Holly McNarland

Canadian musician, singer and songwriter (born 1975)

Holly McNarland

Background information
Born|  (1975-10-23) 23 October 1975 (age 48)
Origin| Winnipeg, Manitoba
Genres| alternative rock
Occupation(s)| singer-songwriter
Years active| 1990s-present

Musical artist

Holly McNarland (born 23 October 1975) is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter, who was most prominent in the 1990s.[1]

## Career[edit]

Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, McNarland's background is Métis.[2] She moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in the early 1990s.[3]

She released her debut EP Sour Pie independently in 1995,[1] before it was rereleased nationally by MCA Records in 1996.[4]

Stuff, her full-length debut album, was released in 1997.[5] The album's most successful single was "Numb", which reached the Canadian top 10.[6]

At the 1998 Juno Awards, she won the Best New Solo Artist category,[7] and was nominated for Best Alternative Album for Stuff and Best Video for "Elmo".[8]

She collaborated with Matthew Good on the song "Flight Recorder From Viking 7" from the album Loser Anthems.

Following Stuff, McNarland ended up taking an unplanned five-year hiatus from music after marrying videographer Jay Mirus and giving birth to her first child.[9] She returned in 2002 with the album Home Is Where My Feet Are.[10] The album was supported by a tour, with Emm Gryner performing as the opening act,[11] and received several Western Canadian Music Award nominations in 2003 including Outstanding Pop Recording, Outstanding Producer (Malcolm Burn) and Outstanding Songwriter.[12]

She then provided backing vocals on the track "Wishing You Would Stay" on The Tea Party's 2004 album Seven Circles,[13] and again collaborated with Good on "Pony Boy", one of the new songs on his 2005 greatest hits package In a Coma. In 2004, she was also one of the performers at that year's National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.[14]

She followed up in 2007 with the album Chin-Up Buttercup,[15] and in 2012 with Run Body Run.[16]

She collaborated with Matt Good once again on his cover of Kate Bush's song Cloudbusting on his 2015 album Chaotic Neutral.[17]

## Discography[edit]

### Studio albums[edit]

* Stuff (1997)
* Home Is Where My Feet Are (2002)
* Chin-Up Buttercup (2007)
* Run Body Run (2012)

### Live and compilation albums[edit]

* Live at the Great Hall (DVD) (2003)
* The Komrade Sessions (iTunes release in 2006, digital release only)

### EPs[edit]

* Sour Pie (1995, re-released in 1996)
* Live Stuff (1999)
* The Komrade Sessions (2006)

### Singles[edit]

* "Mr. 5 Minutes" (1995)
* "Numb" (1997) – No. 9 CAN
* "Elmo" (1997)
* "Coward" (1998)
* "Beautiful Blue" (2002)
* "Do You Get High?" (2002)
* "Losing My Face" (2002)
* "Watching Over You" (2003)
* "So Cold" (2003)
* "Every Single Time" (2007)

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ a b Mike Roberts, "Riding the buzz: Wonder gal McNarland not as dark as the songs". The Province, 18 July 1995.
2. ^ Lynn Saxberg, "McNarland back on stage; Metis singer plans one last show at Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival". Ottawa Sun, 20 June 2017.
3. ^ Shawn Ohler, "Singer lauded as having `most amazing singing voice'". Kingston Whig-Standard, 10 August 1996.
4. ^ Betsy Powell, "Are guys ready for snarling McNarland?". Hamilton Spectator, 6 June 1996.
5. ^ Betsy Powell, "Holly McNarland's Stuff loses some of its Sourness". Toronto Star, 21 June 1997.
6. ^ David Berry and Rebecca Tucker, "You oughta Juno: What happened to those artists voted most likely to succeed? Part 2 — 1986 – 1999". National Post, 14 March 2015.
7. ^ Milo Cernetig, "McLachlan caps hot year with four Juno Awards". The Globe and Mail, 23 March 1998.
8. ^ "Juno Award nominations". Montreal Gazette, 12 February 1998.
9. ^ Paul Morden, "Holly McNarland starts over: West coast musician to play Sarnia Ribfest". Sarnia Observer, 8 July 2002.
10. ^ Scott Brown, "Mother Holly's more mellow". Cowichan Valley Citizen, 15 September 2002.
11. ^ Gerry Krochak, "Motherhood offers new inspiration". Regina Leader-Post, 13 March 2003.
12. ^ "Artists vie for music awards". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, 21 August 2003.
13. ^ Angela Pacienza, "The Tea Party less mystical on new CD". St. Catharines Standard, 21 August 2004.
14. ^ "National Aboriginal Achievement Awards to air June 21". Journal Pioneer, 8 June 2004.
15. ^ Tom Harrison, "The stuff of life inspires McNarland; Chin Up Buttercup depicts changes". The Province, 6 September 2007.
16. ^ Katherine Monk, "Holly McNarland: Run Body Run". Winnipeg Free Press, 23 June 2012.
17. ^ "Matthew Good taking chaos on the road". Campbell River Mirror, 24 September 2015.

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz