Holly Giles
For this months Featured Artist Spike had the pleasure of catching up with the lovely Holly Giles for a chat about all things Holly
Spike: Holly, thank you for accepting to be artist of the month of April for Dropping The Stream, and I have great pleasure in doing this interview. As you may, or may not know, chuckles, you are one of my favorite artists and love how you always make your shows a joy to listen to. So here I am, and you can relax, as I am not making my regular request, lol.
Holly: *LOL! OMG, that song request. I'll do it for you the next time I sing at the Woolshed, I promise :) Thank you to Dropping The Stream for making me artist of the month, it's a great honor! I'm glad it's you doing the interview Spike, I consider you a good friend and I'm sure I can rely on you to edit out any of my ramblings so I seem composed and professional and not at all like the rambling loon I seem to be in my shows haha
Spike: As of the 24th of March you will have been in SL for 7 years, and we all have interesting stories on how we came to be here, so please tell us how it is you came to be in SL?
Holly: I was married in RL when I first joined a similar virtual world called IMVU. Not many people know but my husband ended up in prison after a long and stressful few years of court dates and trials. It was during these years that I found myself to be very lonely and craved to meet and chat with people who knew nothing of my life, therefore leading me to search 'online chat' in my search browser and finding IMVU. During the first couple of years in IMVU I made many friendships, and after an amicable divorce with my RL hubby, I even discovered the world of online romance hehe. After 5 years in IMVU I was convinced to move over to SL and found it to be a much better environment for me, and now, as you mention, 24th March will be my 7th year in SL. I have NO plans on leaving SL any time soon.
Spike: You sing a number of different genres but what or who is it that influences you the most with your music?
Holly: I don't really know how to answer questions like this, as I don't really have influences that I know of. I don't have a favorite genre, or a favorite singer or a favorite song even. I love so many genres, and so many singers and so many songs that i cant name just a few. I was born and raised on classic country music, as most people know, so I do tend to sing that genre the best, as I'm most confident with it. I also love 90's music. Top 40. Classic rock. Blues. ok, might be easier to just say I'm not fond of Classical or Opera. I don't like the 'Bitches and Hoe' style of rap, but am partial to a bit of Eminem. Basically, if it has a good beat, or good words etc, then I'll love it and it will make its way to my song list lol
Spike: None of our avatars would be here without their humans behind them, can you tell us a bit about who you are in that world we call Real Life or 1st Life and how has Holly helped you grow as a person?
Holly: Well firstly, my name in RL is Holly too, so if I talk about my avi I'll refer to her as HollyG haha. I'm pretty much just a basic, average, normal, sometimes boring as hell person in RL. I love to sing, I love to read, I love to watch movies and TV shows. I have been married once, divorced once, and never had children, although children are something I always hoped for. I am 40 years old, with a December Birthday. I have one brother who is 19 months older than me, and my parents are divorced and both re-married. When it comes to working life, I have pretty much been everything you can think of.... Barmaid, child care provider, legal secretary, Assistant Manager, Breakfast cook, Potato Harvester and many many more different jobs over the years haha. In all those jobs though, I still have not found that one thing that makes me happy, apart from singing. Which is where SL comes in. SL has given me the confidence to grow and learn as a singer, as well as a person. I've lived one of those lives where everything I said, or every opinion I had was shot down, but in SL, most people listen, people converse, people care, and share and love, and I find a certain freedom, confidence and happiness in being HollyG.
Spike: The last couple of years has been challenging for many of us due to COVID. What has it meant for you and has SL helped you stay sane through all the lock-downs etc.?
Holly: I dont have a RL job at the moment, so it really has not had any effect on me to be honest. I have no issue wearing a mask and signing into stores and using QR Scans etc, so I don't find it to be challenging at all to help protect against the spread of the disease, so apart from having a few extra tasks in my day to day activities when I do my shopping or errands, it hasn't affected me. SL and my friends and family in SL have been extremely important to me and have definitely kept me sane just in general over the years..... mostly haha
Spike: Holly, can you share with us your first event here in SL and how you felt about singing in SL?
Holly: My very first event here was at my own venue ~No Strings~, back in September 2018. I suffered massive stage fright and with the help of some very supportive friends, I started singing at karaoke places to try and gain some experience and courage. I was still very new to singing (I always sang my whole life but just in the car or the shower, so didn't really have much confidence to begin with) so my voice was unpracticed and my nerves shot haha, but I still managed to get through the whole hour, with enough praise to make me want to do it again lol
Spike: The incredibly beautiful and talented Agatha Nowles is your Nana (grandma, in sl... btw she looks way to young to be), how did that come about and does she make you eat mustard in pizza?
Holly: hahahaha, yes, she is my Nana! Well, Agatha is Archer Clary's mama, and Archer and Jamee took me under their wing a couple of years ago, deciding between themselves that i am their SL daughter and THEN telling me so afterwards haha (I'm sure I can find the chat log as proof that they sprung this on me LOL). They have always been there for me when i needed them, always trying to spend time with me and get to know me better even though I was a little hesitant, as I had never done the family thing in SL before. I didn't quite know how to react to them and their constant concern and care, but they grew on me like mold hahahaha ;) I can honestly say they have become an extremely important part of my life and I love them both dearly. Agatha is a wonderful Nana, always with a smart word of advice about how to protect my 'flower' xD No, she has not yet tried to force me to put mustard on my pizza, but I'm sure it will come up lol
Spike: It would be remiss of me to not ask about your involvement in TAO, a brilliant charity that raises money for children in need, What has being involved meant to you ?
Holly: I was there at the very beginning of TAO, helping Winter to shape and mold it into what it is today, and I am extremely proud of what TAO has achieved as a whole. Between its staff, its performers, volunteers and supporters, it has very quickly become an organization to be reckoned with, raising over FIVE million Linden last year for it's associated charities. I am no longer involved in the management side of TAO, but will always support it and the charities it helps. In fact i have a TAO Meet & Greet on 28th at 1 pm and then, as always, I will open the TAO Easter Festival at 5am on Friday the 8th of April, where I will be helping to raise funds for KIKA. I have always been apart of the charities in SL so to be a part of this festival and to witness the astonishing generosity of the people of the SL Live Music Community, always gives me such a thrill.
Spike: We all know that Australia is the best country in the world, and we are all looked upon as bogans (hillbillies for those who don't know Aussie) What makes Australia great for you...apart from Vegemite? (that stuff is gross)
Holly: I have a great love for my country, apart from the heat, the spiders, the snakes, the crocodiles, the magpies, the drop bears, the blue ringed octopuses etc.... hahaha. What makes Australia great for me, is the people, the attitude (on the most part) Milo, Kit Kats, Twisties and Anzac Biscuits!! I mean, if I had to move to another country then I would, but "I'd still call Australia Home".
Spike: You have quite a following in SL, and I have seen you grow with your music here remembering your first event at The WoolShed, when I believe it was Down that encouraged you to get up and sing. in ending is there anything else you would like to share with your followers here?
Holly: I would share anything and everything with them if they asked me :) I have ZERO issue in sharing my life, and learning about theirs. I am a little quiet in IMs, as I am generally busy, and tbh I do suffer from social anxiety which sometimes makes it seem like I'm not interested in friendship, but I assure you, I am, I just need to be prodded a few times first hahaha
Thank You Holly