Front Deck Boom Box: Freya Josephine Hollick

After two albums and a swathe of great reviews, Australian cosmic country outlier, Freya Josephine Hollick recorded her forthcoming third studio album, The Real World, in California’s Mojave Desert studio Rancho de la Luna with backing from Lucinda Williams’ band Buick 6, renowned guitarist Greg Leisz and her own band in Joshua Tree.

As a concept since 2019, The Real World Freya wrote the album about faced dire challenges. ‘Nobody’s No Better Than No One’ was the first taste of Freya’s new work. Heavily influenced by Gene Clark’s hallowed 1974 album No Other, the single was added readily to Australian national radio and picked up a sync on the HBO TV drama The Flight Attendant. Singles ‘Impossible To Love’, ‘The Real World’, ‘Vivian, June, Dolly and Jolene’ and ‘Me and Mine’ followed.

Freya will celebrate the release of the album, due September 30, with performances as part of Dashville Skyline this weekend (Friday, September 30 – Sunday, October 2) and Out On The Weekend in Seaworks, Williamstown on Saturday, October 8.

We caught up with Freya Josephine Hollick to find out what songs she’s been listening to for this week’s Front Deck Boom Box.

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1. Ryan Downey – Those Eyes That Answer

One of Melbourne’s unsung heroes. Ryan Downey is honestly one of the most skilled musicians, composers, singers and artists of our time. I was absolutely floored the first time I saw him perform live. There were only three musicians on stage, and the incredibly powerful set was enhanced hugely by Ryan’s stage presence which is captivating and artful. His commitment to his art is so refreshing, someone who is as unique as he is a genius of catchy pop sensibilities. Definitely if you aren’t across what Ryan does check it out.

2. Lillie Mae – Wash Me Clean 

Lillie Mae is a wonderful artist from across the ocean in USA. She has played with many greats of music country and otherwise and can regularly be found slaying on the fiddle for other artists such as Robert Plant. Lillie Mae’s superhuman strength, however, is in her own music and the way she covers the music of others with her wonderful band including her brother Frank Carter-Rische and Craig Smith. I’ve never been so amazed by harmonies as hearing Lillie sing with her brother and her husband Craig. They’re world class. I’ve had the pleasure of singing with them before and whoo-whee, they really are something. 

3. Robert Ellis – Steady As The Rising Sun

I met Robert Ellis years ago playing Out on the Weekend Festival as an absolute fledgling, by this point Robert was already a consummate professional and I was in awe of his musical prowess, performance, and songwriting ability. His band also was absolutely cookin’. Seeing those guys play live encouraged me to embrace the music I came up on, the more left of centre music that most country music fans would turn their nose up at. He is a vault of songs, you can ask that guy to play just about anything and off the top of his head, he’s like ‘oh yeah I think I know that one’. I guess some people are both born to do it, and also work their asses off to be front and centre in their field. Robert is the perfect combination of raw and unbridled talent, and a whole lot of concentrated hard work.

4. Boulevards – How Do Ya Feel

I came across Boulevards online and was immediately drawn to how different his music was. How much he was a total ground breaker of this sort of country funk vibe for modern times. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of seeing his live show, but all of the clips online of him performing are so high energy it blasts through the screen, as he might put it “Born in Carolina Mud”.

5. Loretta Miller & Ruby Jones – Eighteen

These beautiful friends of mine have just released a new single, they some of the best singers you’ll hear. They cut their teeth on local circuits and toured extensively overseas as the backup singers for Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackets. This new duo venture of theirs is so great. I’ve been listening to their new song Eighteen on repeat. Catchy as hell, and they’ve got a fire under them that is so alluring! 

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Keep up to date with Freya Josephine Hollick on her Facebook page here.
And check out some more of our Front Deck Boom Box series here.