Holly Spears Band

Head Above Water

Holly Spears — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:17:31 +0000

Head Above Water

Holly Spears

Dec 4/5 – finished at 12:26am 2011

On my own

In a sea of blank letters

Don’t you see I’m sinking faster

I don’t know

What to say to make it better

What can I say to make this better

Cause I can’t breath anymore

I can’t see anymore

Can you hear me

I can’t float

With my head above the water

When these weights are pulling harder

And I can’t breathe anymore

I can’t see anymore

Can you hear me

I don’t believe anymore

I don’t feel anymore

Are you with me

There’s a hand reaching down for me – down for me

There’s your hand reaching down for me – down for me

Then I see your face

Feel your warm embrace

As you pull me out

And you lay me down

I can breathe again

I can see again

I can hear you

I can feel again

I believe again

You are with me

Not alone

I can see it’s getting better

Don’t you see it’s getting better

Holly’s move back to the Nati

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:55:03 +0000

Hey, friends!

I just found myself moving back to the Nat on November 1st. I missed my community here; I’ve booked an every Wednesday at Nicholson’s Pub in Downtown Cincy town; and have been handed a pretty amazing band that I can’t wait to share with you! I look forward to going down to Nash for business meetings and continued networking and I can’t wait to see what adventures God takes us on this upcoming year!

Stay tuned on hollyspears.com and my facebookpage and twitter… I can’t wait to see you all again and again!

Love,
Holly

Linked Music Festival

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:50:53 +0000

The linked Music Festival on Oct 8th was a huge success. Holly got to sing a few duets with the band Blessid Union of Souls (led by her old musical mentor, Eliot Sloan). There was a great band line up all day long and the festival helped raise awareness and money for City Link (a non profit org in Cincinnati that helps teach those living in poverty in Cincinnati how to get out of their situations). Holly looks forward to the festival next year! You can see more details at www.linkedmusifestival.com

Wrapping up the Recording Process Sept. 30th

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:42:35 +0000

I am sooo happy to announce we finished up recording the week of Sept 19th. Charlie added some great sounds on Keyboards/organ/ and the like Then Mitch added his awesomeness on great atmospheric sounds and mixed all 12 tracks. He’s sending everything off to the same Mastering Guruu that mastered our 5 song Christmas EP on Oct 5th. I’m excited to get everything back; see what my branding and design company come up with for the CD and which song we go with for the single. Mitch Dane did an AMAZING job producing this album! I can’t wait to share it with you!!! And I’m really excited to have not one, but 2 projects to put out on my record label, Girl On A Mission Music, LLC. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the Christmas EP and Heart to Hope Album!

Heartache to Hope (week 3) Sept 13

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:42:06 +0000

Looks like I forgot to catch up on my blogging the last few days Things were just so jam packed, I forgot… Friday Steve and Charlie of the band Jars of Clay knocked out some background vox and cracked me up with their bantering back and forth in between takes! It was really cool to have them working on this album since i actually met them a little less than a year ago at their concert in Cincinnati, OH. I got a VIP pass so I could talk to them and Brandon Heath to ask their advice on some musical things. I had no idea in the picture I got taken with them that they would be singing on my next album in Nash! I love how God orchestrates things! It’s a fun adventure!
We filmed my vocals for the “Making of” video Friday evening. Yakes Films are awesome!!! They even got the fellas singing back up. I can’t wait to see what they come up with! Turns out Stephen Yakes had worked on a video with Jars of Clay years ago, so that was a fun connect, as well.
Yesterday Andrew Osenga came in and BLEW ME AWAY with his electric guitar skillz!!! MAN, I love how he felt what the song was doing and took it to a whole new level!!! I found out he had played some shows with Brandon Heath as he was heading out the door after playing 11 SONGS! That was kinda cool, too, since Brandon was in the same pic with me and the guys of Jars. Fun stuff! Small world!
Today we changed a few things vocally on Looking for You; added me singing harmonies on Identity; recorded Mitch on the Omni Chord; ate some great Chinese food outside in the sunshine; Mitch got me a great deal on a wireless acoustic pack for my birthday; and he’s listening through/ trimming up things on all the 12 songs, so when we come in to record Charlie on Keys on Monday, we’ll be good to go. The video company also needs rough mixes to work with for the video editing process. I’m excited to hear everything and see everything put together!
We’re going to take a few days off. Mitch needs to head down to Florida to meet for a Worship Album he’ll be producing and I have some meetings and errands to catch up on. And I turn 30 on Saturday, so there’s that It will be nice to have a few days to catch my breath and get caught up on things. I do, however, LOVE to do this every day!!! I will be sad when we finish, but excited to go share the songs! Plus we have a Christmas EP to share with you; I have a music video to film; and show to play! Tons to do!!!
I’ll update you next week… until then
HS

Just another day in the studio… (Life is good) Sept 8

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:41:40 +0000

Yesterday I had NO time or emotional capacity left to blog. It was a hard day emotionally… We saved my song “Hard to Carry” until last and I’m glad… It weighed on me all day. It reveals one of my deepest wounds (that God is healing). It’s about trying to learn how to forgive my old best friend. Which is one of the core reasons I have issues with letting people close to me. (And I’m working through that…) Mitch was seemingly blown away by my voice on this song (which says something). I said, well, it’s my heart (meaning my heart was singing it). If felt very theraputic and draining at the same time. Then, I went home and spent the evening with my stylist cleaning out my closet and making room for the new key wardrobe pieces she’s been finding for me.
So, yesterday, we wrapped up lead vocals and today we’re laying down acoustic tracks that I or Mitch play on. Tomorrow it’s on to background vox. Stephen and Charlie from Jars of Clay are coming over to sing backup for me. That’s humbling! Yakes Films will also be here to get more footage for the “Making of” video. Gonna be a fun day!

More soon…
HS

Recording Vox Today Sept 6th

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:41:10 +0000

I’m sitting here in our cold Sputnik Sound wrapped in a blanket. The rain outside has definitely cooled things off. Had my blanket swirled around my feet when we were recording. Will bring slippers tomorrow We’ve knocked out lead vocals (and doubles) on Heartache to Hope; Even Flowers; Identity; Where’d You Go; and Identity. Been a productive day. We have two more days assigned to record vocals. I don’t think it will be a problem Mitch has a really great ear and pushes me to do my best. Eddie (Mitch’s Engineer Assistant) just recorded vox on Watch Over Me. He did a really great job!
I didn’t have time to write on Friday, it was really full – with the video crew here and the fellas were recording drums; bass; and auxillery acoustic guitar. A HUGE THANK YOU to Paul Eckberg; Gabe Rushival; and Trevor Tillery for rocking the house and making the songs come alive! And to Kyle and Stephen from Yakes Films for capturing the awesomeness as it happened!
SOOO excited! This is such a great experience! Thanks for following along the journey. Feel free to drop some words of encouragements on my facebook page if you’re over that way. It’s always inspiring to know people are here with me
Peace,
Holly

Recording H to H Day 4 Sept 1st

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:40:46 +0000

Well, today honestly kinda started off a little rocky. The bass player that had been hired (the producer had never worked with him before) ended up not being the right fit. We are on an extremely tight schedule being that we’re recording 12 songs for this album in 3 weeks. So, we really need to knock things out and record them quickly. The producer was super patient and calm when he walked out of the control room. He walked back in the same way. Sat down, and said. I fired the bass player and we have another one on the way. When he said that I felt this strange feeling like he had just protected me like a father. That felt really great.
My best friend and amazing Christian Artist, Laura Kaczor, came over to have lunch with me at the studio. We’re sitting there eatting our lunch in the lounge at the entry way of the studio with the the guitarist (Trever Tillery); producer (Mitch Dane); and drummer Paul Eckberg (who are amazing by the way!!! )- and I see this bass player walking up the steps into the studio. I said, “Hey, he looks familiar…” Paul says, he plays for Jars of Clay (and other people….) – I said, OH, ok. That’s probably why I know him… (there is also a really funny picture of the guys in Jars in short/tight track uniforms in a locker room in the studio bathroom… I’m thinking that’s why I recognized him, too I see that picture alot The day has been redeemed. He’s amazing on bass and everything is sounding delicious! And it was really nice to have my best friend here with me today. I typically have a hard time letting people in my work space, so I’m glad I stretched and let someone in It was nice…. and well, she knew how to handle herself, so that helped, too.
Looking forward to tomorrow. The film crew is coming in to film a behind the scenes “Making Of” video. Will be fun – and again, interesting letting someone else in my workspace
To Be Continued…

Pre-Production Day #3 (H to H album) August 31st

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:40:14 +0000

WOW – today was kind of emotional. We worked on one of the 3 hardest songs for me to sing. I had to pray a handful of times for peace. My song “A Small Voice” makes me feel completely vulnerable and hits on a very sad part of my heart. At the same time, it was extremely healing to be transparent and push through say thing lyrics out loud for all to hear. I know with out a doubt there are probably (unfortunately) millions of people in the world who can relate to the song. I hope it touches people in a healing way. I feel like the songs says something about a common thing that happens to alot of people that maybe those people can’t say or admit they feel. I know it was hard for me to say, which was why I felt fear/shame. By singing the song and bringing it into the light I have defeated it’s power over me. For all you bible readers… there is a passage in 1 John that talks about bringing things into the light… If you haven’t read it, your homework is to find where it is … and read it.
More soon…

1st day Recording “Heartache to Hope” in Nash August 30th

Holly Spears — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:39:30 +0000

Well today was the beginning of yet another dream come true. We started recording my album “Heartache to Hope” today at Sputnik Sound in Nashville (with producer Mitch Dane). “Heartache to Hope” started out as “A Beautiful Mess.” The original idea was to point out how we tend to dress up on the outside to cover up how we are a mess on the inside. The more we worked on the project, the more God revealed to me 1.) that he doesn’t want me sitting in a mess 2.) that there’s hope. The vision Sarah B Gilliam and I had for the photo shoot still goes perfectly with the new title.
Today, I woke up at 7:15am like it was the first day of school… I had my clothes laid out last night; had my star bucks vanilla frappucino waiting for me in the fridge and a morning of Christmas feeling in my heart. I had picked up white roses (my favorite) last night to take with me to the studio. God woo’s me with white flowers. I focussed on the flowers and the word FUN today. God has been reminding to me ENJOY and EMBRACE every moment of this experience. We rocked it through pre-production today on a handful of the songs (changed a few things here and there and recorded a scratch track of acoustic and vocals). Mitch Dane is a joy to work with. He creativity and ear takes the songs to a whole new level and his heart makes the experience enjoyable. We record through Sept 16th. Then, they will begin Mastering. I am SOOO excited to share this process with you! I am sooooo thankful this dream is coming through. Really, small town girl from Wana, WV. Now living in Nashville AND recording her first full-length original album on her own record labe; with an amazing, well experienced producer who’s worked with more than a handful of artists on the radio; she got a tour van and 6 x 12 trailer; hired a branding company; had a high fashion professional photoshoot with a stylist and hair and makeup and so much more she can’t even list it all. WOW. Am I dreaming… YES, but with EYES WIDE OPEN Don’t ever give up on your dreams., Ok. No matter what… don’t EVER give up! And KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!
Blessings and Love… and Peace,
Holly