Songstress Hollie Smith is taking her talent across the North Island in a special new showcase, hosted at intimate venues with new material to share. Hollie Smith will be performing solo, highlighting the power of one of New Zealand’s most loved voices. With years of experience and a tasteful discography under her belt, Hollie Smith is a New Zealand icon not to be missed live in her intimate new song showcase.
Hollie Smith is one of New Zealand's most predominant & iconic musicians. After working with numerous bands including Trinity Roots, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Detroit dance legend Recloose, she was approached by NZ songwriting royalty Don McGlashan to perform on the movie soundtrack ‘No.2’, recording the single ‘Bathe in The River’ that topped the New Zealand singles charts, peaking at number two and spending 37 weeks on the charts. ‘Bathe in the River’ has since become one of the biggest and most iconic singles in New Zealand history, showcasing her breathtaking and soulful talent to the world.
This set the stage for Hollie’s debut album ‘Long Player’ released in 2007 which went straight to number one on the NZ charts. The album reached multi-platinum status, and was followed with sold-out tours and Hollie taking away several NZ music awards that year which included ‘Best Producer’, ‘Best Female Solo Artist’ and ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’.
In 2010 she released her sophomore album ‘Humour and the Misfortune of Others’ which reached #1 in the charts and Gold status in New Zealand. Following this was her third album ‘Band of Brothers Vol 1’, a remarkable collaboration with Mara TK from Electric Wire Hustle. During this time Hollie opened for international artists including Bob Dylan, Coldplay & Simply Red.
In 2013, Hollie collaborated with fellow iconic NZ singers Anika Moa and Boh Runga to release the album ‘Anika Boh Hollie’, which was followed with a successful winery tour of New Zealand. Later on in 2014, she embarked on an international tour to Canada, the US and the UK, including two powerhouse performances at the prestigious Montreal Jazz Festival, wowing the crowd as she performed two sets to over 50,000 people.
Her most recent album, 2016’s ‘Water or Gold’ entered the New Zealand charts at #1 and sat in the top ten for three weeks. ‘Water or Gold’ earned two New Zealand Music Award nominations for Best Album & Best Female Solo Artist. Hollie's sound sits squarely in jazz and soul realms, and yet, it’s also one her most daring projects yet, as ‘Water and Gold’ inches into new territory of rollicking rock and blues. The album was mixed at Bunker Studios in New York by Aaron Nevezie who has worked with artists such as The Black Keys, Dangermouse and The Roots.
2017 marked the ten year anniversary of her debut album ‘Long Player’. The anniversary was celebrated with a nationwide tour, closing with a special performance in Auckland with Teeks at the Crystal Palace, in addition to a re-release of the Platinum selling album on vinyl.
Fast forward to 2019, Hollie started the year with a moving performance at Splore festival before releasing the single ‘Whakaaria Mai’ with Teeks in March. The track is the first single from ‘Offering’, a twelve track album arriving April 26th with all proceeds going towards the Salvation Army. 'Offering' includes twelve gospel hymns, and features an array of New Zealand's top artists including the likes of Dave Dobbyn and Kimbra.
Hollie Smith is a prolific hardworking singer, songwriter, and performer who has always maintained a highly respected reputation of creating music with the utmost integrity & passion. Her incredible live performances and powerhouse vocals have made her one of the most sought after acts in the New Zealand music industry.
