Artist, producer, engineer and remixer Patrick Holland announces his debut album ‘You’re The Boss’, out on Sinderlyn on 29th July. To celebrate the announcement, Patrick shares the album opener and first single “Sinister Bell” – an earworm featuring sunny guitars and velvety harmonies, courtesy of the members of TOPS on backing vocals.
PRE-ORDER YOU’RE THE BOSS – OUT 7/29 ON SINDERLYN
Tell us about the genesis of your project ‘You’re The Boss’.. How did you get to where you are now?
I’d been working on a full length dance record in late 2019/early 2020, and had wrapped the initial demos by January. Just before leaving on tour in Europe and Australia in February 2020, I decided to break some habits, by starting a song with just guitar and vocals. While this may not sound groundbreaking – ”Guitar…. and vocals?!” – it was new for me. I tucked the demo away in a folder, and forgot about it, until the tour was cut short in March. At this point I found myself with lots of time and patience, so I ditched the dance record and started from scratch. I rediscovered the demo I recorded in January, and decided to use it as the main source of inspiration for the sound of the album. The vocal was simple and uninhibited, while the guitar was roughly dubbed out with effects, both of which made the final cut and became the last song on the record. The rest of the songs were written and recorded in tandem over the rest of the year, then reworked, re-recorded, mixed and mastered by August 2021. It was an exhaustive process, as it always is, but in the end very rewarding.
What should a song or piece of art communicate in your opinion?
A thought or feeling that can’t be translated otherwise.
Who were your top 3 artists last year?
Grouper, Molly Lewis & Merope.
What do you do when you’re feeling uninspired?
I watch movies, read or skateboard.
What are your 2022 projects and goals?
Practice with my live band, and tour as much as possible.
Favorite movie or TV show?
I really like the doc “Giuseppe Makes a Movie”.
Tell us about your latest release ‘Sinister Bell’ and how it came about
The song is about coming to terms with being haunted by a ghost, but in a positive way. I’ve toured alone a lot, and things get quite lonely and boring as you’d imagine. You talk to yourself, or join in on conversations that you’re listening to on a podcast – you can have fun with it – but you can begin noticing coincidences that weren’t there before, or sounds that you didn’t hear before. I’ve had many incidents of the latter, and instead of fearing it, I welcomed it in the form of a paranormal travel partner. When writing this song, I thought it’d be fun to highlight this relationship.
What is something you would want to change in the music and entertainment industry?
More personable fan to artist connection & peer to peer encouragement.
Can you outline your creative process?
I write a lot of ideas down in the notes app when I’m on the go, and record a lot of different sketches as quickly as I can when in the studio, over the course of months. I then go back and re-evaluate each sketch to decide which ones deserve a deeper dive. Keeping it quick and intuitive is key.
Who inspires your style and aesthetics?
My friends + Wong Kar-wai, Todd Rundgren, John Divola, Daido Moriyama
What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?
In 2018 I realised I didn’t have to say yes to everything, and could take breaks; a simple revelation.
What do you think an artist should sing about nowadays?
Their own experiences, thoughts and phantasies.
Do you have any regrets?
I regret not sticking with piano lessons as a kid.
What is some piece of advice you would give to yourself right now?
Stop looking at your phone.
