding to the elegant, healing qualities of mushrooms. Superimposed fungi feature across the EP’s cover art, an effervescent invitation into a calming, lyrical dreamland - the antidote to this burdening reality of present.
Growing up on a council estate in the north of London, – “it was the making of me” notes the singer – Holliday’s ascension came under the influence of her parents, both artists. Scribing songs from an early age, Holliday hails from the former London punk band, Skinny Girl Diet, sharing the stage with the likes of Iggy Pop and Queens of the Stone Age, while performing with her cousin and sister, Ursula, who she remains in the studio with to record her own show on NTS Radio.
Frustrated by the patriarchal structure of the industry, Holliday, “a riot girl obsessed teenager,” is creating indispensable political poetry to empower and champion a more diverse music industry. “I want to see more weird, alternative, WOC, female identifying, plus size, queer, non-binary, and trans artists being celebrated, validated and most importantly worshipped at festivals and gigs.” Talking shrooms - naturally - the state of society, and why creating a sound with purpose has never been more fundamental, take a hallucinatory trip into Delilah Holliday’s passionate portrayal of her fungi fantasy. After all, it’s Aries szn. 🍄
Scarlett Baker: Can you remember a moment when you realised music was the pathway that you wanted to pursue?
Delilah Holliday: I learned how to sing Lionel Richie’s Easy at this community Saturday school for kids when I was about seven. It was a workshop with a vocal coach. My mum made me sing it for her over and over again at the end of her bed and that’s when I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life singing to people and making them joyful.
SB: What prompted you to start Skinny Girl Diet with your sister and cousin when you were 14?
DH: Nothing in particular prompted us to form a band; we just did it for fun with pure intentions. At the time when we formed in 2010 there weren’t any contemporary British punk bands with all female identifying members, and especially no women of colour that we were aware of. As a 14 year old riot girl obsessed teenager, I was dissatisfied with the establishment, patriarchy and just the way men treated me in general - it was pure angst. I'm very glad we were the catalyst to spark the dialogue going in the British indie/punk scene. I’m very proud to see all the WOC, queer, non binary and trans musicians occupying the music industry everyday. More power & more diversity!
Credit: @margotbowman
SB: Talk us through your latest EP and the inspiration behind it. What’s the mood?
DH: My debut EP is nine tracks of dreamy, sunny, psychedelic goodness. The mood is escapism.
SB: What does Collective Consciousness mean to you?
DH: We are all born unique individuals but we are also a part of a collective consciousness. I feel like in society we’ve been taught to be selfish and consume everything all the time. When really we need unity, empathy & togetherness to rise up and become a more intelligent race of people.
SB: In between lockdowns last year you were working on music at Neneh Cherry’s house in Sweden. What was the experience like?
DH: I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity - the Swedish countryside really cleared my head and ignited my creativity. It was so blissful to be surrounded by green woods and fly agaric mushrooms. The whole experience definitely inspired the visuals and the sonic elements of the EP. Also big love to Neneh & Cam for letting me stay and create in their amazing gaff.
SB: What’s an album that’s changed your life?
DH: Cut by The Slits.
SB: If your life was a song, what would it be called?
DH: Goddess Energy.
SB: Can you remember the first song you ever wrote?
DH: It was called Alien Helpline. I wrote it with my sister, it was a song for aliens that are stuck on Earth, don’t get humans and need to get home. I still relate to it tbh.
SB: In an ideal world, if you could be getting ready to perform somewhere, where would it be and why?
DH: The Hollywood Bowl is my dream venue because it’s stunning, outside, good weather and in the mountains.
SB: What’s your favourite thing about North London?
DH:The people and the diversity, everyone is just nicer in the North.
SB: What’s the weirdest dream you’ve had recently?
DH: That this crazy virus came from nowhere, spread through the world and stopped life from happening.
SB: What’s one of your favourite lyrics of all time?
DH: ‘What goes through you head is amazing and life saving’
SB: When you’re not creating music, what else can we find you doing?
DH: Painting, drawing, listening to music and smoking ganja.
SB: If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would you choose?
DH: Grace Jones, Lenny Henry & Erykah Badu.
SB: What would you like to have achieved by the end of this year?
DH: Lots of artistic collaborations, big budgets, a growing audience and to release this mind bending, psychedelic EP to critical acclaim and with many accolades.
SB: What’s something you learnt about yourself over the past year?
DH: I’m a talented bad bitch with the potential to be great at anything I put my mind to. Self doubt gets you nowhere and worrying about the future won’t change anything. It will only ruin this present moment.
SB: What’s the last thing you think of before you go to bed at night?
DH: I count my blessings and practise gratitude. It depends really on the day I’ve had.
SB: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be and why?
DH: SZA because we obviously both have an affinity with shrooms - it's meant to be.
SB: When was the last time you felt starstruck?
DH: I saw Alex Turner walking around East London in his cuban heels, then on the same day I saw Bobby Gillespie and Thurston Moore down on Broadway Market eating sarnies. It was a good day for rock’n’roll.
SB: What’s a decade you wish you’d lived in?
DH: I like this one. Each decade had its own social justice issues, I think. I’m glad I’m living through these times where the dialogue is happening. However if I had to pick I would go back to Ancient Egyptian and try to see if the aliens really did build the pyramids.
SB: Worst fashion trend you’ve participated in?
DH: Scene kid/emo phase…however I don’t trust you if you weren’t an emo!
SB: On June 21st you'll find me...
DH: Super duper blazed, making banging hits in the studio! Maybe I will hit the club afterwards.