Incase you’re unaware of this incredibly talented duo, Holy Holy is a musical project born of award-winning singer songwriter Timothy Carroll from Brisbane and guitarist/composer Oscar Dawson (Ali Barter, Dukes of Windsor) from Melbourne.

They recently released their debut EP The Pacific. Recorded live to tape with reclusive producer and collaborator Matt Redlich (Ball Park Music, Emma Louise, The Trouble With Templeton), the EP presents a rich array of sounds with nods to Neil Young, Midlake, The National and Bright Eyes.

The boys just wrapped up touring with Ballpark Music and Papa Vs Pretty, the duo’s guitarist Oscar Dawson gave us a few snapshots of their time on the road.

The Gong

“Ball Park Music, in one of the most ambitious moves ever seen in modern music, played a version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ as their encore each night. Even Queen didn’t play the song all the way through in their live shows: they would perform the first part, then have the ‘opera’ bit play via a tape through the front of house system, before returning for the rock-out at the end.

But Ball Park played it all the way through and nailed it, night after night. And the piece de résistance? A gong. They travelled up the east-coast of Australia with a gong in tow, just to have it ring out over the final chord of Bohemian Rhapsody. In a time when we’re trying to decide how many pedals we can fit in our cases without exceeding our baggage allowance, this was impressive.”

Parliament House

“I had never been to Parliament House before, and this rainy day after the Canberra show seemed like a good opportunity to properly check out the nation’s capital. We felt a little dodgy parking the hire car right out the front to take a photo. I half expected some sort of drone strike or a chopper full of SAS-Navy Seals (or whatever particular acronym it might be) to come down upon us. Instead, we ambled out and no-one really noticed.”

The Motel

“We don’t really do backpackers so much these days – sharing a dorm with a bunch of Irish backpackers doesn’t seem too appealing, especially when you actually just want to relax after a show (and believe me, 9 times out of 10 you do actually just want to relax). Having said that, Tim has Irish background so perhaps he would fit right in in such a setting.

ANYWAY – touring is NOT glamourous. This is a shot of all four of us sharing a room in a Sydney motel. Fairly sure there were people cooking up crystal meth in the room next door. And don’t get me started on the snoring; oh my, it was a bunch of hairy cicadas chirping away all night in that room – and I can vouch for that, because I was awake the entire time.”

Packing Gear

“Tim put together his first pedal board for this tour. As you can see in this image he wrote ‘Fragile’ on the side of the pedal board. Having been through a few pedal boards myself – most often destroyed through the harsh rigours of touring life – I wonder how much notice the airport baggage handlers will take of this plea. Note also: Tim has a pretty decent collection of vinyl.”

Ball Park Music’s Soundcheck

“There are advantages and disadvantages to being the support act. An advantage is being able to watch the headline act while they soundcheck. In this instance, taken at The Metro in Sydney, we were also subjected to a complete lights show.

The disadvantage, however, is that whilst they soundcheck, you see the clock ticking down to the moment at which doors open. What this means is that the window during which the support act might soundcheck becomes narrower and narrower. We had some close shaves, but managed at least some sort of check each show.”

Pedals

“This is what things look like for me when onstage. I spend my time buried in a whole bunch of pedals. This is the curse of many a guitarist. Occasionally I will look up and attempt to engage with others. But it is incredibly addictive having so many toys to play with.”

Toilet Break

“No tour diary is complete without an image of someone having a leak by the side of the road. This must be somewhere between Sydney and Brisbane. I’m unsure where exactly. It was a truly wonderful place to have a rest stop.

In general, I find it to be preferable to take a bush piss over stopping at McDonalds, where temptation all too often overcomes willpower. Even better than daytime roadside toilet breaks are nighttime roadside toilet breaks – on a clear night, relieving yourself whilst staring at the stars in the middle of nowhere is a perfect break from a smelly car full of men.”

Tour Sunset

“Australia is a beautiful place and it is in fact feasible to enjoy some of that beauty when touring. Often times in the shuffling between motels, backstage and licensed venues one can forget such things, but thankfully most of the inhabitants of Australia reside in coastal areas, so there is plenty of this stuff going on – not to mention quick-fire swims before soundcheck, before breakfast, after the show…”

The Tivoli

“This is what Tim stares at each night. Sometimes, he also sings into it. This was taken from the stage at The Tivoli in Brisbane. Thankfully, this was also during soundcheck, and not during our set – there were lots more people there when we actually played.”

Relaxing after the gig

“Oh look there is me, relaxing after a show. I believe this was taken in Wollongong. I think I might have been having a sook, coming down a little sick after the show. It is possible this was due to the sheer excitement and elation of performing live music – although it might also have been to do with the odd combination of coffee, beer and nerves that accompany the roller-coaster ride of emotion that ends with us stepping on stage each night.”

The Pacific EP Tour

Sat 28 June | Brighton Up Bar | Sydney
Fri 4 July | Black Bear Lodge | Brisbane
Fri 11 July | Shebeen Bandroom | Melbourne
Sat 12 July | Pirie Social Club | Adelaide
For more info and tickets visit www.holyholymusic.com

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine