For a band that have from the outset been pegged as ‘folk-rock’, Newcastle’s Holy Moly & The Crackers sure have come a long way in their sound and their approach. They’ve been a fierce live proposition for a decade now and released three studio albums that have seen their songs evolve from festival-friendly folky-stomps to something more widescreen and epic, without losing the raw, punky edge that has won them such a loyal and vocal fanbase.
The group’s new album, their fourth, Solid Gold, is an album that digs deep into the Americana that’s played an ever-greater part in their sound, and is full of the ‘big skies and long roads’ (partly as a result of a trip to Austin Texas in the Spring of 2022).
Now they share their new single ‘Skyline Drive’ exploring another bold evolution in their sound. Combining a driving rock disco riff and a silky-yet-sassy vocal performance, the track stakes a bold claim for the album’s quintessential ‘big sky’ tune with its epic, horizon-wide chorus. Says band co-leader Conrad Bird, “’Skyline Drive’ is a house in the mountains, overlooking the Colorado River deep in the heart of Texas. Tommy (drums), Ruth (vocals) and I were there, staying up late drinking local rye whiskey and looking over the water… When we were kids, listening to Hank Williams and Sister Rosetta and Mississippi John Hurt and Dylan and Cash for the first time, this was the stuff dreams are made of. A few drinks in and the song came tumbling out.”