Holly X.O. plays gentle music that sometimes has a sharp bite. It’s layered and interesting. The lyrics are well crafted and the music feels visceral. You can hear her play live on October 29, at The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul; a show that is also a fundraiser for Sexual Violence Center of Minnesota.
Please tell me about yourself and your music.
I’m a writer, composer, mother, and cellist living in St. Paul, MN. I work as a classical and pops cellist and I am the lead singer and cellist for the group Paper Chain, with Andrew S. Lentz (Splash), Rigel Bloome, and Chris Cuellar. Holly X.O. is my first ever solo project, recorded and produced by Matt Patrick from the Library Studio. Music has always been a deeply personal process. I play and write what feels good to me first and foremost. This practice has allowed me to cross several genres and create a sound that is unique to me.
Your debut album, Dear Holly, is releasing at the end of October. You cover some dark themes of being sick and death and remembering bad decisions and the music is so beautiful. What makes you most proud or excited about the album?
This is the most “me” project I’ve ever done. I’ve identified strongly with the cello for a long time, so to leave it behind for this album felt appropriately vulnerable. I wanted to give a sensory listening experience that would get inside the internal dialogue and body of someone recovering from PTSD and addiction. I think I did that and I am very happy with the direction this took. Matt Patrick at the Library Studio was the ideal producer for this album and really brought it to the next level for me. I’ve always been impressed with his work, and it was thrilling to create this with him. No one else could have facilitated my vision this well and I am so grateful to have worked with him.
The Spider and the Fly sounds like an almost melodic cacophony that feels half like a horror film and half cartoon. Can you tell me about your process of writing the song? Which came first, the lyrics, the music, the idea?
The music came first for this one. I wrote the piano part almost entirely in one shot on the loading dock of the warehouse I work in. That piano is held together with thoughts and prayers at this point, and is rather out of tune so I chose the most “in tune” keys to play and this is what erupted. The part just sounded good against the tin walls. The lyrics came from a prompt in the Singer/Songwriter Songwriting Challenge – this is a group on Facebook that challenges writers to write a song every week for 10 weeks. It is one of my favorite communities to be part of and I have successfully completed two challenges this year!
What was the inspiration for About a Filmstrip. The start (“Don’t know what made me think it would be different this time – wouldn’t sink into the river with my heart strung on your line”) is a hauntingly honest line.
About a Filmstrip is absolutely the centerpiece of this collection. It is a visceral and sensory representation of PTSD. In my case, this song is a look back at a time where I had very little agency over my choices. I was in a bad marriage and I drank heavily to cope with it. The soundscape features the ongoing sound of a film projector along with random bell chimes to give a sort of disorientation to the music. That’s what PTSD and dissociation feel like to me.
Please tell me about the release party for the album and fundraiser.
The album release show is scheduled for October 29th, 2026 at The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul. Music will begin at 7:00pm with an opening set from Deep Femme (Charlotte Tomorrow) followed by a live performance of Dear Holly. The live show will feature Hayley Anne (Ditch Pigeon) and Andrew S. Lentz (*Splash!*) on backup vocals and auxiliary percussion. I am so happy to be partnering with The Sexual Violence Center of Minnesota. This is a group of advocates that provides free and confidential counseling, information, and referrals to victim/survivor and their support systems ages 12+. They are a phenomenal organization and I am happy to donate the first $200 in ticket sales to this pillar of our community. Advocates will have a table at the event to answer questions and provide more information about their organization.
