Q+A with HOLY SPRINGS
South London indie lo-fi rockers Holy Springs released several catchy singles this year, culminating recently in an album titled Outside. Outside delights with 36 minutes of scuzzed-out fuss-budget tunes.
I listened to the singles a lot this summer, happily having my memory jogged of long-lost 90s college radio indie rock nuggets. “Living Inside Your Head” was included in episode 27 of blank mood… it was perfect for re-setting the mood during lunchtime freak-outs.
So, hot damn… now with a full Holy Springs album, there’s enough fuss-budget bangers to fill an entire lunch break! Wondering how they’d describe their sound to a friend’s grandmother, I asked the band some questions for this blank mood Q+A. While still early to report on their shoegaze educational programme for grandmas, they discuss how their sound has evolved, offer a tip for fans at their live shows, and reveal which song from the album was nearly ditched.
I’m also giving Holy Springs the blank mood award for greatest number of people in the band contributing to the Q+A. Neil, Suzanne and Harry all chimed in. Bass player Maria - we hope to hear from you too in the future.
//wendy
You released an album in August this year, Outside. Stylistically, how does the album compare to your other work to date?
Neil: The previous album had a lot going on as we were still finding our feet. This time we've stripped back the sound to just electric guitars, bass and drums. Harry joining on the second guitar opened up the sound and made room for new interesting parts. Also backing vocals are on a number of tracks. All in all the songwriting has improved. We wanted to remove the electronic drone element and get back to basics so to speak. As a result Outside is more of a shoegaze, lo-fi indie rock sound.
How would you describe the HOLY SPRINGS sound to a friend’s grandmother?
Suzanne: Alternative indie rock, lots of guitars...
Harry: I have been trying to educate grandmothers on shoegaze. I’ll let you know how I get on in your next issue.
What’s the story behind the song “Living Inside Your Head”?
Neil: I kept hearing that phrase 'living rent free in your head' and the idea spawned from that really.
Suzanne: Neil nearly ditched the recording because it was a lot faster than we'd been playing it in rehearsals, but we convinced him it was a good take, so glad that's made it onto the record.
I really like the vocal duo of “Honestly” - you should do more of that!
Neil: Defintely, Suzanne asked about doing it as a duet in the studio and it really worked. I think it would be cool if she took the lead vocal on a track in the future (if she wants to of course).
Suzanne: Thank you, happy you enjoy it. We'll see, I just need to find the right amount of alcohol to be confident but not an absolute mess!
Harry: I love the introduction of backing vocals to Holy Springs songs. It brings something different to our songs. “Never Let Go” is another great example.
I see that it’s been said before, but you strike a wonderful 90s indie rock/pop sound for some of us olds out here. For me, the singles you released this year triggered a memory of a band I’d long since forgotten: Silkworm. What are the influences of HOLY SPRINGS and its members individually? Are there things you’re currently listening to that you’re really digging?
Neil: We all grew up in the 90s/2000s so that era really strikes a chord with us. I'm not that familair with Silkworm but I like what I've heard. They're Matador alumni and worked with Albini so that gets a big tick of approval. I suppose the core influences of the band are the Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3, Swervedriver, Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, Sparklehorse etc. Right now I'm listening to they are gutting a body of water, full body 2, Narrow Head, Ovlov and a whole bunch of American bands.
Suzanne: I grew up listening to Britpop and a lot of indie rock. At the moment I'm enjoying the sunny tones of Sagittarius and Freak Slug, more local to me we have some pretty cool psych/shoegaze/indie pop/rock bands - Sierpinski, Shadow Flowers (formerly Burning House), Wonderlux and Picture House, they're all awesome.
You’re based in South London, but that’s about as much as I know about the band! Can you tell a bit about who is in the band, what each person does, how you formed, what ya’ll do when you’re not making music?
Neil: Three of us live and work in South London. I started Holy Springs as a recording project a long time ago now but wanted to do something more with it around 2020. Maria joined on the bass and Suzanne came along shortly afterwards on drums. Eventually my brother Harry joined on the second guitar. My day job allows me to work mostly from home but when I'm not working or making music I'm usually still occupied with band related stuff like the artwork, videos, mixing, promoting etc. We are very much a DIY independent band. That means there's more to do behind the scenes but I enjoy it all the same.
Harry: I joined the band in 2023 when I moved back to the UK after 17 years in Australia. I’ve been playing since my early teens but never played in a band. I used to sit in my front room in Melbourne and play random tunes. Neil was keen to expand Holy Springs sound with a second guitar and it went from there really. I really enjoyed working on Outside being my first album with the band. I’m proud to have added some extra depth to the songs with a few riffs and ideas. When I’m not playing music I’m a Project Manager for an Engineering Consultancy called Atkins (no pun intended).
Suzanne: I'm the drummer, and am based in Southampton. I've been playing music with Neil for over ten years now, firstly in Dead Rabbits then in Holy Springs. Outside of playing in the bands, I work in an office training people to use various computer systems. It pays the bills and it's flexible so I can leave early for shows, which is ideal. When not working or playing music, I'm a volunteer leader at a local run club. We're based at a very nice craft beer pub, so we immediately undo any fitness after a run.
What are some strange and interesting things that listeners have said to you about the new album (or at gigs)?
Suzanne: Not album related, but someone once climbed onstage during our set, cos they were collecting their own guitar from the back of the stage. Not sure why they didn't wait in-between bands. Please only join us onstage if you are the sound engineer, have some sweet dance moves or are bringing snacks.
I will make sure to bring snacks to your gigs. Are you playing any live shows for the rest of 2025?
Suzanne: We've got a fundraiser for Perfect Pitch at Off The Cuff in Herne Hill coming up on 28th August. Other gigs are in the works but it's too early to announce anything I'm afraid. We are available for booking, so promoters please get in touch!
Anything special or exciting we can expect from HOLY SPRINGS in 2026?
Harry: I’m keen to see us develop further in our live set and play some more of our new songs. We have come a long way in a short time, and I think you can hear it clearly on our Live at the Windmill album where you can hear an early demo version of living inside your head. I am sure the next project is just around the corner, stay tuned!
Neil: We do have something coming up in the new year that's pretty exciting but we have to stay quiet about it for now.
Follow Holy Springs on Instagram so as not to miss news of upcoming gigs and that shoegaze educational programme for grandmas that Harry is developing.