Exclusive Premiere + Interview: Holander's "Boy Tears"
We are thrilled to announce we are launching a blog! We will be doing interviews with artists, releases and more, and we hope you’ll tune in.
We’re kicking off the blog with an exclusive digital premiere of Holander’s brand new single, “Boy Tears”. Read below to find out what inspired the song, who her top musical inspirations are, the craziest stuff Holander’s exes have done after a break up, what advice she’d give to her younger self and more! Then, take a listen to see why her latest single, produced by New Beat Fund, has artists like GIRLI, Xkylar, Annabelle Maginnis (of Metronohm), and Connor Weinstein (of Next Door to the Moon) all sharing and showing love on Instagram Stories not even 12 hours after its’ release.
Photo by MK McG
To get this started, I know you’re an LA-native (aka a unicorn with all of the transplants we have here), how has being an LA-native informed your musical career so far? Or has it had any impact?
Oh totally. Growing up with art as a focus in my city has given me the confidence to pursue music seriously. And when there’s wildly successful people around you from the time you were young, you’re used to it, and it’s easier to stay grounded. I’ve just always been in love with night time and city life and the magic of LA— it definitely comes through in my music.
Who are your top 5 musical inspirations?
The 1975, Lorde, Regina Spektor, Taylor Swift, The Wombats.
If you could open up for any artist (dead or alive), who would you want to open up for?
Mallrat is my current obsession.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in the past 5 years, and what are 3 things you would say to your younger self to help them through the process if you could?
The general feeling of not being enough; I struggled with insecurity which can just seep into every part of your life if you don’t hold true and grounded.
1) NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THE FUCK THEY’RE DOING. We’re ALL winging it, all the time. NO ONE has their shit together! What a calming feeling!
2) Fail. Fall on your face. Don’t be afraid to fail because you never really fail, you always learn something, which means you’re falling upwards. Failure would be not trying.
3) If people someone doesn’t appreciate that you are a fucking princess who deserves to be treated beyond her wildest dreams and expectations then let them go. They don’t deserve you. Seriously.
Now, let’s dive into the song…
What was the inspiration behind “Boy Tears”? Any specific boys’ tears in mind?
It started when I wrote the lyric “sipping boy tears” after being hurt by a boy. So it came from a place of sadness and “screw you, I’m gonna drink your tears.” But then as I continued writing it, it turned into this empowerment anthem. I wanted to 1. talk about boys crying because that is a taboo subject and 2. have people walk away from the song feeling like nobody could hurt them, and that they could take over the world.
The song is a compilation of a ton of interesting experiences I’ve had with boys romantically. Like “you still hit me up but we only hooked up once or twice (my car, the beach…and…?)" is about this one guy who I kept forgetting I was dating. Another one is in the bridge— I had an ex who drove up to my house and sat in my driveway crying and texting me at 3am while I was sleeping.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve had someone do after a break up?
The ex who drove to my house at 3am also made a fake Instagram account to stalk me after I blocked him. I also had a guy I wasn’t dating figure out where I lived on Valentine’s Day and then texted me to come outside. He said he put something behind the tree in my front yard, and then when I couldn’t find it, he texted “a little to your left.” I guess he was watching me! He had burned a CD with a song he had written about me on it but for me?
And the craziest thing that you’ve done?
My crazy thing after break ups is I’ll just show up places. Most recently after I found out that my ex blocked me on Facebook I circled his house 4 times like a shark
What are your top 3 favorite date spots/activities in Los Angeles?
Sugarfish is the best sushi I’ve ever had. I like arcades for dates and I’ve had a few dates at the event School Night at Bardot in Hollywood and that’s always fun.
I love the John Hughes reference in the song, do you have a favorite Brat Pack movie?
I want to get indie with you but I’m a Breakfast Club bitch what can I say?
We can’t lie, we’re pretty big fans of The Breakfast Club too! We’re also fans of Holander, and you can bet her latest electro-pop anthem, “Boy Tears”, will be in heavy rotation as we head into warmer weather and try to remember that “everybody’s in their feels”, and most of us are trying to do and be our best-even if that sometimes looks like being a heartbroken mess or a crazy ex.
Stream “Boy Tears”, produced by New Beat Fund, on Spotify now!