1. Early life and background
Holly Humberstone was born in Grantham, England, on December 17, 1999, and grew up in the rural county of Lincolnshire. She is one of four sisters, and both of her parents are doctors working for the NHS. Humberstone attended Kesteven and Grantham Girls' Grammar School before studying at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
Her interest in music began at a young age, and she started writing songs during her childhood. She noted that there was "no music scene growing up in rural Lincolnshire," which led her to pursue her musical endeavors independently. Humberstone was a violinist for the Lincolnshire Youth Symphony Orchestra. Her talent was first spotted by a manager after she performed on her local BBC Music Introducing radio show.
2. Career
Holly Humberstone's career progressed rapidly from her initial performances and single releases to major record deals, critical acclaim, and significant touring activities, culminating in her debut studio album.
2.1. Early career and breakthrough (2019-2021)
Humberstone made her performing debut at the Glastonbury Festival in 2019, appearing on the BBC Music Introducing stage. Following this, she released her debut single, "Deep End", on January 30, 2020. Her second single, "Falling Asleep at the Wheel", was released on March 19, followed by her third single, "Overkill", on June 26 of the same year. On July 30, 2020, she released a cover of "Fake Plastic Trees" by the English rock band Radiohead.
Her debut extended play (EP), also titled Falling Asleep at the Wheel, was released on August 14, 2020. This EP included her previously released singles along with new tracks such as "Vanilla", "Drop Dead", and "Livewire". Her growing visibility led to her inclusion in Vevo DSCVR's Artists to Watch 2021, where she performed her song "Vanilla". She was also listed on the BBC Sound of 2021 list.
In March 2021, prior to the release of her single "Haunted House" and her second EP, Humberstone secured significant recording contracts. She signed with Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Darkroom/Interscope Records in the United States. Additionally, she signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. On October 13, 2021, she performed "Scarlett" from her second EP, The Walls Are Way Too Thin, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. On December 9, 2021, Humberstone was announced as the recipient of the Brit Award for Rising Star at the 2022 Brit Awards, an award recognizing promising new acts in pop music. Sam Fender surprised her with the award while they were recording an acoustic duet of his song "Seventeen Going Under". Her song "Haunted House" was also nominated for the Best Song Musically and Lyrically Ivor Novello Award.
2.2. Debut album and recent activities (2022-present)
On January 21, 2022, Holly Humberstone released the single "London is Lonely". In March 2022, she served as the opening act for Girl In Red's Make It Go Quiet Tour across North America and subsequently supported Olivia Rodrigo during the second half of the North American leg of the Sour Tour.
She released a compilation album of her work to date, titled Can You Afford to Lose Me?, on October 24, 2022, following a series of standalone singles including "Sleep Tight". In June 2023, Humberstone announced her debut studio album, Paint My Bedroom Black, which was released on October 13, 2023. The album was promoted with several singles, including "Antichrist", "Room Service", and "Superbloodmoon", the latter featuring American artist d4vd. Other singles from the album include "Into Your Room", released both solo and with MUNA, and "Kissing in Swimming Pools". In July 2023, she was featured on the song "Diving" by British band Bombay Bicycle Club. She also collaborated with Del Water Gap on the song "Cigarettes & Wine", released in January 2024.
In February 2024, Humberstone released the single "Dive" and announced a new EP titled Work in Progress, which was released on March 15, 2024. She clarified that this EP comprised demos she had rediscovered and wished to release, rather than serving as a typical deluxe album. On August 5, 2024, it was announced that she would be an opening act for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour on August 16, 2024, in London.
3. Musical style and influences
Holly Humberstone's music has been described as spanning several genres, including pop, synth-pop, indie rock, alternative rock, and pop rock. Her style is often characterized as intimate and atmospheric, drawing comparisons to artists such as Lorde and Bon Iver.
Humberstone cites Damien Rice, Ben Howard, Phoebe Bridgers, and Haim as significant musical inspirations. She considers Rice's 2002 debut studio album, O, to be her "first favourite album". She has also expressed a particular connection with "female writers who overshare," describing her own musical style as "quite self-exposing," reflecting a personal and open approach to her songwriting.
4. Discography
4.1. Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart position (UK) | Peak chart position (SCO) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paint My Bedroom Black |
>5 | 3 |
4.2. Compilation albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart position (SCO) |
|---|---|---|
| Can You Afford to Lose Me? |
>39 |
4.3. Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart position (UK) | Peak chart position (SCO) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falling Asleep at the Wheel |
>- | - | |
| The Walls Are Way Too Thin |
>64 | 35 | |
| Work in Progress |
>- | - |
4.4. Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart position (UK Sales Chart) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Deep End" | 2020 | - | Falling Asleep at the Wheel |
| "Falling Asleep at the Wheel" | 2020 | - | Falling Asleep at the Wheel |
| "Overkill" | 2020 | - | Falling Asleep at the Wheel |
| "Fake Plastic Trees" | 2020 | - | Non-album single |
| "Drop Dead" | 2020 | - | Falling Asleep at the Wheel |
| "Vanilla" | 2020 | - | Falling Asleep at the Wheel |
| "Haunted House" | 2021 | - | The Walls Are Way Too Thin |
| "The Walls Are Way Too Thin" | 2021 | 26 | The Walls Are Way Too Thin |
| "Please Don't Leave Just Yet" | 2021 | - | The Walls Are Way Too Thin |
| "Scarlett" | 2021 | - | The Walls Are Way Too Thin |
| "Friendly Fire" | 2021 | - | The Walls Are Way Too Thin |
| "Seventeen Going Under" Acoustic version with Sam Fender | 2021 | - | Non-album single |
| "London Is Lonely" | 2022 | 41 | Non-album single |
| "I Would Die 4 U" | 2022 | - | Non-album single |
| "Sleep Tight" | 2022 | - | Non-album single |
| "Can You Afford to Lose Me?" | 2022 | - | Can You Afford to Lose Me? |
| "Antichrist" | 2023 | - | Paint My Bedroom Black |
| "Room Service" | 2023 | - | Paint My Bedroom Black |
| "Superbloodmoon" featuring d4vd | 2023 | - | Paint My Bedroom Black |
| "Into Your Room" solo or with MUNA | 2023 | - | Paint My Bedroom Black |
| "Kissing in Swimming Pools" | 2023 | - | Paint My Bedroom Black |
| "Paint My Bedroom Black" | 2023 | - | Paint My Bedroom Black |
| "Cigarettes & Wine" featuring Del Water Gap | 2024 | - | To be announced |
| "Dive" | 2024 | - | Work in Progress |
5. Tours
Holly Humberstone has undertaken several headlining tours and has also served as a supporting act for prominent artists, expanding her reach to audiences across various regions.
5.1. Headlining tours
| Tour name | Dates | Locations | Setlist | Other band members | Support acts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep End Tour | 2021 | UK and Ireland: London, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Leeds, Manchester, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Nottingham | Solo | Benjamin Francis Leftwich; Dora Jar | |
| Sleep Tight Tour | 2022 | UK: Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Glasgow, Manchester, London, Norwich, Nottingham. | Benjamin Francis Leftwich; Allison Ponthea | ||
| This Feels Like The Truman Show | February-March 2024 | Europe and UK: Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Zurich, Luxembourg, Cologne, Antwerp, Edinburgh, Manchester, Lincoln, Leicester, London, Bristol, Dublin | Paint My Bedroom Black; Into Your Room; The Walls Are Way Too Thin; Overkill; Vanilla; Kissing In Swimming Pools; Cocoon featuring Medium Build; Dive; Deep End; London Is Lonely; Antichrist; Lauren; Falling Asleep At The Wheel; Elvis Impersonators; Flatlining; Girl; Sleep Tight; Ghost Me; Friendly Fire; Scarlett | Lauren O'Donnell Anderson (drums); Jack Rennie (guitar); Seth Tackaberry (bass / keyboards) | Medium Build |
| The Holly Humberstone Show | May 2024 | North America: Nashville, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver | TBC | Lauren O'Donnell Anderson (drums); Jack Rennie (guitar); Seth Tackaberry (bass / keyboards) | Carol Ades |
5.2. Supporting tours
- Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent Tour (Lewis Capaldi) - 2019/20
- Sour Tour (Olivia Rodrigo) - 2022
- Make It Go Quiet Tour (Girl In Red) - 2022
- The Eras Tour (Taylor Swift) - 2024
6. Awards and nominations
- Brit Award for Rising Star**: Won (2022)
- Ivor Novello Award**: Nominated for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Haunted House" (2022)
7. External links
- [https://www.hollyhumberstone.com/ Holly Humberstone official website]
- [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0003966311 Holly Humberstone at AllMusic]
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11604996/ Holly Humberstone at IMDb]
- [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0xtJUctDSc7QncZAHYU26g Holly Humberstone on YouTube]
- [https://www.instagram.com/hollyhumberstone Holly Humberstone on Instagram]
- [https://twitter.com/holhumberstone Holly Humberstone on Twitter]
- [https://www.facebook.com/hollyhumberstonemusic Holly Humberstone on Facebook]