Tiny Ruins and Hollie Fullbrook’s layered, dynamic sound arrive in Asheville tonight

Share
Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1
Tiny Ruins/photo by Ben Anderson

Tiny Ruins/photo by Ben Anderson

By Claire Clayton

I recently spoke with the one and only person I know from New Zealand, Hollie Fullbrook, singer-songwriter for Tiny Ruins. Fullbrook’s second album, Brightly Painted One, features smartly crafted songs and Fullbrook’s vulnerable presentation. She took some time out of her remarkably busy tour of New Zealand, Australia, Canada, U.S. and Europe to chat with me over the phone. Included on that tour list is Asheville, where Tiny Ruins will open for Sharon Van Etten at the Grey Eagle.

Hollie takes a break from sound check and steps outside of The Earl in Atlanta to speak with me.

CC: Will this be your first trip to Asheville?

HF: Yes, it will be.

CC: Well we are happy to have you. Asheville is bursting with musicians and artists, what advice would you give to those readers about how to make a career in music?

HF: Just to keep practicing and working on your material, I think is the key, you know? Try to be true to yourself and the art that you want to make. Try to keep a close eye on the quality of work that you’re doing and to do as much as you can to try and get the quality stuff. I write a lot of rubbish that doesn’t turn into any songs; it takes a lot of bad stuff to find the good. I don’t think anybody writes wonderfully all the time.

CC: You’ve been quite the world traveler on this tour, from the U.S. to Australia to Ireland… where has your most memorable destination been?

HF: On this particular tour, I think the U.S. The first months that we were here in August we spent some time on the West Coast driving up into Canada, the landscape there was incredible. We had a walk through the big sequoia trees that was absolutely amazing.

CC: That sounds incredible. You’ve opened for a lot of my favorite artists like Fleet Foxes and Horse Feathers. Which artists that you’ve played with do you admire?

HF: I would have to say straight off the bat that Sharon Van Etten, who we are touring with currently, is incredible. Her songwriting is raw and honest, her melodies are really catchy. I really like the musical place that she comes from. When you look back at her earlier records as well you can see a real world of her musical mind, if that makes sense.

CC: Totally. Sharon has gotten me through some tough times. Is it difficult to “play it cool” when you’re performing alongside or opening for someone you look up to?

HF: I think the very first time you meet somebody who you look up to and whose art you follow, that first meeting you can be really star-struck. You’ve been imagining that moment of meeting them and you’re not really sure of how it’s going to go. But pretty soon they just become a human being and just like everybody else. You become comfortable in their presence. It soon becomes just like hanging out with your friends. And you learn from them as well. It’s not like I’m higher than you, don’t talk to me. It’s often like, let me get to know you and encourage you and teach you things.

CC: What has it been like touring with Sharon Van Etten so far?

HF: It’s been great! I have no complaints. She’s the loveliest person and so is all of her band. It’s been super inspiring watching them play every night. It’s such a treat for us. We’ve been listening to her new album for months in the tour van in anticipation of this tour, so to see those songs every night, I just feel so lucky. Really wonderful people. One of the best touring experiences we’ve ever had.

CC: You began as a solo artist. What made you decide to expand your music?

HF: It was kind of a natural progression over the years when I started out on my own. I got to know other musicians and I think most musicians enjoy playing with other musicians, especially on stage. All in the aid of the music being more interesting to the audience and being a bit more layered and dynamic as opposed to just a singular voice and guitar, which can often get lost. Just having your friends with you in itself is awesome.

CC: How did your sound shift once Cass and Alexander joined on Brightly Painted One?

HF: I think it did shift. Those songs were calling out for more of a rhythmic section, especially like, “She’ll Be Coming Around.” On my first album, the songs weren’t written with the intention of recording. They are just stories, characters and vignettes. So by the time of my second album I knew that I would be playing those types of songs and they were asking to have more arrangements. They’re still simple, minimalistic arrangements but when I perform them solo I can hear the spaces where Cass and Alex should come in and I really miss those parts. I think that shows me that what they do is really valuable.

CC: It’s not everyday I meet someone from New Zealand, how does where you come from affect your music and lyrics, or does it?

HF: Yeah I think it does. I think everything that you experience in your life affects your writing and your thoughts and the way that you interact in the world. The song, “Me at The Museum, You in the Winter Gardens” is about an actual place in Auckland. A lot of people write songs with place names or set in locations that mean home or something significant. I think places in songs are important in song writing. The place where I grew up is very strong in my song writing but I don’t necessarily write better songs or work harder when I’m in New Zealand. Once you’re grown up you take your life and the places that you’ve been and use that material.

CC: What can we expect from the show at the Grey Eagle on Tuesday night?

HF: We will definitely play music from our new album and we might play a cover, I often write the set list 10 minutes before stage because I like to gauge the venue, audience and the town to create a set list that suits that place.

Tiny Ruins have an intimate, gentle, folk-inspired sound that should be a nice complimentary preview to Sharon Van Etten’s performance. Catch Tiny Ruins and Sharon Van Etten at the Grey Eagle, Oct. 21 doors open at 7 p.m. Buy your tickets in advance for $14 or at the door for $16. Hope to see you there!

Tags::
Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

You Might also Like

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Stories