Mornington Peninsula musician Holly Hebe has just dropped her first track of the year, nothing hurts I promise, and it’s an emotional haymaker. If you’ve ever regretted not saying something to someone, then this song might help you process those words that lingered in the air long after you should have said something. Holly’s vocals will work their way into the fibres of the clothes you’re wearing when you listen to this, and they’ll cling on for dear life. This isn’t a song you’ll be able to shake from your consciousness easily.

I think that the beauty in this song lies in the small touches. The whispered, distorted vocal layer that mimics the feeling of half-spoken conversations at the bar is an audio representation of what Holly sings about, and the tropical tinge to the production, at least in the introduction, sits at odds with what the song is about - the pain of not telling someone how you really feel. This song is reflective, but it’s not morose. Instead, Holly seems to have accepted that sometimes, it’s not the right time for people to be together.

Speaking about the song, Holly says, “This song is super personal & makes me feel extremely bittersweet— I love how I can process thoughts and feelings through my music & this song has definitely helped me to do that.” This song is a reminder that we ask artists to be emotionally open and vulnerable, but I think instead of giving over her narrative to the listener, she invites people into her world. This song is an exercise in world-building, and she’s reclaiming the pain of the unsaid. This is her way of processing that hurt.

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Check out nothing hurts I promise below. I am a big fan of Holly Hebe’s songwriting, and I’m looking forward to what’s next. There’s a maturity to her songwriting that can’t be faked, and she’s already found her niche as a songwriter, which I think is really impressive. All that needs to happen now is for more people to wake up to her talent, which I don’t think will take too much longer.