Lydia Hol

Mandolin music here, but hardly strictly bluegrass. It's the main axe of Vancouver's Lydia Hol, currently touring her EP Boats through the Maritimes. Accompanied by her group The Barefoot Boys, this is acoustic music, with the mando, banjo and upright bass of b-grass, but there's piano, violin, accordion and interesting percussion as well. And instead of the high and lonesome harmonies, the gang gets into some choral sounds. And there's quite a few minor chords in the moodier ballads.

51897096-1.jpg
So it's not a flashy-picking bunch. Instead, the music is centered around Hol's moody voice and lyrics, sometimes keen, sometimes blue. And it's not far off from the Mumford or Avett sounds, more spare and less frantic for sure. The energy doesn't come from trying to be big; rather it's subtle and heartfelt. - CBC

Mandolin music here, but hardly strictly bluegrass. It's the main axe of Vancouver's Lydia Hol, currently touring her EP Boats through the Maritimes. Accompanied by her group The Barefoot Boys, this is acoustic music, with the mando, banjo and upright bass of b-grass, but there's piano, violin, accordion and interesting percussion as well. And instead of the high and lonesome harmonies, the gang gets into some choral sounds. And there's quite a few minor chords in the moodier ballads.

51897096-1.jpg
So it's not a flashy-picking bunch. Instead, the music is centered around Hol's moody voice and lyrics, sometimes keen, sometimes blue. And it's not far off from the Mumford or Avett sounds, more spare and less frantic for sure. The energy doesn't come from trying to be big; rather it's subtle and heartfelt. - CBC

SURREY – The Now's Live & Local series focuses a lot on how members of the community support the live music industry, but South Surrey songstress Lydia Hol is now returning the favour.

For the next month (until Oct. 15), Hol is collecting used iPods for the Music Heals Charitable Foundation, a non-profit society that promotes awareness of music therapy.

“They give them out to music therapists who are part of the program and they use them in hospitals, seniors’ centres and rehab clinics,” said Hol. “For a lot of people, they don’t have expendable cash to donate, but a lot of people do have an iPod sitting in their desk that they haven’t used for a couple years and don’t know what to do with.”

By collecting iPods for people who need them, Hol said she hopes the drive will raise awareness for music therapy, which Music Heals describes as “a technique of complementary medicine that uses music prescribed in a skilled manner by trained therapists” to treat patients with physical, emotional, intellectual and social challenges.

The therapeutic qualities of sound can be used to improve the well-being of geriatric patients in nursing homes to lowering the stress level and pain of women giving birth.

The iPod drive is part of Hol’s effort in the Peak Performance Project, the annual local artist contest staged by 102.7 The Peak radio station. Hol has made the top 20 for the 2013 contest alongside fellow Surrey-based artists Good for Grapes, pop singer Rykka and acoustic solo guitarist Amble Greene.

“We are asked to do a charity fundraiser as part of the Peak Performance Project – it’s a unique challenge for the bands,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in music therapy and I really resonated with the charity.”

Hol recently returned from the Peak Performance Project’s yearly “boot camp,” a week-long getaway in Princeton where the top 20 finalists attend all-day seminars, perform at musical showcases and network with music industry insiders.

At the end of the iPod drive, Hol will host a songwriters’ circle at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver on Oct. 15 – also to raise money for Music Heals – featuring a bevy of local musicians, including Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother, rock fusionist Dominique Fricot, indie-pop artist Hilary Grist and modern blues duo Head of the Herd.

“We’re going to talk about music and why music is so special to us, the healing aspect of it,” she said, adding that the discussion will be followed by a full set by Hol and her band.

People looking to donate can drop off their iPods at the Long and McQuade store on 104th Avenue in Surrey and at Live Yoga, at 15186 Buena Vista Ave., White Rock.

“We really want to challenge everyone to bring as many iPods in as they can and really spread the word,” said Hol. - The Surrey Now

SURREY – The Now's Live & Local series focuses a lot on how members of the community support the live music industry, but South Surrey songstress Lydia Hol is now returning the favour.

For the next month (until Oct. 15), Hol is collecting used iPods for the Music Heals Charitable Foundation, a non-profit society that promotes awareness of music therapy.

“They give them out to music therapists who are part of the program and they use them in hospitals, seniors’ centres and rehab clinics,” said Hol. “For a lot of people, they don’t have expendable cash to donate, but a lot of people do have an iPod sitting in their desk that they haven’t used for a couple years and don’t know what to do with.”

By collecting iPods for people who need them, Hol said she hopes the drive will raise awareness for music therapy, which Music Heals describes as “a technique of complementary medicine that uses music prescribed in a skilled manner by trained therapists” to treat patients with physical, emotional, intellectual and social challenges.

The therapeutic qualities of sound can be used to improve the well-being of geriatric patients in nursing homes to lowering the stress level and pain of women giving birth.

The iPod drive is part of Hol’s effort in the Peak Performance Project, the annual local artist contest staged by 102.7 The Peak radio station. Hol has made the top 20 for the 2013 contest alongside fellow Surrey-based artists Good for Grapes, pop singer Rykka and acoustic solo guitarist Amble Greene.

“We are asked to do a charity fundraiser as part of the Peak Performance Project – it’s a unique challenge for the bands,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in music therapy and I really resonated with the charity.”

Hol recently returned from the Peak Performance Project’s yearly “boot camp,” a week-long getaway in Princeton where the top 20 finalists attend all-day seminars, perform at musical showcases and network with music industry insiders.

At the end of the iPod drive, Hol will host a songwriters’ circle at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver on Oct. 15 – also to raise money for Music Heals – featuring a bevy of local musicians, including Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother, rock fusionist Dominique Fricot, indie-pop artist Hilary Grist and modern blues duo Head of the Herd.

“We’re going to talk about music and why music is so special to us, the healing aspect of it,” she said, adding that the discussion will be followed by a full set by Hol and her band.

People looking to donate can drop off their iPods at the Long and McQuade store on 104th Avenue in Surrey and at Live Yoga, at 15186 Buena Vista Ave., White Rock.

“We really want to challenge everyone to bring as many iPods in as they can and really spread the word,” said Hol. - The Surrey Now

Emerging West Coast singer-songwriter Lydia Hol wants your iPod and MP3 players for music therapy. She is asking concert-goers and fans to donate the gently used items to Music Heals’ cool iPod Pharmacy program, which issues the listening devices to those in care so they can hear their favorite music as they convalesce and undergo treatments.

Music Heals brings various music therapy services to patients in children’s hospitals, senior’s centres, palliative care, AIDS/HIV programs, at-risk youth programs and bereavement support groups mainly in British Columbia, but also across Canada. The iPod Pharmacy has dispensed roughly 100 players since Music Heals’ inception a year ago, according to executive director Chris Brandt.

“Giving someone an iPod isn’t technically music therapy, but it is one more tool for the toolbox and it’s a tremendous noisemaker for us,” Brandt tells Samaritanmag. “Plus, the impact of the music on patients is enormous. We’ve seen stroke patients and those suffering from dementia really come alive hearing music from their youth. Someone on dialysis or in the burn unit really benefits from having music to listen to.”

Hol’s drive could significantly increase that number, especially since her corresponding benefit gig Oct. 15 at Vancouver’s 300-capacity Biltmore Cabaret is part of the Peak Performance Project, an extravagantly funded B.C.-based artist development mission/contest from rock radio station 102.7 The Peak along with multiple corporate sponsors. She also hopes to raise $3,000 for Music Heals through ticket sales.

The 25-year-old is one of 20 finalists completing various challenges in pursuit of the $102,700 winning purse and all the attendant media attention. Even second and third place – with cash prizes of $75,000 and $50,000, respectively – are pretty sweet. But while a win would be fantastic, her charity pick for the contest is genuinely important to her.

“The charity fundraiser is probably my favourite challenge of the five in the Peak Performance Project competition,” Hol tells Samaritanmag of the songwriter’s circle event that includes Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother, Dominique Fricot, Hilary Grist, Head of the Herd and a full set by Hol.

“It’s something I wanted to do anyways, but right now I have lots of industry support and media attention around me, so the timing is very good,” she explains. “When I was in university, I had my sights set on a career in music therapy, but ended up going the artist route. But it has always been in the back of my mind. The reason I am pursuing music is because I think it’s really healing and important in creating community.

“So I wanted to associate myself with a charity that is trying to push music into our health care system in a prominent way. As for the iPod drive, lots of people in my age group – in their 20s – might want to be able to give back but money might not be an option. The iPods and MP3 players collecting dust in our drawers is an easy way to give.”

An alternative to traditional cash giving is also something Music Heals’ Brandt views as essential. “As a new charity, you don’t want to always be walking around with your hands out asking for money. We wanted to create something with a very low barrier of entry where people – especially young people – could get involved and become engaged. The iPod drive is it.”

Asked whether the technological aspect of operating an iPod or MP3 player is a hurdle for older patients in care, Brandt insists “handing a patient an iPod and walking away is not music therapy. A music therapist will assist in the mechanics.” - Samaritan Magazine

Emerging West Coast singer-songwriter Lydia Hol wants your iPod and MP3 players for music therapy. She is asking concert-goers and fans to donate the gently used items to Music Heals’ cool iPod Pharmacy program, which issues the listening devices to those in care so they can hear their favorite music as they convalesce and undergo treatments.

Music Heals brings various music therapy services to patients in children’s hospitals, senior’s centres, palliative care, AIDS/HIV programs, at-risk youth programs and bereavement support groups mainly in British Columbia, but also across Canada. The iPod Pharmacy has dispensed roughly 100 players since Music Heals’ inception a year ago, according to executive director Chris Brandt.

“Giving someone an iPod isn’t technically music therapy, but it is one more tool for the toolbox and it’s a tremendous noisemaker for us,” Brandt tells Samaritanmag. “Plus, the impact of the music on patients is enormous. We’ve seen stroke patients and those suffering from dementia really come alive hearing music from their youth. Someone on dialysis or in the burn unit really benefits from having music to listen to.”

Hol’s drive could significantly increase that number, especially since her corresponding benefit gig Oct. 15 at Vancouver’s 300-capacity Biltmore Cabaret is part of the Peak Performance Project, an extravagantly funded B.C.-based artist development mission/contest from rock radio station 102.7 The Peak along with multiple corporate sponsors. She also hopes to raise $3,000 for Music Heals through ticket sales.

The 25-year-old is one of 20 finalists completing various challenges in pursuit of the $102,700 winning purse and all the attendant media attention. Even second and third place – with cash prizes of $75,000 and $50,000, respectively – are pretty sweet. But while a win would be fantastic, her charity pick for the contest is genuinely important to her.

“The charity fundraiser is probably my favourite challenge of the five in the Peak Performance Project competition,” Hol tells Samaritanmag of the songwriter’s circle event that includes Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother, Dominique Fricot, Hilary Grist, Head of the Herd and a full set by Hol.

“It’s something I wanted to do anyways, but right now I have lots of industry support and media attention around me, so the timing is very good,” she explains. “When I was in university, I had my sights set on a career in music therapy, but ended up going the artist route. But it has always been in the back of my mind. The reason I am pursuing music is because I think it’s really healing and important in creating community.

“So I wanted to associate myself with a charity that is trying to push music into our health care system in a prominent way. As for the iPod drive, lots of people in my age group – in their 20s – might want to be able to give back but money might not be an option. The iPods and MP3 players collecting dust in our drawers is an easy way to give.”

An alternative to traditional cash giving is also something Music Heals’ Brandt views as essential. “As a new charity, you don’t want to always be walking around with your hands out asking for money. We wanted to create something with a very low barrier of entry where people – especially young people – could get involved and become engaged. The iPod drive is it.”

Asked whether the technological aspect of operating an iPod or MP3 player is a hurdle for older patients in care, Brandt insists “handing a patient an iPod and walking away is not music therapy. A music therapist will assist in the mechanics.” - Samaritan Magazine

The serene nature of South Surrey has always been a source of musical inspiration for local songstress Lydia Hol.

The 24-year-old has spent countless evenings between White Rock Beach and Crescent Beach, sitting along the shore and penning odes to the ocean.

"Tons of the songs I write have ocean imagery in them," Hol said. "I've spent a lot of time at Crescent Beach and I still go down there quite a bit if I'm in need of a new idea or if I'm tired out from the city."

Influenced by the waves, she recently released her first album, a six-song EP titled Boats recorded over several sleepless nights at a cabin on Galiano Island. She and her band, the Barefoot Boys, brought along brought a bevy of unplugged instruments, with Damian Ritchie on fiddle, Wesley MacInnes on upright bass, Brandon Holm on drums and Davin Miller on banjo and mandolin and acoustic guitar.

"It's totally acoustic, there are no electronic instruments on it, and the idea of that is to really connect the music to the listener," she said. "A lot of bands these days really rely heavily on synthesizers and electric guitar, which is awesome, but I really wanted to step back in the ages a little bit and have more of a traditional sound."

The album was produced by Georges Couling and Ben Brown; the latter performed with Hol at their sold-out mid-September release party at Ocean Park Hall.

"It turned out as good as I thought it could," she said of the record and the concert, "so I'm super excited to keep trucking along with the same kind of ideas and musicians."

Hol, a graduate of UBC's English literature degree program, said her love of songwriting stems from her love of books, noting that she is fond of escaping into a good novel.

"My interest is more in the storytelling aspect of music," she said. "I've always been really connected to the lyrics of song and I've just been a huge reader since I was a little kid."

Her folk-rock inspirations include Neil Young and Carole King, but she also admires younger musicians. She listed Halifax's Jenn Grant and England's Laura Marling as females in the music industry who have influenced her style.

"They have folky aspects to their music and they really rely heavily on their vocals," said Hol. "My main instrument is my voice, for sure."

Hol hopes to get her name out there, starting locally and building her way outward. Though she doesn't yet have any Surrey shows scheduled, Hol hopes to go on a small tour between the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan - roughing it in a way similar to the album's recording process.

"I'm really hoping to do some house concerts," said Hol. "There's a bit of a movement all-around of doing these house concerts. There are circuits you can do in the Interior and you can basically go from town to town and do house concerts."

And even though Boats has just been released, Hol's creative juices haven't stopped flowing - she has more songs lined up for her next record, sure to be an LP.

"I have probably 10 more songs that are ready to be recorded, so this is meant to be a sampling," she said. "In the next year, I'm just going to be playing as many shows as possible."

For more of her music and tour dates, visit lydiahol.com. - The Surrey Now

If there wasn't a West Coast bluegrass idiom before, there is now – emerged fully- grown from the imagination of South Surrey-raised singer-songwriter Lydia Hol.

Sea imagery and metaphors run through the sensitive lyrics of Hol's aptly-titled debut EP, Boats, a six-song, bluegrass-inspired folk album.

It was also – just as appropriately – recorded close to the sea, in a four-day marathon session on Galiano Island with producers Georges Couling and Ben Brown and the members of her backup band The Barefoot Boys: Davin Miller (banjo, guitar, mandolin), Damian Ritchie (fiddle), Wesley MacInnes (bass) and Brandon Holm (drums).

"During breaks we'd watch boats sailing past the island, through binoculars," Hol said.

"The guys were saying to me 'I get it now.'"

And, indeed, the carefully-crafted, beautifully sung and played compositions on Boats – which has its release show Friday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. at at Ocean Park Community Hall, 1577 128 St. – sail past the listener like self-contained vessels, each carrying its own individual character with a story to tell.

The 2005 Semiahmoo Secondary grad has worked with a wide variety of bands since she started to pursue music seriously, most recently touring with the Fox Seeds 2011 winners, Head of the Herd.

Ironically, her musical light was hidden well under a bushel when she attended Semiahmoo – it was her brother, trumpeter Daryl Hol, who was in the musical limelight then in the school's famed band program.

"I was always singing, but I was just so shy," she said, adding that moving home to South Surrey as a musician has been an eye-opener for many of her classmates. "Everyone hearing about the EP and the show is so surprised, although they're very supportive.

"But I always knew I wanted to sing – and one day I decided I had to do it or I'd always regret it. As soon as I went to university I started doing open mics and gigs at bars."

Although gifted with a warm, melodic voice, Hol, who also has a degree in English Literature from UBC, has an overriding passion for stories, which manifests itself in all of her original songs.

"Storytelling is the most important part of music for me," she said. "I'd say I'm almost more of a storyteller than a musician."

Some of the maritime-tinged imagery for Boats was inspired by John Steinbeck's novel Cannery Row, she acknowledges.

Other influences include a university exchange to Dublin, Ireland, where in addition to soaking up the culture she acquired a bodhran, or traditional drum, which she has since played in live shows.

Studies in jazz singing at Vancouver Community College further honed her performance skills, and working in bands in various idioms – including the blues-rock of Head of the Herd – has also broadened her range.

But she knew she had to find the right sound – different from hackneyed pop models – to bring out the quality of her original songs, she said.

"In Ireland, people would stand up and sing with no instruments, and that was way more powerful than the two-guitar-and-synthesizer thing – that takes away the power of a song rather than adds to it."

Travelling in a more acoustic folk-oriented direction seemed natural for her, she said.

"I started playing mandolin this year. Now I play guitar, mandolin and bodhran, but my first instrument is voice – and I'll still do an a-cappella number in a set."

Adopting a bluegrass sound was a way to ensure her music was lively, Hol added.

"It's very easy to write slow-singer-songwriter-sad songs," she said. "I was trying to challenge myself a bit with more upbeat songs."

Although she waited a long time to get the sound she wanted, the actual recording of the EP came together very rapidly.

The catalyst was meeting fiddler Ritchie – and the rest of the pieces, including musicians she had worked with in other bands who were willing to go in a bluegrass direction, fell into place very rapidly.

"I got everybody together in a month," she said.

There's nothing that seems rushed about the EP, and Hol, herself, projects the very calm energy of someone who knows exactly where she's going.

"I'm generally a quiet, calm person – but I'm also a really good actor," she said, adding that her experience performing seems to have knocked all the shyness out of her.

"Once I get a mic in front of me, I'm rarin' to go," she said.

"And I love making jokes. A lot of bands come on and say one or two things and then it's all music.

"I really want people to come away from the show knowing where the singer is coming from." - The Peace Arch News

If there wasn't a West Coast bluegrass idiom before, there is now – emerged fully- grown from the imagination of South Surrey-raised singer-songwriter Lydia Hol.

Sea imagery and metaphors run through the sensitive lyrics of Hol's aptly-titled debut EP, Boats, a six-song, bluegrass-inspired folk album.

It was also – just as appropriately – recorded close to the sea, in a four-day marathon session on Galiano Island with producers Georges Couling and Ben Brown and the members of her backup band The Barefoot Boys: Davin Miller (banjo, guitar, mandolin), Damian Ritchie (fiddle), Wesley MacInnes (bass) and Brandon Holm (drums).

"During breaks we'd watch boats sailing past the island, through binoculars," Hol said.

"The guys were saying to me 'I get it now.'"

And, indeed, the carefully-crafted, beautifully sung and played compositions on Boats – which has its release show Friday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. at at Ocean Park Community Hall, 1577 128 St. – sail past the listener like self-contained vessels, each carrying its own individual character with a story to tell.

The 2005 Semiahmoo Secondary grad has worked with a wide variety of bands since she started to pursue music seriously, most recently touring with the Fox Seeds 2011 winners, Head of the Herd.

Ironically, her musical light was hidden well under a bushel when she attended Semiahmoo – it was her brother, trumpeter Daryl Hol, who was in the musical limelight then in the school's famed band program.

"I was always singing, but I was just so shy," she said, adding that moving home to South Surrey as a musician has been an eye-opener for many of her classmates. "Everyone hearing about the EP and the show is so surprised, although they're very supportive.

"But I always knew I wanted to sing – and one day I decided I had to do it or I'd always regret it. As soon as I went to university I started doing open mics and gigs at bars."

Although gifted with a warm, melodic voice, Hol, who also has a degree in English Literature from UBC, has an overriding passion for stories, which manifests itself in all of her original songs.

"Storytelling is the most important part of music for me," she said. "I'd say I'm almost more of a storyteller than a musician."

Some of the maritime-tinged imagery for Boats was inspired by John Steinbeck's novel Cannery Row, she acknowledges.

Other influences include a university exchange to Dublin, Ireland, where in addition to soaking up the culture she acquired a bodhran, or traditional drum, which she has since played in live shows.

Studies in jazz singing at Vancouver Community College further honed her performance skills, and working in bands in various idioms – including the blues-rock of Head of the Herd – has also broadened her range.

But she knew she had to find the right sound – different from hackneyed pop models – to bring out the quality of her original songs, she said.

"In Ireland, people would stand up and sing with no instruments, and that was way more powerful than the two-guitar-and-synthesizer thing – that takes away the power of a song rather than adds to it."

Travelling in a more acoustic folk-oriented direction seemed natural for her, she said.

"I started playing mandolin this year. Now I play guitar, mandolin and bodhran, but my first instrument is voice – and I'll still do an a-cappella number in a set."

Adopting a bluegrass sound was a way to ensure her music was lively, Hol added.

"It's very easy to write slow-singer-songwriter-sad songs," she said. "I was trying to challenge myself a bit with more upbeat songs."

Although she waited a long time to get the sound she wanted, the actual recording of the EP came together very rapidly.

The catalyst was meeting fiddler Ritchie – and the rest of the pieces, including musicians she had worked with in other bands who were willing to go in a bluegrass direction, fell into place very rapidly.

"I got everybody together in a month," she said.

There's nothing that seems rushed about the EP, and Hol, herself, projects the very calm energy of someone who knows exactly where she's going.

"I'm generally a quiet, calm person – but I'm also a really good actor," she said, adding that her experience performing seems to have knocked all the shyness out of her.

"Once I get a mic in front of me, I'm rarin' to go," she said.

"And I love making jokes. A lot of bands come on and say one or two things and then it's all music.

"I really want people to come away from the show knowing where the singer is coming from." - The Peace Arch News

We got to the venue just as opening act Call me the Wind hit the stage. The band is fronted by female vocalist for Head of the Herd Lydia Hol who’s folk sound was refreshing and beautiful. Hol armed herself with a multitude of instruments and an assortment of friends who would come accompany her on banjo and guitar at different times. The highlight of my night was the First Nations hand drum she pulled out to accompany her along with a mandolin. - Vancouver Music Review

Head of the Herd’s Lydia Hol was third with an outstanding performance, once again proving that strings are in. She easily transitioned from guitar, then to the mandolin and onto the banjo – and then decided to bring in some percussion with the Irish drum. The latter beated with a heart stopping rendition of a traditional Irish folk number, and was the most entrancing music I have heard in awhile. As for the rest, Flowing vocals stapled the breezy, super confident performance; Lydia’s voice came through clean and deep, and at times reminded me in a way of Alanis Morrissette (if thats fair to say), and at others ringing with an airy luminescence . She creates a story through song, and masters at communicating. In other words, she gave the night some life with her mellow and intimate banter – and not to mention her spine tingling 3-girl harmonies; featuring Kelsey Ngai on the violin and vocal powerhouse Christie Rose. The most commendable part of Lydia is the fact that I feel like I get to know her while watching her perform, as her music, her showmanship and her personality easily connect with her audience. Lydia will be on Galiano Island with the Stowaway String Band this Spring/Summer to record her solo project Call Me The Wind – look forward to that. - The Indie Jam

Head of the Herd’s Lydia Hol was third with an outstanding performance, once again proving that strings are in. She easily transitioned from guitar, then to the mandolin and onto the banjo – and then decided to bring in some percussion with the Irish drum. The latter beated with a heart stopping rendition of a traditional Irish folk number, and was the most entrancing music I have heard in awhile. As for the rest, Flowing vocals stapled the breezy, super confident performance; Lydia’s voice came through clean and deep, and at times reminded me in a way of Alanis Morrissette (if thats fair to say), and at others ringing with an airy luminescence . She creates a story through song, and masters at communicating. In other words, she gave the night some life with her mellow and intimate banter – and not to mention her spine tingling 3-girl harmonies; featuring Kelsey Ngai on the violin and vocal powerhouse Christie Rose. The most commendable part of Lydia is the fact that I feel like I get to know her while watching her perform, as her music, her showmanship and her personality easily connect with her audience. Lydia will be on Galiano Island with the Stowaway String Band this Spring/Summer to record her solo project Call Me The Wind – look forward to that. - The Indie Jam