Liquid Pearl single & video is out now
Invaluable Vol. 2 is set to be released 3rd of November
Following her ‘Invaluable Vol. 1’ EP this July, North London’s homegrown DIY icon Delilah Holliday will release ‘Invaluable Vol. 2’ on November 3rd via One Little Independent Records.
NOWNESS ‘LIQUID PEARL‘ VIDEO PREMIERE
VIDEO STILLS
The former received support from the likes of BBC 6 Music including Jamz Supernova’s ‘New Music Fix’, NTS, Crack, DIY, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash Magazine, The Independent, Loud & Quiet, Hunger Magazine, So Young, Brooklyn Vegan and more. The two EPs combine to create the ‘Invaluable’ mixtape, released on limited edition 12” transparent violet vinyl.
‘Invaluable Vol. 2’ works as a heady tale of caution, and the search for clarity in creativity outside of the intoxicating noise that surrounds us all. It’s about being true to oneself despite what doubts or distractions we may face. It’s also about the confidence and support that comes from the acceptance of this. Seven tracks map something of a journey, that can be viewed in the context of a single night out, but recall thematic elements that are universal. Delilah tells us that “the first part of the EP is very downtempo. It’s got a couple of little uppers in it, but it’s sort of introducing you to the quest you’re gonna go on. The second part is like the wild ride, and then you start going downhill. And it screeches to a stop when you remember who you are again”.
Musically the collection ranges from industrial club anthems and delirious beats to atmospherically produced moments of euphoria. Glitchy electronics blend with Delilah’s trademark art pop and crisp trip hop rhythms. Delilah’s authenticity is distinct in her delivery and lyrics, which continue to probe class and societal issues as she guides the listener through her realm of realisations. A key theme that follows from ‘Vol. 1’ is that of identity and roots. Growing up on Holloway Road and beginning her creative endeavours with family members continues this sense of community and groundedness.
Her band, Skinny Girl Diet, which she founded at the age of 14 with her sister Ursula and their cousin Amelia, were a staple of the 2010’s UK indie-punk landscape. She then successfully transitioned to her current solo moniker with the release of her debut single ‘Babylon’ in 2018. Shortly after, she would appear on the Baxter Dury album ‘B.E.D’ alongside Étienne de Crécy.
In a short time, she’s worked with some of the best across both the music and fashion world including Neneh Cherry, Vivienne Westwood, Ghost Poet and more. In 2021 alone she hosted a ‘Goddess Energy Experience’ show at The Old Blue Last with Tyson and Grove, headlined St Pancras Old Church, partnered with Marshall Amps, and she performed an exclusive A/V live session with FACT Magazine. She’s also presented her own monthly NTS Radio show since 2016.
Like ‘Vol. 1’, ‘Vol. 2’ was co-written and co-produced with composer Raphael Ninot. There’s a reassuring power to EP opener ‘Hesitate’, a dreamy and evocative intro, the quiet before the chaos. “Me and Raphael wrote Hesitate in a studio session we had in Notting Hill” Delilah tells us, “We were jamming, I was on the Sequential Prophet Rev2 8-Voice Synthesizer, and Raphael was on piano. We came up with this melody that I instantly fell in love with, and that night I wrote the lyrics in my bedroom on my voice memos. It’s like it was meant to be. Lucky, we had a studio session the next day and I could get down the vocals then and there. There was definitely a moment in the studio when we all had goosebumps. This song is really special to me and is about attracting instead of chasing. If things are meant to be I truly believe they happen for a reason and that’s what this track is about.”
Highlight ‘Liquid Pearl’ is immediately a more beat-driven and anthemic piece, that also harbours a darkness. “Liquid Pearl references fossil fuels and global warming. When the chorus goes “Your mothers gone / She wouldn’t want to see you like this” and then “She’s reclaiming love / Taking back what’s hers”, I’m talking about Mother Earth. I was reading about the melting of permafrost, and it freaked me out! So that made it into the song’s wider discussion.”
The combined double hit of ‘1000 Transformations’ and ‘Drugs Again’ perfectly encapsulate a peak in the overwhelming, overstimulated frenzy of the EPs arc. Dizzying, dynamic electronics and pulsating synths, led by Delilah’s distant, astral vocals. The former is a about the many changes one can go through in this life or the next, a thousand different people across a thousand different incarnations. The latter paints a vibrant picture of consumption from a empathic standpoint. “This one is the afterparty. It’s about addiction and chasing the dragon. And it’s also about an awareness of that, or a response to it. I’ve been there, we’ve all been there, and there’s no shame in that. It can be unhealthy so it’s about getting rid of the shame around conversations of addiction and the misuse of narcotics. Because there’s a guilt attached to it, and if people feel like they can’t talk about it then it stops the dialogue, and then people do it more. It’s not about taking the fun out of it, it doesn’t need to be a sad thing, it’s just a warning song about hedonism.”
The existential ‘Travelled’ begins the spiral downward as the curtain begins to lift. It also follows a similar theme to ‘1000 Transformations’ as it frames the many phases we go through over time, “In this lifetime we are here to discover ourselves or our souls depending on what you believe. It’s about surrendering to the multiple different versions of yourself you can be. It takes a lifetime to understand the true nature of ourselves, but I believe it’s written in the stars. Sonically we wanted the track to start up slow and build up the pace similar to the motions we all go through throughout our lives. I don’t believe we can pigeonhole our enduring characteristics and behaviours and a person’s unique adjustment to life, similarly to Invaluable Vol.1 & Vol.2, how it is almost sonically genre-less in my opinion. I hope whoever hears this song can reminisce about all the versions of themselves that have made up their unique path.”
‘Long Time Coming’ and ‘On My Own Wave’ close out the release confidently, with epic, soaring pop hooks and messaging that feels absolutely integral to Delilah’s ethics, of self-belief, self-love, and seeking emotional balance. “Long Time Coming is about holding your head up high, and that no matter how long you’ve been doing something, to never give up. It’s kind of an autobiographical song about how long I’ve been making music for, and how long you can do something without quitting, and why you do it.”
“I feel like if there was going to be any song that ended the sonic journey, it would be On My Own Wave. Because it’s kind of like a love letter to yourself. When you’re having the comedown from this crazy night that you had, like in Drugs Again, it’s a soothing melody to protect your mind, your body, your soul, and your space. And to be mindful who you let into that space and who you listen to, and to remind whoever listens to it to trust your gut and your intuition. That you are the person that knows what you need the most.”
artist Delilah Holliday
title Invaluable Vol. 2
label OLI
date 3rd November
format digital
pre-order
Art credit: Carter O’Sullivan
Tracklist:
1. Hesitate (3RD NOVEMBER)
2. Liquid Pearl (7TH SEPTEMBER)
3. 1000 Transformations (3RD NOVEMBER)
4. Drugs Again (3RD NOVEMBER)
5. Travelled (3RD NOVEMBER)
6. Long Time Coming (4TH OCTOBER)
7. On My Own Wave (3RD NOVEMBER)