Holly Fitzgerald On the Making Of “All Night”
What was the creative process like for this particular "All Night?" How did you approach the arrangement and composition of the music for "All Night?"
It started when I was messing around with some guitar really! I was experimenting with different amp sounds that I liked, and came across the dreamy guitar effects you hear in the track's intro, and from there I started experimenting with some different chords that would go with the sound. Once I had the initial idea, that's where the real songwriting began. I had a vision for the song I wanted to create, and as I'd never really explored the topics of lust and desire in my songwriting before, I wanted to reveal that side of myself, especially as a queer artist. Next came the bass, vocal melody, drums, and piano, all played and recorded in my home studio.
What did you enjoy most about making "All Night?"
I really liked the expression I got to put into every instrument I played. I feel like the track has a different principle instrument that takes over in each section so I got to lean into the emotion and delivery of each part in a way that I would normally reserve just for the vocals, or interlude sections of a song. I think that's partially down to the structure of the song, and how it's not in a typical "pop" format where the instrumentation tends to support the vocal line as the main instrument. To me "All Night" feels like an equal collaboration and contribution between all of the instruments.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in music?
Honestly, I fell in love with music when I studied it at school and I've been involved with it ever since. I carried on with my music education and did a degree at Manchester Metropolitan University, and since I graduated I've been writing and recording music for myself and for other artists. I really love getting to write my own music as a way to communicate with people! Like I'll look at my analytics to see where people are listening, and it blows my mind that there are people listening all over the world and are engaging with it. Despite the cultural differences, there are people in places like Brazil, Indonesia, and Australia that are connecting with the same themes, feelings, and ideas - to me that's amazing.
Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
Really the messages that I try to convey are whatever I'm thinking or feeling at the time. I have a song about mental health and I think that is super important to share because it's been a taboo subject for so long, and having that kind of material out there offers a level of solidarity. I've also written songs about relationships, love, loss, manipulation, and toxic relationships and I have a song coming out in the near future that is about how certain types of magazines and media outlets have treated and portrayed women. You know the ones with the bikini photos of celebrities that comment on their body? Those...
“All Night” is about lust and desire, and it's the first time I've had my sexuality on display in a song, which actually feels quite liberating.