Holliday Howe: The Artists That Inspired the ‘My Friends Live In My Pocket’ Mixtape

November 25, 2022

Eora/Sydney-based hyperpop performer Holliday Howe has released their debut mixtape, My Friends Live in My Pocket. The songs on My Friends Live in My Pocket were informed by Howe’s move from London to Sydney and the friendships they’ve made and sustained online. Howe worked on the mixtape with producers OLD PUP, veggie and guest artists Kogarashi and diana starshine.

Here, Howe gives a nod to the artists who’ve influenced their work over the last half a dozen years. We’ve put together a playlist comprising songs that helped guide Howe in the creation of My Friends Live in My Pocket.

Holliday Howe’s My Friends Live in My Pocket Inspirations

Holliday Howe: I have some pretty deep roots with the whole PC Music and hyperpop scene. I started making my own version of PC Music and calling it hyperpop in 2015 under the alias Bubbles, so a lot of my production on my mixtape is inspired by that scene.

I remember hearing PC Music releases for the first time in 2014 and it felt like I was listening to the future and the past simultaneously. With the lyrics of the mixtape being about lost and current friendships, it felt important to try to capture the nostalgic versus futuristic combo that early hyperpop had.

Because I was writing about the past, I took a lot of inspiration from the songs that reminded me of my childhood. I remember listening to ‘Flowers (Sunship Edit)’ by Sweet Female Attitude and ‘Baby Cakes’ by 3 of a Kind on a compilation album in 2003. Those tracks are so hooky and I can’t stop myself delving into why a song is an earworm and trying to make my own. Same with ‘All The Things She Said’ by t.A.T.u – Trevor Horn can write a hit.

OLD PUP and I have a few tracks together on this mixtape and I feel like we’re both just big hyperpop nerds. I know a lot of their inspiration comes from 100 gecs and they really admire Dylan Brady’s production. For me, the biggest inspirations are SOPHIE and EASYFUN.