Holly Conlan

Singer/songwriter Holly Conlan passed her early years composing at the family piano, long before establishing herself within L.A.'s Hotel Cafe circuit. Classical composer was the vocation of her father, whose guidance shaped her development and encouraged a blend of pop, rock, and folk tastes alongside formal classical training. By 2005 those strands had coalesced into a bright, keyboard-driven pop style that defined her self-titled debut album. Two years later came The Bird EP, an arrival that aligned with her informal acceptance among the female singer/songwriters regularly appearing at the Los Angeles club known for launching kindred artists such as Ingrid Michaelson and Meiko. While promoting the EP, Conlan crisscrossed the United States, alternating between ensemble and solo formats, and simultaneously contributed backing vocals to performances by Meiko and Gary Jules. Her classical roots resurfaced more prominently on the 2009 release Fascinator, whose orchestral scoring and intensified, brooding tone marked a clear departure from the earlier record.