ONE WOMAN, ONE INSTRUMENT – Jess Holland hits the road with her regional Queensland tour throughout Jun and July 2013. One woman, one instrument, one mesmerizing performance: fast-rising Australian country star Jess Holland is heading out on the road for a tour that’s all about the music.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever toured on my own,” says Jess, whose debut album, Introducing …, has scored rave reviews from critics and fans alike. “In past when I’ve toured I’ve always taken the band, but in this case it’s very different. Quite literally, this is me putting everything I need in the car, hitting the road, and then heading up the coast and out west.”
The tour, running through June and July, will find Jess playing venues well away from the big centres throughout regional Queensland – in Eulo, Ipswich, Kingaroy, Moura, Blackwater, Tieri, Dysart, Mackay and Barcaldine.
“It’s a true country tour,” she says. “That’s what I wanted to achieve. Everyone visits the larger centres. I wanted to get to places where the real country music scenes are. Small places don’t have the same opportunities to hear live music – yet that’s where the true country fans live. I just want to get out there amongst it all. I’ve got my guitar, my mandolin and my banjo. That’s it: a full boot, and hit the road.”
The unadorned nature of the new tour is in stark contrast to the last time Jess Holland was in full performance mode – at this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival. There, she led not one but two bands – her regular group, The Silver Spurs, and a three-muso side-project, The Hickory Sisters, which paid tribute to the classic women of country such as Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette. The new tour will find Jess performing songs from both set-lists, as well as previewing new songs destined for her second album, which she will record later this year.
“There will be some old country music, some new country music – it’ll be high energy and a lot of fun,” she says. “Fun is definitely the aim.”
Indeed, for Jess Holland, the tour represents something of a celebration, and a reward for personal courage. Earlier this year, she took the gutsy decision to leave her job as an agronomist and become a full-time musician. Such a choice is tricky enough in a big metropolis – but in regional Australia, where Jess is based and everyone is doing it hard, it’s immensely brave.
“I’ve actually managed to do it,” says Jess, laughing. “These days I am officially a full-time muso, and it’s going well. It’s definitely the best move I’ve made. It was pretty scary at first – it was a big move – and it took a while to get my head around it. But I’ve been pretty busy ever since, especially writing the songs for the new album. They are pretty much all done and dusted now, and I’m really looking forward to playing them on the tour.”
Most of the new material, she says, has been written since the start of the year. Although she’s happy with the songs, they still face trial by fire – or trial by audience – before she will fully commit any of them to the new album.
“Writing new songs isn’t a slow process for me, not really, but I like to make sure each one is one hundred per cent Jess Holland before I’m fully satisfied,” she says. “I won’t release anything that I’m not proud of it.”
That commitment to quality – along with an approach to live performance that is both boisterous and searingly honest – marks Jess Holland as one of the most exciting country musicians in Australia today! But don’t take our word for it. If you happen to be in Roma or Tieri or Dysart over the next few weeks, pop by the local pub and check things out yourself.
Jess Holland’s latest single Cigarettes and Whiskey from her debut album Introducing… Jess Holland is also due for release to radio in June to coincide with her regional tour.
Saturday 15th June 2013
Showgrounds, Eulo Polo Cross, EULO QLD
Pitherty Road, Eulo
Sunday 16th June 2013
Commonwealth Hotel, ROMA QLD
75 Wyndham Street, Roma | ph: (07) 4622 1286
Friday 21st June 2013
Porters Plainland Hotel, Ipswich QLD
Warrego Highway, Plainland | ph: (07) 5465 6547
Saturday 22nd June 2013
Commercial Hotel, KINGAROY QLD
167 Haly Street, Kingaroy | ph: (07) 4162 1380
Thursday 27th June 2013
Coal & Cattle Hotel, MOURA QLD
63 Dawson Hwy, Moura | ph: (07) 4997 1511
Friday 28th June 2013
Blackwater Hotel Motel, BLACKWATER QLD
14-16 Railway Street, Blackwater | ph: (07) 4982 5133
Saturday 29th June 2013
Tieri Brolga Hotel Motel, TIERI QLD
11 Malvern Ave, Tieri | ph: (07) 4984 8555
Sunday 30th June 2013
Jolly Collier Hotel Motel, DYSART QLD
14 Queen Elizabeth Dr, Dysart | ph: (07) 4958 1155
Monday 1st July 2013
Hotel Mackay, MACKAY QLD
179 Victoria Street, Mackay | ph: (07) 4951 1120
Tuesday 2nd July 2013
Blacks Beach Tavern MACKAY QLD
Cnr Blacks Beach Rd & Slater Ave, Mackay | ph: (07) 4944 4800
https://www.facebook.com/BlacksBeachTavern
Friday 5th July 2013
Artesian Hotel, BARCALDINE QLD
85 Oak Street, Barcaldine | ph: (07) 4651 1691
Jess Holland
[video]http://youtu.be/RQ4Lm6nJL1s[/video]
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