Montreal Alt-Pop Sensation dee holt Embraces Her Independence On New Single “Leaving Alone”
April 26, 2024 BY Emma Orland
Last month breakout Montreal alt-pop artist dee holt made her return with her hypnotic single “make a move,” and today, she follows it up with a moody pop banger “leaving alone.” dee circles around the feeling when you realize the person you’re with is not the one. She embraces her independence in the chorus with the line, ‘We showed up at this party, but I think we both know when it’s time to go home, I’ll be leaving alone.’ This song ushers in a new era for dee as her sound blossoms into full-blown pop maturity.
She expands by saying, “It’s about falling out of love with someone, without knowing why. It’s about letting go without having a concrete reason. It’s about the guilt that comes with the confusing feeling that one day you wake up, and you just don’t have that same love for your partner anymore.”
After announcing an appearance at the Sommo Festival, today, dee’s excited to add to her live appearances with more summer dates at the Sound of Music Festival in Burlington, Ontario and FEQ in Montreal! Find the full list of dates below and for more information visit https://www.deeholtofficial.com/
WATCH & SHARE “LEAVING ALONE” LYRIC VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/lJU3L2F7aSY
DEE HOLT 2024 TOUR DATES:
June 15th – Sound of Music Festival – Burlington, ON
July 14th – FEQ – Quebec City, QC
September 13 – 14th – Sommo Festival – Cavendish, PEI
ABOUT DEE HOLT:
From singing along to her dad’s guitar in VHS home videos and performing at family gatherings, to studying music and art in high school, dee holt’s life has been saturated with creativity from the very beginning. But despite all the external affirmation of her musical talent, she never thought about making a career out of it. As dee says, “Of course your mom’s going to tell you you can sing, right?”
It’s fitting then, that the performance that started her career wasn’t an audition or in front of a label, but an intimate gathering for her and her boyfriend’s parents to meet. When, on cue, dee’s mother suggested that she sing, dee turned to face the wall so that she could play the guitar without laughing. After she had finished, she turned around to see tears in her boyfriend’s eyes, the eyes of both his parents, and his little brother, too.
It was impossible to ignore any longer. dee doesn’t just have a good voice; she has a gift.
After forming a creative bond with Montreal producer Benjamin Nadeau, dee released her first two singles, “Hardest Part” and “Olivia,” which landed her on Spotify’s LOREM playlist, among countless others, and the momentum didn’t stop. In 2022, after signing with Nettwerk Music Group, she released her debut EP, When I Close My Eyes, garnering millions of streams, numerous playlist covers, rave reviews, and even a Spotify billboard in downtown Toronto. TeenVogue called her “one to watch,” and SHEESH Media compared her vocals to the great Billie Eilish. dee capped off the year with a momentous debut performance at M for Montreal, winning the praise of Canadian press like La Presse, La Journal de Montreal, Cult MTL, RANGE, and more.
On her 2023 offering, the six-song i’ll be there, she translated even more of her singular and magnetic sensibility, taking a nuanced approach to pop songwriting. Lead single “sober” was lauded by Billboard who noted her confident vocal style, while “better” was featured on SoundCloud’s SHEESH Selects playlist.
Even with her burgeoning success, dee continues to design all her own artwork and direct her own music videos. “With my cover art and visuals, I like to say that it’s fully me. It’s more authentic. It pushes me to learn new things and push myself.”
DEE HOLT IN THE PRESS…
“The confidence dee holt exudes… is only amplified by her crisp vocals, as she makes it sound oh-so-easy to dismiss a partner… she’s not messing around.”
– Billboard
“…a bright new offering in alt-pop… soft, charming, and wistful… making Dee Holt one to watch.”
– TeenVogue
“…holt is preparing to cement herself as a key figure in the ongoing renaissance of relationship-focused teen singer-songwriters with her upcoming 2023 release…“
– RANGE
“It’s hard not to hear a resemblance in tonal similarities with the great Billie Eilish – which is the highest of compliments – yet dee has her own demeanor, soaked in banter and youthful bliss… dee holt is simply Canada’s next artist to keep close tabs on in 2022.”
– SHEESH Media
“dee has crafted an infectious plucky guitar-driven, bedroom-pop track centred about openly admitting to her new lover that she is going to ‘fuck’ up this relationship, so if anything you might as well enjoy the ride. dee lures you in with her delicate and vulnerable vocal tone at times reminiscent of Billie Eilish’s typical whisper-vocal delivery.”
– A1234
“…keep tabs on this remarkable upcoming artist – she will be a superstar…”
– Early Rising
“I think we’re fan-girling… big, big, big, fan… along that alt-pop vibe, great lyrics…”
— Bops n Bangers: A GRRRL Music Podcast
“Heralding from Montreal is the ascent of dee holt who contributes to the modern day new chamber pop pastoral canon… Daphné Holt’s collaborations with Benji Nadeau distill the character of pop novellas into concise and catchy compositions.”
– Week In Pop
