Tassie’s Tim Carroll takes a Bow On Holy Holy

by Hobart Magazine

After more than a decade and five albums, indie rock band Holy Holy are having a break and they’re commemorating this with a national hiatus tour. We reached out to the band’s Launceston-based singer and songwriter, Tim Carroll, to look back on the band’s impact, and what comes next. In Tasmania, Tim is also known for creating A Festival Called Panama.

Tell us a bit about Holy Holy and its origin story. When I was 18 (more than 20 years ago), I travelled to Thailand and worked as a volunteer English teacher in a few different schools around the country. I was young, extremely naive, and equally optimistic. I had my backpack and a cheap nylon string guitar. During my first couple of days in the country, I organised to meet up with some other young folks from Australia who were doing the same things as me. I remember we had arranged to meet in a McDonald’s in a city somewhere south of Bangkok. I walked in, and there was a guy also holding a cheap-looking nylon-string guitar. That young man was Oscar Dawson. Oscar and I taught together in Thailand for about three months. When we weren’t teaching, we rode motorcycles through the rice pad-dies, played soccer with the local kids, ate endless amazing street food, learnt basic Thai and at night, we would drink Thai rum and play music. Playing music with Oscar was always a joy. He was (and is) a truly gifted player, and when we made music together, it was effortless. When we moved back to Australia, I didn’t see him often, but we kept in touch. It wasn’t until 2011 that we reconnected and we started writing together. Those early demos turned into our first album, an album released under the name Holy Holy.

*Holy Holy performing. Pic: Justin White*

What led to the decision to go on hiatus? We’ve been going pretty flat chat for about 12 years. Five albums and a lot of touring and so on. It has honestly been so fulfilling and incredible. I’m so proud of what we’ve done, and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to make music with dear friends and for that music to have found an audience. For now, though, the time feels right to step away. To see what life is like without the band in the mix.

What are your plans after Holy Holy? I’m moving to Stockholm with my family in July. We’re going to live there for the next two years. Over there, I’ll be studying Swedish. I’ll probably be doing some songwriting on other artists’ work, and I’m also planning to produce some visual art, specifically paintings.

You’ll be performing your hiatus tour in Launceston on 29 May, Hobart on 30 May, and Forth Pub on 31 May. What does it mean for you to perform these Tasmanian shows? You know it’s always weird performing in front of your friends and family. I live in Launceston and I keep a pretty low profile. I have two small kids, so I’m really in Dad-mode when I’m not on tour, so it is strange to be up on stage in your hometown. That said, these Tassie shows will be magic. The venues are great, and it’s going to be a special show.

Any teases for the setlist? Well, we’re bringing back a few older tunes from the first album, including one that features our gifted drummer, Ryan Strathie, playing a drum solo. Not something you tend to see very often these days, the drum solo, and always a crowd favourite.

What are your favourite songs to perform live and why? Our third album is called My Own Pool of Light, and it opens with this four-song medley. Maybe You Know – into Faces – into Flight – into Sandra. Each song bleeds into the next and it’s this wild and very satisfying suite. We often perform that block on stage, in the band, we call them the four horses of the apocalypse.

What’s one highlight from your time with Holy Holy that you’d like to share? We played the Groovin’ the Moo tour a few years back, and that was a really special time. It’s a unique setup because the same bands fly around for a month playing festivals all over the country in regional areas. And the nice thing is you get to hang out with and get to know the other bands a bit. The year we did it was with Billie Eilish, Coolio, Fisher, DMA’s, Thelma Plum, Trophy Eyes and many others. It was great to hang out in each other’s green rooms and yarn together.

When you’re not touring or making music, what do you enjoy doing in Tasmania? I’m obsessed with tennis. I play two or three times a week. I’m in a pennant team (shout out Du Cane Rangers). I love that game. It is SUCH a fun way to get exercise. Anyway – don’t get me started on tennis – I’m a bit of a tennis nerd.

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