In Holly Go Lightly's latest in a long list of releases, "Truly She is None Other," she establishes herself as an appealing musician with an unwillingness to compromise to the fad of garage.
While garage rock has found itself in a revivalist trend since the emergence of bands like The Strokes and the White Stripes, Go Lightly feels she has little in common with such bands. Go Lightly shudders at the misnomer of garage rock.
"I think all my stuff is too lazy to be considered garage rock. I think one of the big problems with [my music] was nobody knew what to call it since it didn't sound like The Headcoats, The Headcoatees or The Milkshakes," she said with a think East Sussex accent. Those bands are staples for any vintage rock diet, but Go Lightly feels her mellow solo work deviates from garage formula.
"There's no strategy to what I do, I don't have an agenda. That way I can just do what I please. I'm not trying to sell records; I'm not trying to get a record deal."
Go Lightly notices that most of her fans are musicians, which is evident in those that have asked her to guest appear on songs, in admiration of her ethos.
"I've done recording with Mudhoney, Rocket from the Crypt and the White Stripes. There's something I'm doing that they find appealing, so I'm obviously doing something right"
Go Lightly relishes in her refusal to be called garage rock. In her inability to accept the genre name, Go Lighty finds more freedom to experiment in jazz, blues, and rock. "Not having a genre has more sustainability and keeps me interested. I'm not confined or pigeonholed into what I've told people I'm going to do."
Go Lightly has earned a reputation as a prolific songwriter with over ten solo releases. She criticizes some musician's decision to wait years between releases.
"If they're not releasing music, then what are they doing? I'm releasing one album a year. Is that too much to expect from anyone, really?"
She said the key to success is stubbornness.
"If you stick to your guns enough, eventually people will realize that what you're doing is for you, and no one else. Its evident any successful musician that has gone their own way ... Neil Young, Ray Charles, are great examples of singers and songwriters who aren't a part of a circle or a trend."
Go Lightly cites Young and Charles as moral influences, as well.
"They're influences, but not musically. In their outlook and ethos they're influences. These are people who wrote their own contracts and were successful on their own terms," she said.
