"I got a bit lost in my own head": Holly Humberstone opens up about her journey ahead of long-awaited debut album

Holly Humberstone may not ring a bell for everyone currently, but she could very well be on her way to becoming the next big thing in pop. Humberstone first came to notice when she released her EP Falling Asleep at the Wheel in 2020, growing a passionate UK fanbase in the process. She followed it up with two life-changing gigs, one for Girl in Red and one for Olivia Rodrigo’s debut tour, coming to full notice.

Holly Humberstone is ready with her 13-song album, which has been a long and fruitful journey for the 23-year-old. During her stint as a touring musician, still far away from historic glory, she often felt lost. There also came some life-altering changes, which she ended up using during the writing process of her title track for the album, Paint My Bedroom Black. She recalled in an interview with Variety:

"I was just feeling a bit cr*p at myself and I was like, ‘Where do I fit in all of this weird chaos?'....Industry stuff makes me feel like s**t, like I kind of just want to go home....The lyrics are kind of just a big ‘F**k it, f**k all of this....I’m just going to shut everything out and be on my own for a bit and enjoy this feeling of being in the studio and being away from everything. To me, that sums up the theme behind the whole album."

She added:

"I was in a new place every single day, I didn’t really recognize my roots and where I was and who I was. I got a bit lost in my own head."

Holly Humberstone continued to elaborate on her touring experience and how that can be filled with a lot of highs and lows.

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"The doom starts to creep in, and that’s when the songs start": Holly Humberstone on staying away from home and familiar things while touring

The career of a musician is hardly the most comfortable one. From creative struggles to extensive hard work and travel, the much-sought-after work is actually very tough to do every day and still remain on track. Speaking about this, Holly Humberstone said:

"You have really high highs and really low lows, when you get into your hotel room at night and you’re like, ‘Where am I?’ And then it’s silent and you’re alone with your thoughts. The doom starts to creep in, and that’s when the songs start."

In the same interview, Holly Humberstone also gives a glimpse at her self-aware nature. She admitted that many of her songs in the new album and some she has done before are quite contradictory to her thought process or her behavior in real life.

She elaborated:

"I didn’t realize it until after, listening back to a lot of songs — there feels like such a divide in the album...Some of the songs are really introverted, in my own little spot in my head, wanting to shut everything out. And then the other side is like, ‘This is me, everyone! This is how I feel!'"

The young English singer will be going on a tour again next year in support of her debut studio album.

Paint My Bedroom releases on October 13, 2023.