Holylight is a soulful and unapologetically queer alt-rock outfit based in Dublin, and the simultaneous moniker of songwriter, frontwoman, producer and multi-instrumentalist Alex Rosenberger.
A finalist in Hayley Williams’ CoverNation Contest and Dublin City FM’s first ever Queeriosity ‘Artist of the Month’, Holylight’s heavy yet ethereal sound has graced the stages of Fibber Magees, Anseo, The Sound House and Jacobs, earning media support from Underground ‘n’ Proud, Turtle Magazine, Radio45 and more, all while garnering over 30,000 streams.
Holylight’s sound is one of captivating juxtaposition: Heavy, grungy guitar riffs meet infectious drum beats and lush, sparkling synths, culminating in candid lyrics that allow listeners to sink into the introspective core of each release.
New single ‘ceiling of your world’, releasing February 27th, is an ode to the pain and necessity of growth and of leaving your old self behind. Continuing to weave the ebb and flow of emotion that runs Holylights’ veins, the track leans into their dream-pop and alternative lo-fi sensibilities, tinted with jazz flourishes carved by saxophonist Sultan Herrnandez.
The song was penned after Rosenberger’s friend and flatmate (Herrnandez), told her that he would be returning to his home country as he felt increasingly unsatisfied in life and needed to move on. As devastating as the news was, Rosenberger understood, having moved to Dublin three years prior under similar circumstances: “When a place or a situation becomes too small, too restrictive, we can either shrivel or we can grow. If we decide to grow, we need to do so courageously and against the confines that hold us, through the cracks of the pot that is too small for our new roots, through the ceiling of the home that formerly contained our entire selves. After you break free, what will it be? Has anything changed – or have you?”
On collaborating with Herrnandez on the release, she continues, “Sultan is a brilliant saxophone player and while he was still in Ireland, I wanted him to perform on a Holylight song that would commemorate our time together, and a song that would show him that he wasn’t alone on his journey. Incidentally, the song also became a flagship of the growth that Holylight and my music went through, of how much more I could do. And with that, the sound of our evolution, past and present and future, is now ready for you to be heard.”
‘ceiling of your world’ shines with Holylight’s raw sincerity, fusing glittering dream pop with elements of alternative rock that drive their ever-expanding palette.
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