Singer-songwriter Hollie Smith will perform her final instalment of The Bones Tour on Friday at Tōtara Street in Mount Maunganui. Photo / David Hall
In 2023, singer Hollie Smith set off on a planned two-week touring stint to get her voice back in shape post-Covid.
It turned into an extended nationwide tour – The Bones Tour. After two years, she will perform the intimate set live for the final time on Friday at Tōtara Street, Mount Maunganui.
The award-winning New Zealand musician, known for her soulful voice and lyrics, said the tour is more than a show.
“It’s a conversation,” she said – between her, the audience, and the unreleased music she performs.
Smith takes listeners behind the curtain, diving into the stories about where she wrote them and what they’re about.
It’s Smith and her piano, stripping her music to its bare bones.
“It’s really personal and I get to connect with everyone on a more intimate basis.”
But now, she said, it’s time to get back into the studio – “to let go of the bones and actually start making a body”.
Smith asks her audience for feedback during her shows, inviting them to participate in the creation process.
“A lot of the songs won’t make it to the final record. This might be the last time these songs are ever played, especially with the Tōtara Street show.”
That’s what the tour focused on: seeing what resonates with people.
Smith said there were four or five songs that never miss.
“Every single time, they had really positive feedback and emotive responses. Regardless of what I do with those songs, I know they’re good.”
They are the ones in green on the set list written on her wall, including Day Too Late, Perfect Storm and Point of View.
Further down the line, Smith might create a live album.
“I’d prefer to be doing that over recording.”
She said live shows had been difficult since Covid. The pandemic changed the entertainment industry and creative sector.
“Nothing has really come back,” said Smith.
“I’ve only had a handful of gigs this year, whereas I used to have dozens and dozens of shows a year. There’s just no events, no award ceremonies, no Christmas parties, no corporate events.
“That’s another reason why The Bones Tour kept extending: because it was little venues, just me in the car by myself driving from north of Whangārei to Bluff.”
Lately, Smith has taken on a mentorship role.
She has been teaching classes at Wintec in Hamilton, alongside mentoring Mount Maunganui College students and young musicians, two of whom are Rotorua’s Nikau Grace and Tauranga’s Sophie-Maude, her supporting acts for the Totara Street gig.
“It’s nice being able to give them a platform, a bit of stage time, and to hopefully introduce them to some new people.
“It’s actually kind of daunting having them on before me. I’m nervous.”
Smith said social media poses a significant challenge for up-and-coming musicians, distorting their expectations.
“The reality is the hard work you’re doing and what you’re seeing on social media isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
Smith said Kiwi singer Benee spoke out about how she struggled to introduce listeners to the music she had released since going viral on TikTok with her 2019 breakthrough hit Supalonely.
“I’m still only known for Bathe In The River,” said Smith. “That was 20 years ago this year. I don’t have radio singles or a mainstream, radio-friendly style.”
The advent of streaming services created further challenges.
“I don’t make any money from streaming,” Smith said. “No royalties.”
Smith doesn’t have great streaming numbers, but she wants to make a strategy to address that for her next record.
Currently, she’s experiencing moral complications with Spotify and other streaming services.
“They have such a monopoly over everything, but to remove yourself is like digging your own grave.
“How do we morally survive in this industry? There are a lot of question marks over different things at the moment.”
This summer, Smith will perform at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth on December 29, alongside L.A.B., Rudimental and Supergroove. Then she has a few gigs down south.
But she’s focused on finishing her new record.
Parting ways with her previous label, Warner Music Group, in January delayed Smith’s album timeline.
She’ll be producing this record independently and hoped the project would carry her through the next couple of years.
“Regardless of whether I like it or not, [parting ways] was probably the best thing that could have happened. Record labels aren’t the be-all and end-all anymore.”
She will need some help with distribution and was considering finding a co-producer or project manager.
“It’s always been a difficult industry, and it’s not getting any easier. The music industry changes on a daily basis. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.