SHE may have just turned 22, but the lyrics and emotional delivery of singer-songwriter Holly Macve are mature beyond her years. Born in Galway and raised in Yorkshire, her debut album, Golden Eagle, has drawn comparison with the songwriting of Glen Campbell and the singing of Patsy Cline.
Although her music has been compared to that of the American performers, Holly herself believes it has an Irish influence. She left Ireland as an infant, whisked away "in the night" by her mother from their errant father, to live with her grandparents in Yorkshire.
"Unfortunately I can't remember Ireland but I still do have connections with Ireland and the music. My mum listened to a lot of Irish folk music and she plays the violin. And Irish fiddle player Martin Hayes [The Gloaming] was being played while I was being born. I still listen to him and feel very at home with Irish music."
While her grandfather, Duncan Druce, was a renowned composer, strings player and musicologist, Holly followed her own direction musically, preferring to play by ear and teach herself guitar rather than taking traditional music lessons.
"Music was always around me. I never had a moment I decided I wanted to do it as a career, it was just a very natural path for me to go down," says Holly, who moved to Brighton after leaving school and was signed to a manager.
However, pressure on Holly to write collaboratively proved too much for her; she took time out to return home and "find her way".
"Writing has always been very personal and co-writing just wasn't for me. So I had to step back and figure out who I was again and I started writing songs for myself and that's what the album Golden Eagle is about."
Rather than singing about teenage relationships and angst, Holly's songwriting comes from the heart and from a place of searching her heart and soul for her musical direction. Songs like No One Has The Answers and Heartbreak Blues are the result of her feeling "depressed, lost, lonely and in a very dark place".
"No One Has The Answers was written just after I returned from Brighton and was living back home again. All the words just flooded out in about 10 minutes. I guess I was just having a bit of an existential crisis," she laughs.
Holly, whose mother works as a music therapist, found songwriting a cathartic experience.
"By getting it down in song, you are turning a negative experience into a positive one."
Although her early musical influences were Bob Dylan, in her teens she fell in love with the work of Leonard Cohen and American country stars Nick Kane and Nancy Sinatra.
How does she sum up her music?
"I find that a really hard question. A lot of people label it as country. It definitely has rock, country and folk elements, but I think it changes from song to song and it will probably change from album to album."
As well as a firm fan base, industry professionals have started to take notice of Holly's talent. A favourite at both Radio 2 and 6 Music, she had a successful series of shows at SXSW in Austin, Texas, while Garth Brooks, John Grant, Villagers and Benjamin Clementine are among those she has supported.
Holly has also played a set at Willie Nelson's Luck Reunion Festival and recently toured in Spain and Germany. Last year she performed at Electric Picnic, but her appearance at Bangor's Open House Festival will be her first gig in Northern Ireland.
Her album's title track was inspired by the passing of her beloved grandfather.
"I felt it was appropriate to make Golden Eagle the title track because he helped me get to where I was as a musician and it felt right to honour him. Emotionally it was hard to sing at the start, but now my whole family love it."
Having gone through the turmoil of producing the music she wanted, she has some sound advice to budding musicians.
"It's very important to stay true to yourself and do what makes you happy and not just go with what other people think because you are trying to make them happy. The most important thing is to be happy yourself and do whatever you think is right creatively."
:: Holly Macve plays Studio 1A Theatre, Bangor, on Friday Friday August 11 as part of the Open House Festival (Openhousebangor.com).
