al andar by Holly Holden
***Release date - 11th July 2025***
'... a captivating fusion of Latin folk and contemporary soul-pop'
- Rhythm Passport
‘Al andar’ is for anyone who has loved and lost. For anyone who has felt a little broken and taken bold steps to show up lovingly for themselves. To the wanderers, the curious explorers, the joyful kitchen party dancers and anyone who has felt the fear and done it anyway - this is for YOU!
The title of the album al andar - loosely translated as ‘as we go' or 'on the way' - is taken from a lyric one of the album tracks ‘Leona' - ‘las que cantamos al andar’ (we who sing as we go). The phrase encapsulates the nomadic quality of this album, a collection of songs written mostly in Mexico and Colombia, and inspired by the rich musical landscape of Latin America. ‘Al andar’ represents a sense of perpetual motion - and that eternal journey of self-discovery of which, for me, music is an integral part. This record is more mature that what has come before. My voice is stronger and deeper in both tone and message and there’s been a thematic shift from the angsty, guilty, longing of my last records to a place of acceptance and self-love.
I wrote much of this record between 2017 and 2020, during time I spent living and travelling in Mexico and Colombia. Many songs on al andar were composed on the Venezuelan cuatro - a beautiful four stringed instrument, larger than a ukulele but smaller than a guitar, which has a gorgeous melancholy tone and is also very portable.
Al andar was recorded in London, where I returned in 2022, a little broken and bereft and determined to turn a collection of note-book compositions into something. I collaborated with multi-talented multi-instrumentalist and producer Greg Sanders (Teotima, Juanita Euka, Lophae), who recorded, arranged and mixed all of the eight album tracks. Greg studied has a deep knowledge and respect for the music of Latin America and was the perfect person help me bring the new songs to life. Al andar also features many of the absolute top musicians from the London Latin American scene including Luzmira Zerpa (Family Atlántica), Nando Arias, Yelfris Valdés (Sierra Maestra), Ernesto Marichales (New Regency Orchestra), Fabio de Olivera (Babo Moreno) and Will Fry (Jungle).
Tracklist
| 1. | Te Vi Volar | 3:21 |
| 2. | This Body Liquid | |
| 3. | Los Ángeles | |
| 4. | Libertad | |
| 5. | I Went to the Mountain | |
| 6. | Amor Incondicional | |
| 7. | Easy | |
| 8. | Leona | |
Videos
Credits
All songs recorded 2022 - 2024 at Ball In A Studios, London.
All songs written by Holly Holden.
All songs produced, arranged and mixed by Greg Sanders
All songs mastered by Luis Bonilla, High Grade Mastering
Photography - Andrés Gomez
Design - Pedro Velasco
Instrumentation:
Holly Holden - vocals, backing vocals, cuatro, percussion on tracks 1 and 5, nylon string guitar on track 7.
Greg Sanders - electric guitar, steel string guitar, nylon string guitar, bass, piano, keys, tres on tracks 4, 5 and 8, cavaquinho on tracks 3 and 6, percussion on track 7, backing vocals on tracks 4 and 6.
Luzmira Zerpa - vocals and backing vocals on track 3.
Nando Arias - accordion on track 3.
Yelfris Valdés - trumpet on track 4.
Ernesto Marichales - percussion on tracks 3 (bombo legüero, maracas, guacharaca, palos), and 4 (congas, bongo, maracas, clave, güiro, campana).
Fabio De Oliveira - percussion on tracks 2 (tamborim, caxixi, zabumba, alfaia, triangulo, shaker, chocalho, bottle caps), and 6 (pandeiro, surdo, ganzá, recu-recu, tantä, tamborim, repique de mao).
Will Fry - percussion on tracks 5 (cajón, shekere, quijada, caxixi, campana, seeds, palmas) and 8 (cajón, congas, quijada, campana, shekere, seeds, claps, maracas, mug, cymbal) and cymbal on track 7.
License
All rights reserved.
Holly Holden is a singer, songwriter and bassist from London with a tropical soul. A long-term love affair with Latin America and many years spent music-making in the region have shaped her unique sunny, Spanglish soul-pop sound.