Holy Holy

HOLY HOLY manifested something when they gave themselves that reverent name in 2011. Since then, Oscar Dawson and Tim Carroll have carved out a sound that blends indie pop, art rock, and bittersweet lyrics—a combination that’s deeply felt and uniquely theirs.

Liam Gallagher heard their devastating truth when he went to a show in 2019, calling them his favourite new band. The Mad Mancunian tweeted the lyrics to Sentimental and Monday to his 3 million followers: ‘Darkness is nothing but a lack of light - as you were LG x’

Dawson and Carroll met while volunteering in Southeast Asia and reconnected in 2011 during their twenties. Despite living in different parts of Europe—Carroll in Stockholm and Dawson in Berlin—they shared demos and wrote songs remotely, coming together to collaborate in share houses and flats whenever distance permitted. Soon after, they both returned to Australia and began releasing music with the Pacific EP (2013) featuring the critically acclaimed debut single ‘Impossible Like You’. Next came their debut album, When The Storms Would Come (2014). These releases introduced their distinctive style - guitar-driven with echoes of Knopfler and Young and lyrics that carry the weight of Oberst and Springsteen, filtered through a unique Stockholm (Carroll) meets Melbourne (Dawson) lens.

Their sophomore effort, Paint (2017), radiated confidence with tracks like ‘That Message’ and ‘Shadow’ and featured the triple-platinum hit ‘True Lovers’, which has since racked up over 50 million streams. My Own Pool of Light (2019) pushed their boundaries further, blending ecstatic Gorillaz-inspired pop with moments of raw introspection like ‘Teach Me About Dying’.

On Hello My Beautiful World (2021), which peaked at #4 on the ARIA Albums chart, HOLY HOLY further expanded their sound, collaborating with CLEWS and rapper Queen P. Their most recent album, Cellophane (2023), which also claimed the #4 spot on the ARIA Albums chart, solidified the band’s reputation as a “songwriting factory,” showcasing seven collaborative tracks—a testament to their commitment to amplifying Australian musicians, a cornerstone of their legacy that will endure for years to come.

With over 170 million streams across platforms, a dedicated half a million monthly listeners on Spotify, and 23 consecutive singles added to triple j—10 of which topped the station’s most-played list—HOLY HOLY has become an inescapable force in the Australian music scene. As the duo prepares for their imminent hiatus and Grand Hiatus tour, this marks the end of a remarkable chapter for one of Australia’s most influential musical acts.