The Holiday Collective releases new single KRIYA on Vibestown Sounds label

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, big things are happening in Tasmania’s music scene with Apple Isle musos in hot demand after fighting off the reputation they “were all a bunch of inbreds with two heads”. LISTEN TO THEIR NEW SINGLE >>

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TASMANIA’S music scene may have slowed down, but thanks to one of the state’s industry mainstayers big things are on the horizon.

Best known as one of the organisers behind the beloved Party in the Paddock festival, Jesse Higgs is also the creative director of a new Tasmanian record label and frontman of band The Holiday Collective.

Members of the supergroup hail from all corners of the globe, and include Tassie band Younger Dryas’ Jade Higgs and Issac Williams, Australian/Argentinian DJ duo Kimi Brown and Marquee Moon of In The Flowers, and London’s Meg Hitchcock.

LISTEN TO THE FULL TRACK ON SPOTIFY >>

Their latest single KRIYA was created at their Byron Bay studio, and released on July 29.

Songwriter Higgs said the song had “bubbled out” of him.

“I can see looking at the bigger picture there’s a real ending of a phase in my life. I’ve recently clocked into my 30s and with the beautiful festival we had coming to an en there have been a lot of beautiful nostalgic endings,” he said.

“There have been some really big things happening in the world at the moment, so this song is about surrendering to the powers that be rather than trying to run away or avoid some of these inevitable things — greet them with grace rather than let fear overcome you.”

Party in the Paddock founder and creative director Jesse Higgs at Launceston. PICTURE CHRIS KIDD

The band has another couple of singles being released soon, with their full debut album — *In Holiday — dropping in October.

The production was done themselves, drawing largely on Moon’s expertise.

“Marquee has a really great background in production, and in really using the limitations of what we’ve got in a really creative way,” Higgs said.

“Nowadays going into a studio is so expensive, but being able to do it ourselves really gives us a great sound.”

With new label Vibestown Sounds, Higgs said they were keen to support the growth of Tassie talent.

“Basically when I started as a young guy we couldn’t even get a gig outside of Tasmania. Back then Tasmania wasn’t cool — we were all a bunch of inbreds with two heads,” he said.

“With Vibestown Sounds we have some international connections, and we’re excited to start building some strong collaborations across the world.

“I’ve always felt really passionate about Tasmanian artists, and I feel isolation breeds creation.”

The label manages Hitchcock, who is also involved in the label, and DENNI, a young Indigenous singer-songwriter.

With the Marion Bay Falls Festival cancelled and PITP coming to an end in February, Higgs said they had looked into putting on an evert for New Year’s Eve.

“At this point in time it’s going to be hard to make something work., but we want to make sure that Tassie folk still have something music-related to look forward to for New Years,” he said.

“But we’re excited to bring a new Party in the Paddock-style festival back in the future.”

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