Somewhere Between The Phantom Of The Opera and Cat Stevens


For Ian, Eric and Brittany Holljes—the trio of siblings who are half of Delta Rae—their itinerant youth entailed frequent moves around the country. As they bounced from town to town, music and family were two constants. “My parents had an amazing record collection and that marinated in us as kids,” remembers Brittany. The Holljes’ parents weren’t musical, but they were creative and they encouraged their kids to explore the arts. When the boys graduated from college and gave thought to pursuing music, they called Brittany and longtime friend Elizabeth Hopkins. “We talked about how it was going to be a very serious pursuit, that it was going to be an all or nothing thing,” Brittany recalls. “Ian bought a house in the North Carolina woods and we all moved in. Our life was rehearsing and part-time jobs, with the expectation that we’d eventually quit and be on the road full-time.” The band tours for at least two years between records, which provides both creative inspiration and musical discretion. “A song is made or broken by whether or not it can be played by one person on a guitar,” she adds. “Playing in radio stations and record stores forces you to do that.” In the recording studio, however, the band doesn’t shy away from a bigger sound—one that references their childhood, which was full of performing arts. “We’re inspired so much by visual arts and cinema, these epic tales and dramas like The Phantom Of The Opera, that once we’re in the studio, we indulge in creating an atmosphere. We’re whispering in your ear but also taking you away on an adventure.” Though many things have changed since their youthful travels, some things remain the same: They’re still on the road as a family and they still come home to the music they love. “When I’m home and it’s a Saturday and I have to clean my house or I’m getting ready for a gathering, I still listen to my parents’ music. It reminds me of when I was a kid. No matter what state we were living in at the moment, when my parents would put on Cat Stevens, I’d know that I was in a loving place.”