Hollis Lomax

Having met at Oxford University in 2019, bonding over under-appreciated Beatles songs, Jonathan Richman and - naturally - Edward Elgar, Hollis Lomax were officially born. Through a combination of off-kilter math pop, sardonic, barbed lyricism and idiosyncratic song structures, the four-piece willingly embraced their inherent weirdness. 

Absorbing a variety of influences, ranging from Ought to Parquet Courts and Brian Eno to Talk Talk, Hollis Lomax constructed a sound that uniquely straddles the line between contemporary and retro. Latest single Past Time, out on 28th May 2021, exemplifies the band’s ability to produce endearing distinctive pop music. Twinkling keyboard sounds flutter in a dream-like trance, and are accented beautifully by jazz-infused percussion, a wry crooning vocal delivery and chiming guitar notes. 

Reflecting on a past relationship, the themes of Past Time assess how life has since changed. The nostalgia is coloured by the difficulties of navigating adult-life and the responsibilities that accompany it. The three-part nature of the song is supposed to feel like a journey in which, by the second part, the lyrics show a more mature, adult approach to romance. However, the final section presents an internal conflict, as it paints a messy emotional frenzy, led by the lyrics ‘Let’s go there’, which refer to a desire to return to a ‘Past Time’ of emotional intensity and youthful excitement.

Hollis Lomax is Will Rowland (Keyboard/Vocals) Hugo Keays (Guitar) Will Ellis (Bass Guitar) and Rob Taylor (Drums). The band released their first single in 2019 picking up support from the likes of BBC Introducing Oxford and New York’s Come Here Floyd. Having played headline shows at The Cellar, Oxford and The Islington, London, Hollis Lomax will re-emerge from the lockdown with a support slot, alongside Pynch, at The Waiting Room, Stoke Newington in August. 

Past Time is due for release on 28th May 2021.