What starts off you interest in music?
As far back as I can remember, ever since I was speaking, I have been singing. And when I was around 13 years old, which is second year in high school, my mum and dad asked me what I would like for Christmas and I asked for a recording session in a studio. It was the first time I had ever thought of going into a studio, and it might seem like a strange thing to ask for a Christmas present, but we did it. I went into the studio and recorded three songs. I’ll never forget it.
When we got the CD back I said to my mum and dad that I would love to sell the CD to raise money for charity. At that time we had lost two family members to cancer, and we had been in and out of the hospice all the time because of my granny and my uncle. I decided to sell the CD for the Children’s Hospice and the songs were played on the radio and people were contacting us to help.
Me and my dad were on the radio saying that we were burning the CD’s one by one but companies started contacting us to offer to burn the CD’s by the hundreds, and it ended up blowing up. We ended up selling 3000 CD’s at £3 each and we gave the money to the Children’s Hospice, which is ironic because I went on to work in the Children’s Hospice as a nurse after I qualified for nursing.
What kind of music did you listen to when you were younger?
I always liked older music, so I listened to The Eagles. I’m a big Eagles fan. I would listen to Whitney Houston, I love Whitney Houston, and for more modern singers, Adele, Leona Lewis, that kind of vibe.
Was there music in your family?
There was always music in my family when I was growing up. My granny was a really good musician. She had an opportunity to go on tour with a very famous Northern Irish singer, Ruby Murray. At the time her family thought she was too young to do that.
She always said to me that you have to pursue your talent, you have to do something with it. I think she was hoping I could get into music as a job and I’ve been singing at weddings since I was 14.
How did you develop your talent?
I had to do it pretty much all by myself. My dad has been my biggest supporter and he has been a big influence on my music career. He has been with me since I started off and he still sort of manages me now, he manages bookings for me. You just have to graft and work hard.
When I was at school it just wasn’t a big thing, being a singer, and so there was no-one to help you. But because I had been on the radio at such a young age, people would contact me through my social media. The radio gave me publicity and helped me get offered gigs.
What kind of music do you perform?
I sing all sorts of music, from pop through to country music. I just love singing, so I would sing all sorts of songs.
You also became a nurse?
My mum and dad always said to me, “get your education”, so that I would make sure I have something to fall back on if music doesn’t go the way I wanted it to go. Now, in my last year of school I went to Malawi in Africa and I was there for a month. I was working in schools and hospitals. It was over there that I thought I needed to do my nursing degree.
When you are very young you might think that if everything works out you will become a pop star but it just doesn’t work like that. You grow up and reality hits, you have to work at it, and even then there aren’t a lot of opportunities. I went to Queens and I studied to be a children’s nurse and I went on to work at the Children’s Hospice for three years.
Were you singing all through this period?
Yes I was, although when Covid hit nursing was a saving grace, because there were no gigs, no bars were open, weddings were cancelled, so I was lucky in that I had a job all the way through the pandemic
With regards your singing have you ever had any lessons?
No, I have never had any lessons, and I do think it came naturally to me, but I do work hard at it, and I practice every day. I have my piano set up, work through my keys.
I play basic piano and guitar, I had a few piano lessons, and my sister plays guitar and I sort of picked it up from her. So I work hard on my singing continually.
If you want to find out more about Holly Nadine’s music see the following links
open.spotify.com/artist/5tWUxZJ0PyI3gyrArcKwQc
