Holly Humberstone On The Inspirations For ‘Paint My Bedroom Black’
Samantha Colleran, November 2023
When she was first getting started, Holly Humberstone felt like a little fish in a big pond. She felt out of control of her career and at any moment it would all come to an end. Two EP releases, touring with girl in red and Olivia Rodrigo, and working with artists such as Matty Healy and Ethan Gruska (Phoebe Bridgers, Fiona Apple) prove that Holly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. With the release of her debut album Paint My Bedroom Black, Holly is in control and excited to share her thoughts with the world. Female friendships, coping with dramatic change as an artist touring for the first time, and learning to not overthink everything in life are just some of the many things you’ll find on Holly’s debut.
Holly loves the process of writing, and on Paint My Bedroom Black you can feel a lot of emotion packed into the 13 tracks. Holly wanted to experiment a little more than on previous releases which was a challenge for her. Starting the album was difficult because she was set on trying to make it sound different, but the more she relaxed into the process and wrote stuff that she was feeling in the moment instead of chasing a specific style or sound, the quicker it came together. The result is a depiction of the deep emotions Holly felt while being on tour and so far from home.
Growing up with three sisters and attending an all girls school allowed Holly to become more in tune with her emotions, as well as appreciate the special bond between women. She often makes these relationships the focal point of her music and shares just how important these relationships are to her. Much of the album revolves around missing her friends and honoring the relationships with them. “Lauren” is a song dedicated to her best friend who makes an appearance on the album at the end of “Ghost Me”. The end of the track features a voice note from Lauren where she’s quoting a Spongebob episode (“I was born with glass bones and paper skin”). It was put in the song as a joke at first, but Holly came to love the way it sounded and it ended up being her favorite part of the album despite not having written or sung it. Putting that little touch at the end allows the song to feel a lot more personal and real. A number of other songs such as “Baby Blues”, “Room Service”, and “Elvis Impersonators” are also written to celebrate the friendships that have shaped her.
While her first two EPs are location based (Falling Asleep At The Wheel is based around her hometown and growing up, while The Walls Are Way Too Thin was mostly written in London when she moved from home), Paint My Bedroom Black doesn’t have a permanent home which is why Holly developed the room theme that is prominent throughout the album. Coming right out of COVID she began to tour; although it’s one of her favorite parts of the job, being on the road constantly for a year took a toll on her. A lot of what Holly was experiencing didn’t feel real to her; she was feeling homesick watching her friends live their lives and felt as if she should be home with them, playing a show and then coming back to a silent hotel room where oftentimes she was too rundown from the hectic touring schedule she didn’t even have the energy to call home was a new adjustment for her. She used her music and writing sessions as therapy to get all of her emotions out, it allowed her to ground herself. The title track “Paint My Bedroom Black” is a standout in Holly’s discography; she’s fighting to shut the negativity off, it feels like she’s breaking through a cocoon and into a newer positive outlook on things.
Balancing work and mental health is challenging in today’s world, especially as a creative. For a writer like Holly, it’s harder to turn your brain off from work because you’re constantly thinking of new ideas for your work, you’re never off the clock. Going on tour also took a toll on her mental health, it made it hard for Holly to differentiate between Holly the artist and Holly the 23 year old navigating adulthood. Surrounding herself with people she loves and considers family on tour helped to make the adjustment a little easier. Although she doesn’t have as much time for “normal” things, Holly appreciates the time she does get to spend with the people who make her feel human when she’s able to do so.
Holly shares that she suffers from imposter syndrome and she finds it hard to believe she’s here with an album release under her belt. Despite the imposter syndrome, Holly is incredibly ambitious and plans on writing and touring as long as she can. She’s excited to live in the moment and focus on enjoying her success. Overall, Holly just wants to be satisfied in life and live a peaceful life.
If you want to keep up with all things Holly Humberstone, make sure you’re following her on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter! You can catch her on her This Feels Like The Truman Show European tour next year, and be sure to stream Paint My Bedroom Black on your preferred streaming service!