LEAVING KANSAS pre-release copies available for sale! Just go to http://www.hollylong.com/Store.html (Paypal)
HOLLY sings and plays piano, guitar, synths, does some backgrounds.
VARIOUS OTHER SUNDRY CRAZY MUSICIAN TYPES have been kind enough to lay down their genius in support of the Holly Long machine. Musicians Holly plays with often (or not often enough)- Chris Horvath, Jorgen Carlsson, Clifford Novey, Mark Harris, Nick Vincent, Tanya Anton, Mark Lennon, Chris Tedesco, Danny Frankel, Stephen Anderson, Branden Harper, Lance Morrison, John Calarco, Michael Brandmeier...MOST RECENTLY- (the Minneapolis Clan) JT Bates, Peter Schimke, Chris Bates, Jay Graf, Jacqueline Ferrier-Ultan, Pamela McNeill, FIREWHEEL, Patrick Harison, Karen Mueller, Mary Jane Alm...and out of Chicago- Maxi-Madeleine Wood and Nicholas Markos...GOD BLESS THEM ALL THEY ALL ROCK MY WORLD
Influences
NEW AND OLD: Elton John, Carole King, Paul McCartney, Ron Sexsmith, Ryan Adams, Jeff Buckley, John Lennon, Aimee Mann, Neil Finn, Crowded House, Beatles, John Hiatt, Stevie Wonder, Jim Croce, America, CSNY, Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel, Bill Withers, Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos, Jonatha Brooke, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Keith Jarrett, Prince, so many many more to be added when I think of how ridiculous it is that they're not already on this list.
Sounds Like
Carole King, Vonda Shepard, Sarah McLachlan, Carly Simon, Aimee Mann, Joni Mitchell, Jann Arden (a hint of folks like Tori Amos and Norah Jones but that's a stretch)
Joining Holly Long's mailing list is a great way to show your support and stay up to date with Holly Long news! For those of you who'd like to help MAKE the news, we'd love your participation!
We are enlisting the help of Holly's devoted and communicative fans to become River Runners. Holly Long River Runners are passionate people who like to share their enthusiasm about the things they love...in this case, Holly Long's music. River Runner activities are as simple as talking to friends and co-workers about Holly and her new record, Leaving Kansas, or chatting with friends online, posting links on message boards and comments on blogs that you frequent, hosting a MySpace banner on your page or having friends over for a Holly Long listening party!
For every activity completed, River Runners accumulate points redeemable for exclusive Holly Long rewards! The rewards allow us to say thank you because your support is the biggest gift of all. We want to know who you are and to give you the tools to help you amplify your voice so together we can tell the world about Holly and her music! Thank you for considering joining Holly Long's River Runners.
Please visit www.RiverRunner.info for more information on Holly Long's River Runners
Holly Long Biography
Raised in Chi-town and born into a musical family, Holly Long needled her parents into piano lessons on her Great-Grandmother’s upright Hamilton at age 7. As a young tyke she was exposed to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Elton John, Beethoven and the Beatles. Let us also not forget daily doses of “Free To Be You and Me” via her Dad’s HiFi stereo headphones. Influenced thusly, she spent her youth and early adult years constantly performing in various musicals, piano contests and plays.
After high school, Holly moved to California to attend UCLA as a Theater Major. She suddenly found herself scribbling lyrics on bar napkins and call-sheets for various acting gigs in an attempt to bring voice to what Hollywood wasn’t really supporting- her growing creative force. Three demo recordings, one indie record deal gone bust and countless local gigs later, Holly seemed to be just about ready to call herself a songwriter.
Then in late 1996, she was unexpectedly rushed to the hospital with what appeared to be an intense case of the Flu, but turned out to be the beginning of a two-year, life-changing odyssey. She fell into a coma and was hurriedly diagnosed with Endocarditis, a severe heart infection that threw her body into massive trauma. After a week of unconsciousness, she was lucky enough to awake and begin a slow process of recovery. She lost her hair, lost function of all her muscles and had to learn to walk all over again. Humbling, to say the least.
This severe shock to the system galvanized Holly’s musical focus. Her intense honesty, the feelings of longing and inspiration, and the drive to understand herself were the result of a “broken heart,” and became the seeds for her debut album, City Girl in 2000. Met with acclaim, Holly’s debut CD was created alongside Clio-award-winning producer and arranger Chris Horvath. Lucky Holly was also fortunate enough to enlist the talents of many well-respected musicians and industry veterans for this project.
In 2001, Holly again partnered with Horvath and released an EP entitled Six Sided Woman. These two recordings garnered her 3rd place in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest of 2000 and an Honorable Mention in the 2001 USA Songwriting Contest. Additionally, Holly’s songs have received feature film and TV placements including the soundtracks for Warner Bros.’ Winning London, Our Lips are Sealed, and NBC’s Passions.
Since then, Holly has given birth to her two children, a beautiful girl named Josephine and sweet baby boy, Truman. Their lives give a resounding sense of closure 10 years after her own brush with death. Fittingly, Jo also provided much of the inspiration for Holly’s third project and critically-received second CD- Every Little Seam- released in 2004. Truman has since been instrumental in molding Holly’s ever-changing voice.
Continuing the journey of being a mom and an artist brought Holly to write and record her third full length album, Leaving Kansas, under the astute musical direction of her producer and dear friend, Anthony JW Benson. This latest sweeping effort- two years in the making- was officially released world-wide in April, 2008. Copies are available on www.hollylong.com or on intunes, Rhapsody, emusic, CDBaby, Napster and many other online outlets.
Holly happily resides in Venice, CA and continues to wrangle the butterfly muse. Through therapy, yoga, and a little help from her friends, Holly performs with love and gratefulness. Peace love music.
The stars arranged themselves in pairs With colors their steps arose upon the stairs Each waking moment another light is born Capturing the essence of another brilliant morn.
In time and space and there in between A year that comes and goes is no more to be seen Worlds without end arise and disappear And wisdom plays upon the harp to hear
Songs that open doorways to the heart A cascade of visions sharing every part Revealing all connections to be told With a sudden rush of daring to be bold.
In an instant the change Comes over you complete Like a herd upon the range Thoughts turn from empty to replete
For out of nothing the something shall come forth And in that moment you will know you are the one
LEAVING KANSAS pre-release copies available for sale! Just go to http://www.hollylong.com/Store.html (Paypal)
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