Her time to shine
Holly Tucker Builds a Career with Support From Her Family
By Stacy Moser | Photography by Justin Borja
Holly Tucker’s rise to fame as a singer-songwriter has truly been a family affair. This native Texan has quickly gained momentum on the national country western music scene—with a career that kicked into high gear after her climb to the final six as a contestant on NBC’s fourth season of “The Voice.”
But pull back the curtain and you’ll see the entire Tucker tribe, supporting her behind the scenes. Her brother Travis assists with photography and graphic designs, her brother Shane and her dad, Johnny, manage her business, while her mother, Cheryl, keeps the books. Together, the Tucker clan clears the way for Holly to make the most of her musical talent.
When asked how she first discovered her penchant for performing, Holly shrugs her shoulders and smiles. “I’ve always really loved singing. As a kid, I would practice for hours and hours in my room with a karaoke machine.”
Shane nods in agreement. “My friends would come over and we’d be hanging out on the porch and Holly would start singing in the other room. They’d look at me and say, ‘Wow, who is that?’ I’d tell them it was my sister and I’d be all annoyed,” he laughs. “Now, of course, I love it.”
She describes her brand of music as a hybrid soul–country sound. “My music isn’t exactly traditional country. I dig into more of the soul aspect, but don’t want to lose the country feeling. The combination is a really magical sound.”
Holly says her songs weave her personal experiences into the lyrics. “Country music is all about heartbreak—songs that make you feel that loss again,” she says. “But I’m a happy, optimistic, bubbly person, so I like to put my positive perspective in my music. I don’t write a lot of songs about sadness for that reason.” She hesitates a moment. “It doesn’t mean I haven’t had my heart broken, though, because I certainly have. It’s just hard for me write about it.”
That’s why her newest release, “Country Music Won’t Let Me,” due to drop on February 15, is such a departure for her. “The song’s about when you’ve had your heart shattered—then you move on and think you’re over it. Suddenly you hear a certain song and you’re right back there with the pain,” Holly explains. “The title refers to that situation where country music won’t let you get over a loss.”
She describes the title of her last album, “Steel,” named East Texas Music Office’s 2018 album of the year, as a nod to the notion that a young woman can be both strong and vulnerable at the same time. Holly acknowledges that she struggles to achieve balance between those two traits herself.
“I was really shy when I got on the ‘The Voice.’ I was insecure about my appearance and performing for a big audience,” she explains.
“I was 19 and that was the biggest break I’d ever gotten. I was on a national platform, offering myself up for criticism. I learned a lot about myself then—how to be strong and let go of what people think. I had to give great performances regardless of how people would view me or the negative things they might say,” she says.
“Blake Shelton, my mentor on the show, was a big part of that. He told me, ‘You’ve got to come out of your shell.’ He’s an extremely good performer, very energetic. He knows how to grab a crowd and make them listen. Many times I would shut my eyes and close myself off a little bit. It’s nerve-wracking having all those cameras on you!” Holly laughs at the memory. “I was so nervous, but Blake helped me get over it.”
Holly flew back and forth from her family’s home in Lorena to Los Angeles to tape the show many times over a period of five months in 2013, performing before a huge audience each time. “I made it to number six out of 40,000 contestants on the show. What I took away from the experience was how to have fun performing.
Now, the stage is where I feel most at home.”
Shane talks about Holly’s success in the music industry. “She makes opportunities for herself,” he says. “She doesn’t wait for them to come to her.”
Shane knows what he’s talking about, having earned a degree in talent management from McLennan Community College in Waco. “Holly hates me,” he jokes. “We booked her in 168 shows for the ‘Steel’ album tour this year, on top of 75 media appearances. Out of 365 days in the year, I’d be very surprised if we spent 65 at home. But that’s the music industry. As a growing artist who’s trying to become relevant—if you don’t push like that, you’ll fail. You have to be willing to make music the center of your life.”
Holly acknowledges that her private life takes a back seat to her career right now. “As far as goals for 2019, I’d like to headline more festivals and do a lot more full-band shows. Success in this business comes down to how many tickets you sell. If that’s the goal, then that’s what I’m committed to doing. Plus there’s social media, physical presentation, branding. We’ve got to constantly get better,” Holly says.
“Shane is more business-minded and I’m a creative, sensitive person. Those are polar-opposite personalities. But we bring out the best in each other.”
It’s important to Holly, though, not to lose sight of the creative songwriting process as she and Shane push themselves physically and mentally to the limit. “I have to improve as an artist always,” Holly says. “I don’t do it often, but I love to take writing trips to Nashville. I become so inspired there. Something about that city, I can feel the energy in my veins.”
When the subject of her physical appearance on stage and her presence in the public eye comes up, Holly becomes animated. “In this industry, there are way higher standards for women than for men,” she says. “There are male artists who get up there in a T-shirt and jeans—you know who I’m talking about. They show up like they just rolled out of bed. For women, it’s not that way. If a woman doesn’t reach those high standards, she’s picked apart ruthlessly. Before ‘The Voice,’ I really didn’t pay much attention to my appearance. But afterward, I learned I had to really push myself to be healthier, eat better and work out.
“My goal has been to actually enjoy physical activity,” she laughs. “I’m very clumsy and I’m not good at sports—I fall over my own feet,” Holly says, rolling her eyes. “If I forced myself to run every day, I would hate every second of it. But I found that I love lifting weights. It makes me feel powerful. I have a trainer, Kenneth Ford, in Waco. He pushes me where I wouldn’t push myself.”
“I push her, too,” Shane teases Holly. “But, because we’re family, she talks back to me more than she would with her trainer!”
“I know this is my calling,” Holly admits. “You know how, just like with faith in God, it’s a belief in something you can’t see? I really believe this is the right path for me. And I’ve got my family by my side, so I can’t lose.”
Holly’s Tips to Avoid On-Stage Pitfalls
Holly earned a degree in communications from Baylor University, which seems appropriate for such a prolific songwriter. But songs aren’t the only communication tool in Holly’s bag—she also spends time as a motivational speaker. Here are her tips for public-speaking (or singing) success:
- Don’t let nerves get to you. Be prepared! I’m always afraid I’m going to say something stupid. So when I give a speech, I want to be as prepared as possible. Write it down! Not just a few bullet points—write out your whole speech.
- Practice your speech out loud. Lots. Never, never go on stage thinking you can just wing it.
- Be comfortable in your clothes. Sometimes I’ll get an outfit that I think will be so cute on stage and then I’ll realize I’m uncomfortable in it. Then I get nervous and it goes downhill from there. I know I won’t give my best performance unless I’m physically comfortable.
