In trying to find her way and embrace two cultures in the world she has grown up in, young singer-songwriter Hollie Findlay - HOL has taken to music, writing songs she is now ready to share with the world. More than a years work has gone into writing ‘The Chapters’ - the 17-year-old’s debut feature length studio album, a story of reflections, through her teenage experience as well as her musical journey. Two songs in each chapter represent different times and themes bringing her right up to date as she settles into life as a student again at Manchester Music College BIMM Institute. The Chapters will be released tomorrow, February 19. Each of the five chapters has a title that shows the stage of ‘awakening and experience.’ Hollie is currently studying virtually from her home with her parents and brother in Thornton, where they have spent the past year since moving home from Greece, where they had businesses leading up to the pandemic. Hollie was born in Athens and has spent much of her youth in Greece as well as periods on the Fylde coast from where her parents hail. Her alternative indie pop tones and her talents in writing and producing have been drawing her comparisons to the global pop phenonemon Billie Eilish. Mum Frances, whose careeer in marketing has now led to her managing Hollie full time, said her persistence is paying off and she has now found her calling. She said: “Hollie has been singing from a really young age but it wasn’t until her early teens we’d ever really heard her properly or seen her perform. “She had been working with a vocal coach for a time and it was only when we came over for Hollie to take part in one of her annual shows that we finally recognised how serious she was about performing. It really took off from there. “There has been so much change for us as a family in the last year particularly, with our own businesses and then the pandemic. Hollie has really drawn on all that in her writing, she was being home schooled at the time too.” Hollie was home schooled to allow the travel between the two countries, owing to the family’s business ventures. Her music has caught the attention of the industry with support from the likes of BBC Introducing Lancashire with Sean McGinty and Radio X, and has on a number of occasions made the Fresh Faves segment on BBC Six Music. She has also played Lancaster’s Highest Point Festival. Hollie says: “I started professionally about 12 or 13. “I started making the album at the start of last year and I gradually started releasing two songs at at time throughout the year and it’s been interesting for me because I’ve changed within that time. “The music from the start of the year to the end has gradually changed and I like the fact that the album depicts that. “My music taste and even voice has changed in that time, so naturally, “I could say that it would be better to make all the songs sound the way I would make them now, but that would take away the whole meaning of the album and the journey within my own songs.” She adds her current musical influences include the likes of Texas artist Day Glow and alternative rock band Wallows. Throughout the lockdown Hollie has been sharing live performances of her singles including the popular ‘21st century teen’ on her website and social media channels. For more on HOL visit https://www.holofficial.comThanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here