Q&A: Holly Humberstone Gives Lollapalooza a Taste of Upcoming Debut Album ‘Paint My Bedroom Black’
COMMANDEERING THE BACARDI STAGE FOR A RAINY SUNDAY SET — Holly Humberstone, Britain’s fastest rising star in alternative pop rock, stole the hearts of the Lollapalooza crowd with her distinct sound and bold style.
The world got to know Humberstone through her debut 2020 EP, Falling Asleep at the Wheel, and fell in love with her in full through 2021’s The Walls Are Way Too Thin. And with major accolades like the Brit Award for Rising Star, it’s felt as though Humberstone has held the music world like putty in her hands.
Now, she’s set to release her debut album, Paint My Bedroom Black, on Oct. 13.
Her Lollapalooza performance followed a string of festivals and tour slots, as her energetic set covered everything from her first release, “Deep End,” to her recent collaboration with d4vd of “Superbloodmoon,” all sung to a massive crowd.
Luna caught up with Humberstone before her set for a quick chat on preparing for Lollapalooza, how she thrifted her show-day outfit from Fifth Sister Swap, and the surprises to come on Paint My Bedroom Black.
LUNA: I know you're on a bit of a festival run right now — do you find that you have to prepare differently for festivals than you do for a regular show?
HUMBERSTONE: Definitely, I think there's something about being a festival [that] to me feels like … less pressure, especially being on Sunday. Everyone's a bit wet and just looking to have a good time. I perform better when I'm more relaxed and down to have a bit of a fun time, you know? I've always wanted to come and play at Lolla, so I feel like I just need to remind myself that it's a party … and I just need to go on and have fun.
LUNA: At a lot of your headline shows you've been running the Fifth Sister Swap, which I've loved getting to watch throughout your career so far. What's your favorite item that you've given away?
HUMBERSTONE: So I did a music video for “Falling Asleep at the Wheel” and I found this hoodie that I loved. I wore it for that video and people seemed to like it. It had quite a lot of sentimental value to me. I gave it away in the swap because I thought somebody could enjoy it more. I'd had my day with it, and that was really special to get to share in the swap for me.
LUNA: What about your favorite item you’ve received?
HUMBERSTONE: I think it's things that people have made. I've had quite a few lovely knitted bags. I once received a black crocheted bag, and it had a little skull on it with my little HH logo. It was just so lovely for someone to take the time to put that together for me.
LUNA: I saw that “Deep End” is in Heartstopper season two. What does it mean to you getting to have one of your songs be in such a culturally important show?
HUMBERSTONE: It means so much. I remember the first season dropping and it was quite groundbreaking, especially in the UK. The soundtrack to the first season was really iconic — it all felt so hand-picked, and everything just fit so well.
I love the show so much, and the way they used “Deep End” is so special to me. “Deep End” is the first song that I released, and it's really personal to me as it talks about a family member’s mental health. It’s all so lovely; it’s such an honor to be included.
LUNA: I also want to give you a major congratulations on the announcement of your debut album — I can't wait for Paint My Bedroom Black. Can you describe the album in three key words?
HUMBERSTONE: Oh, that's tricky. Okay, “chaotic,” for sure. I think it's a bit all over the place, kind of like the inside of my brain. “Intimate,” also. I think I like to pour a lot of myself into it and be as honest as possible, you know? Coming up with a last word is a bit hard — the album goes through a lot. I think the third word would have to be “comforting.” It was so comforting to me to be able to write it and get all those feelings out. Now being able to share my little happy zone feels special, so I hope other people can find comfort in it.
LUNA: Looking back on your first EP, how do you think your songwriting has changed?
HUMBERSTONE: It's improved, I hope. I feel like I'm able to share a bit more, which is really nice, and I’m less afraid of what I put in my songs. I think people love the weirdness of some of it, too, so I've tried to be a bit more out there. I'm still writing about really personal things that probably everyone can relate to, so I think that part of it remains the same, but I hope that it's a bit more experimental and a bit less filtered. I always try to be as candid as possible, and especially in this album I feel like I'm really exposing myself. It's empowering being able to share so much.
LUNA: Is there anything that you think fans will be surprised by on Paint My Bedroom Black?
HUMBERSTONE: I think some of the production is a bit different from where I've been previously. I'm not quite sure why — I try not to think too much about the sounds until I've written the majority of the lyrics and stuff like that. There's a couple of more dancy songs on this album and a couple more electronic key things going on in that. I think there’s a lot of variety — I’ve honestly gone all over the place. I don't really know what genre it would fit into, so that might be surprising.
LUNA: If you could put first-time listeners of the album in the perfect environment to capture the essence of the album, what would that place be for you?
HUMBERSTONE: Oh, that's a really good question. I feel like in transit somewhere would be best, maybe a journey on the train. I think I discover a lot more and really get into my music when I've got a long journey ahead. It’s a little quiet moment where you can turn off and be by yourself, but we've got the pretty scenes out the window.
