NASHVILLE, TENN. – Singer-songwriter Zandi Holup has the kind of voice that instantly cuts to the heart’s deepest corners: enchanting, enigmatic, profoundly world-weary but radiant with raw feeling. Announced today, Holup will release her debut album Wildflower – a revelatory body of work born from embracing her singular eccentricity – on August 1. A window into the larger project, today Holup releases crowd favorite “Mary Jane.”
Pre-save / pre-add Wildflower here.
“Wildflower is my debut album; it is the first seed I’ve sown in a garden of sounds,” Holup explains.
“Its lyrics are a tangled web of roots, a cracked mirror revealing parts of who I am beneath the surface: dark, complex, with pain and curiosity lurking in the shadows.
“I believe this record will help others understand me on a deeper level and, in turn, explore and know parts of themselves,” she continues. “It’s a diverse glimpse into my world, but only the surface of my true self. I’m a curious, odd soul with many dark thoughts, and this album is my way of sharing that. I’m genuinely excited to release this project and deeply thankful to everyone who has listened and supported me along the way. Your support means everything, and I can’t wait for you to experience the beginning of my musical journey.”
About the darkly enthralling yet deeply empathetic new song written alongside Daniel Leathersitch, Holup shares: “’Mary Jane’ isn’t really about Mary Jane. She’s a symbol, a shadow, a metaphor wearing a familiar name. I wrote this song about someone very special to me…a soul who danced in and out of heroin’s grip for fifteen years. When I met him, he was already on the long road back to recovery. His scars were stories, and his eyes told the truth before his voice even had to. The more he shared, the more my heart opened, and the song began to write itself. Let me be clear: This isn’t a sermon. This isn’t everyone’s story. This is his story through my eyes. And through him, a window for you to look through.”
When it came time to create her full-length debut, Holup joined forces with producer Ryan Hadlock (Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers, Wyatt Flores) and spent a month recording at Bear Creek Studios in the woods of northwest Washington. With the help of several musicians from nearby Seattle, Holup and Hadlock dreamed up an intentionally simplistic but exquisitely detailed sound firmly centered on her voice and lyrics. Over the course of Wildflower‘s eleven tracks (including recent “Go Find Less,” “Mountain Man” “Dirty Wings” and “Gas Station Flowers”), Holup embeds her songwriting with a lovely entangling of poetry and confession and fable-like narrative, imbuing every moment with an undaunted emotional truth.
Not only a prolific writer but also performer, the Pennsylvania-born, Nashville-based artist has shared the stage with Steve Earle, Amanda Shires, Jamey Johnson, Wyatt Flores, 49 Winchester, Midland and more. Holup has upcoming festival billings at Under the Big Sky Festival, WE Fest 2025 and AMERICANAFEST. For more information visit zandiholupmusic.com.
Wildflower track list
- All That’s Left Is Me (Zandi Holup, Autumn Buysse, Mary Kutter)
- Dirty Wings (Zandi Holup, Chris Drizen)
- Go Find Less (Zandi Holup, Brock Butler, Autumn Buysse, Ben Johnson)
- Wildflower (Zandi Holup, Mike Mizwinski)
- Gas Station Flowers (Zandi Holup, Stefanie Joyce, Brian Alexander)*
- Runs In The Family (Zandi Holup, Mary Kutter, Chris Sligh)
- Doing the Time (Zandi Holup, Nate Kenyon, Paul Sikes)
- Cowgirls Don’t Cry (Zandi Holup, Willie Breeding, Mary Kutter)
- Mountain Man (Zandi Holup, Daniel Leathersich)
- Mary Jane (Zandi Holup, Daniel Leathersich)
- Things I’ll Never Forget (Zandi Holup, Mike Mizwinski)
Produced by: Ryan Hadlock, Zandi Holup
*Produced by Al Torrence
ABOUT ZANDI HOLUP
Singer/songwriter Zandi Holup has the kind of voice that instantly cuts to the heart’s deepest corners: enchanting, enigmatic, profoundly world-weary but radiant with raw feeling. After building grassroots following by sharing her demos and song fragments online, Holup landed a deal with Big Loud Records and set to work on her debut album, Wildflower: a revelatory body of work born from embracing her singular eccentricity, ultimately bringing an incandescent beauty to the most painful of experiences. Holup joined forces with producer Ryan Hadlock (Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers, Wyatt Flores) on the record, captured during a month recording at Bear Creek Studios in the woods of northwest Washington. Cut from the same cloth as legendary folk singer-songwriters like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, Holup’s raw brand of original folk country flourishes through unfiltered storytelling reminiscent of Dolly Parton and emphasized by her emotive vocals. A mesmerizing performer, Holup has opened for the likes of country legend and Grand Ole Opry member Steve Earle, Amanda Shires, Midland, and more. “It’s almost like my voice is the embodiment of who I am as a person, and when I sing, I feel like it’s my soul coming out,” Holup shares.
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