South Island folk songwriter Holly Arrowsmith was presented as the winner of the APRA Best Country Music Song Award for her song ‘Desert Dove’.

 

‘Desert Dove’ is Arrowsmith’s second Best Country Song Award winning song, following her win in 2019 for ‘Slow Train Creek’. The song showcases her trademark sweet and true voice, with the classic, catchy alt-country ballad inspired by her grandfather

 

“In Tucson, Arizona my grandfather fed the birds every morning" Holly explains. "There was a dove that would wake me while I was visiting, mournful and resolute in its song. When he died, I heard that same dove in New Zealand and it filled me with a sense of him. It is a song about distance, loss and grief, and finding courage in the face of these things.”

 

A leader within the contemporary folk and alt-country movement in Aotearoa, Arrowsmith’s sound pays homage to tradition without being too reverential. From driven, glittering ‘90s guitars with rich layered vocals reminiscent of Mazzy Star, to her falsetto lilt and stripped back emotive performances, she shapeshifts from powerful to intimate with ease, and ‘Desert Dove’ captures this talent perfectly.