One of New Zealand’s Best Country Music Artists Is Finally Returning to Australia

Sometimes an artist known for their lyricism proves to be not quite as articulate in conversation, but not so Holly Arrowsmith.

When asked about what she gets out of live music, she answered beautifully: “[…] being together in a little shelter from the outside world where music is all we have to think about for a few blissful hours.“

The catharsis of music experienced live, eloquently encapsulated.

But in 2024 and certainly for a few years prior, our access to a “little shelter from the outside world,” at concerts and festivals, has been depressingly diminishing by the week.

In the span of a few days, Thirty Seconds to Mars quietly cancelled their only New Zealand tour date and Harvest Rock announced its postponement. (The South Australian festival has previously attracted big names like Chet Faker, Paul Kelly, and Thelma Plum.)

So, when any artist of any size is lucky enough to tour in a country beyond their homeland during such difficult times, it’s a cause for celebration.

Arroswmith is one of those lucky ones: the Christchurch-based alt-country artist is finally returning to Australia this weekend for shows in Castlemaine and Melbourne, arriving in confident mood following the release of her new album, Blue Dreams, at the end of July.

Recorded over a three-year period, Arrowsmith’s third album was born in the midst of a momentous time for the musician, with recording beginning when she was seven months pregnant. It’s no surprise, then, that Blue Dreams is suffused with weighty themes: life and death, faith and doubt, as well as conflicting emotions like despair and hopefulness.

Going through a pregnancy, both a deeply personal and innately universal experience, Arrowsmith courageously offered all of herself in her album’s ten tracks, capturing her transition into motherhood both vividly and calmly.

Despite the upheaval of that time in her life, Arrowsmith often sings with a confronting serenity on Blue Dreams, as if these songs were recorded in retrospect, only yesterday, in the soothing glow of hindsight. (Perhaps this comes from her avowed love of Mary Oliver, a poet for whom gratitude is constantly expressed in her writing.)

Blue Dreams is perhaps most notable for “Desert Dove,” a standout track that earned Arrowsmith her second APRA Country Music Song of the Year win. “Desert Dove” is a track typical of Arrowsmith, a mixture of dreamy flourishes and sombre realism. The heartfelt ballad was inspired by the loss of her grandfather, a “true cowboy” who lived on a ranch in New Mexico (Arrowsmith, like her contemporary Reb Fountain, is a transplant from the US to New Zealand) where a dove would cry out every morning Arrowsmith was there; years later, Arrowsmith says she heard the same dove in New Zealand, a cry that evoked memories of her grandfather and her childhood.

What Arrowsmith’s album showcases above all else is a profound sense of care. There is care in the construction, Blue Dreams being split into two halves, one basking in energetic Americana, the other adhering to more traditional country and folk compositions; there is care in the cover artwork, a cyanotype of her Grandmother’s bucking horse brooch designed by her husband; and there is care, of course, in the songwriting, which is vulnerable and brave and thoughtful and distinct. 

After supporting Angus & Julia Stone in Auckland earlier this month, Arrowsmith, accompanied by producer and musician Tom Healy (Bic Runga, Marlon Williams), will create a “little shelter” at The Taproom in Castlemaine on Saturday, August 17th, and at Melbourne’s Wesley Anne the following evening. She’ll then swiftly return to Aotearoa for an appearance at Going Global on the final weekend of August, followed by a national album tour in October.

Read our full conversation with Arrowsmith below, in which she discusses Blue Dreams, her favourite artists and writers, her upcoming shows, and much more.

Tickets to Arrowsmith’s Australian and New Zealand shows are available now here. 

Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Tell me about Blue Dreams. How does it feel now that the record’s out in the world? 

Holly Arrowsmith: Blue Dreams is a collection of songs from a very intense period of my life. It delves into living with depression and anxiety, weathering the loss of loved ones and ideals and the huge transition into motherhood in the middle of a pandemic. It is a deeply personal, human record and It feels wonderful to release it after 3+ years of work!  

How have fans responded to Blue Dreams so far? 

The response has been overwhelming and so generous. It seems to be connecting with people on a very personal level. I try to tell the truth when I write, maybe that’s why.  

Credit: Naomi Haussman

The startlingly blue cover artwork is instantly memorable. Who designed that? It makes me think of a certain Joni Mitchell album… 

My husband Michael made the cover – it is a cyanotype of my Grandmother’s bucking horse brooch. I love how it subtly pays homage to that Joni Mitchell record, and to Blue Horses by Mary Oliver, a poet I cite in my song “Could’ve Been a River.” Other writers and artists were my muses for this work, especially because of the social isolation of the pandemic and early motherhood. I lived through books and music.  

I loved that your press release said you were inspired by writers and poets on this album like Oliver, Janet Frame too. Do you often find yourself being influenced by writers more than musicians? 

In some ways, yes. This record has been described as philosophical, and I can see why. I was influenced not only by poets and writers, but by musicians like Patti Smith and Sinead O’Connor – not necessarily in terms of their sound but by the way they think and see the world, by the truth they tell.    

Which musicians have you kept returning to the most over the years?  

I love singer-songwriters, so the classics – like Joni, Carole King, Nina Simone, Paul Simon – I’ll never get tired of. More contemporary artists I always come back to are Kevin Morby, The Weather Station, Craig Finn, Adrianne Lenker, Iris Dement, Lucinda Williams, Bill Callahan, to name a few. 

You envisaged the Blue Dreams as an album of two halves, is that right? Does one half go better played live than the other? 

The first half is driven, rocky at times, soaring and intense. The second half is more stripped back and folk-influenced. I am used to playing the latter style live, but I am excited for the challenge of playing with my incredible band later this year and getting into a different character on stage.  

What themes did you explore on this album? 

As the title “Blue Dreams” indicates, depression is a thread that carries through the whole collection. It rotates around opposing forces like hope and doubt, birth and death, divinity and humanity. Also, birds somehow became a central theme – river birds, swans, desert doves. I think life felt really constricting at times when I was writing these songs and birds were like a symbol of freedom or escape.  

Credit: Naomi Haussman

How did it feel to win the APRA Award for Country Music Song of the Year? For a second time, no less! I was really touched by the story behind “Desert Dove.” It’s a really beautiful song.  

Thank you! I felt so proud because I wrote it as a tribute to my American Grandpa, a true gentleman and cowboy who was and is a huge influence in my life. It felt like I’d done him justice.  

I’m sure awards are far from the main thing spurring you on, but it must be nice to be awarded in such a way, particularly in a country where recognition of the music and arts seems to be shrinking.  

Yeah, awards are funny, but it does feel good to be recognised by your peers… and we can all use the publicity! It is really hard to make ends meet as an artist now. It almost feels impossible at times.  

How was it working with Tom Healy? He’s collaborated with some wonderful Aotearoa musicians.  

I suspect Tom Healy is a genius. (Listen to “My Boy” by Marlon Williams.) He is also a wonderful person and friend, which made it so easy to work together. We had this nice synergy where we always agreed on what direction to take things or which take sounded the best. I feel really grateful that it worked out to make this record together. He took such care with my songs and it sounds incredible.  

So it’s just you and Tom for these Australian shows? 

Yes – we warmed up by opening for Angus & Julia Stone here last weekend and it worked beautifully, even though this record has a full band. We’re interpreting the songs through more of a country feel for these shows, with two guitars and vocals.  

Are these your first Australian shows? 

I have played in Australia a few times… but it’s been a while!  

Are there any contemporary (or older) Australian artists you particularly like? 

Nick Cave! Julia Jacklin, The Maes.  

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What is it about country and Americana music that attracts Australians and New Zealanders? When I moved here from Scotland, I was pleasantly taken aback by the popularity of country music.  

It’s huge isn’t it? And I’ve asked the same question. I wonder if it’s the large populations of Scottish and Irish immigrants, with that rich folk music tradition. It’s not that far off of Americana and country, the storytelling, the fiddles and guitars, layered voices. Also that connection to the land. That’s my best guess.  

And then you’re coming back home for a New Zealand tour. Are you looking forward to those shows?  

Yes! Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Waiheke Island in October/November with the full band. It’s so satisfying to get to share these songs live after all the work that goes into making a record. That’s the part I do it for – being together in a little shelter from the outside world where music is all we have to think about for a few blissful hours..