Q&A: dee holt Looks at Love Through “tunnel vision”
AN EARWORM ON THE FIRST LISTEN — dee holt’s latest single, “tunnel vision,” is infectious pop with a kick that won’t quit. A bouncy hook recruits listeners to the psyche of the song’s lovestruck character. It’s the breathless excitement that momentarily bubbles up, keeping her awake at night and inspiring dreams throughout the day. Also felt is the nervousness of not wanting to rush anything and burst the bubble.
The song is dancey, but there is something deeper. The opening lyric, “I get dizzy,” and holt’s porcelain-smooth voice allure listeners into a swift song from a teetering heart, uncertain about what to do with love. A simple song structure cedes the spotlight to her writing, a mosaic of competing thoughts, desires, and fears.
The chords underneath the high-adrenaline chorus are tinged with doubt; each note sustains and then wanders off pitch. When holt questions, “Maybe shouldn’t say everything that I’m thinking inside my brain,” the kick anchoring the whole song vanishes. In its absence, she sings, “I wonder what you think of me.” What’s left is that feeling in the pit of the stomach where ruminations like holt’s go undigested until answered once and for all. Following the second chorus, those same uneasy chords return, closing the song alone.
Montreal’s dee holt is a compelling songwriting force. “Tunnel vision,” from her upcoming EP, loving in the dark, equivocates that as an exuberant pop song with great depth. But before isolating her into one lane, read on below to learn more about her wide-ranging influences and how she’s shaping the next stage of her career, which she likes to call “dee 2.0.”
LUNA: There’s a tension on “tunnel vision” between confidently expressing emotions and feeling insecure about whether feelings are mutual. How did you start writing this song?
HOLT: We wanted to write something fun. Then we started talking about first relationships and how exciting but nerve-wracking the first steps are. You feel so strongly about someone but you're also thinking, “What are we? What do we do? What should I be doing? What should I not be doing?” Everyone can relate to that process, whether it's a relationship with someone or just something new that you're excited about but also really nervous about.
LUNA: The chords at the end of the song sound eerie and distant. They feel like the nervousness that you reference.
HOLT: Certain chords sound a little awkward, which I feel works. The constant kick drum sounds like a heartbeat to me, so you're nervous and you're like, “Here we go.” So I find it cool how the music matches the feeling.
LUNA: The illustration on the cover matches those feelings, too. It ties in with the theme of being young and in love. Did you design the cover?
HOLT: All of the artwork is mine. I used to study digital art and did one year in painting at university. When I signed with my label, I wanted to have control of the visuals. I'm always open to collaborating with someone, but being a part of the process is important. Songs feel a certain way and look a certain way to me, and I feel like only I know how to express that.
LUNA: You were into music from a young age. What kind of music were you playing then?
HOLT: I grew up with my dad playing guitar and piano around the house. When I was younger, he would play and I would dance and sing along. He even played violin, but you can’t really sing along to that.
Great Big Sea, the folk band, was big for us. Certain songs immediately bring me back to that [time]. Like the one that goes, “If I had a million dollars.” Huge. My dad is also the biggest Prince fan ever. Then, in elementary school, I joined a guitar club, and he would practice the charts with me. The first song we learned together was “3AM” by Matchbox Twenty. He's one of the main reasons I got into music; I was surrounded by it all the time.
LUNA: Much of that music differs from what you've made so far. How do you find those early discoveries informing the music you make today?
HOLT: I'm open to different genres because of that. I'm opening up to country a little more (laughs). I feel like I've fallen into an indie-pop box, but I'm open to absolutely anything when I’m in the studio.
LUNA: There is a great story about your first music performance. How did it go and what did you sing?
HOLT: I was 16 and wanted to go to my boyfriend's cottage with his parents. My parents asked to meet them first, so we had supper and we started talking about music. My parents said, “Daphne sings” and they all pressured me to play guitar. I'd been dating him for three months and he had no clue. I had done a couple of shows but I didn’t tell people that. So I faced the wall and sang “All I Want” by Kodaline. And now their family friend, Benji, is my producer.
LUNA: What would your younger self think about your current music?
HOLT: If baby me were to see what I'm doing today, she would freak out. I always dreamed of doing shows and having my own music, but I never wanted to act on it because I'm not that comfortable with the spotlight. I owe it all to my surroundings and my people because they were the ones who said, “You should try this.”
LUNA: What are you most proud of with the “tunnel vision” release?
HOLT: It's the final single to the new EP, which my label and I call “dee 2.0.” I love the song, and I hope that people enjoy it. I’m also excited to enter a new phase. Music started as an opportunity that fell into my lap, so I was like, “What am I doing?” But now that I’ve taken off school, I'm pushing music. I’m finding my aesthetic, making things more cohesive, and giving it 100% with “dee 2.0.” It's like my alter ego.
“Tunnel vision” is available for streaming now. Her next EP, loving in the dark, is set to drop Aug. 18.
