It has been a BIG few years for Jack River, releasing a single with friends Peking Due ‘Sugar’ in 2019 and also her debut album, Sugar Mountain in 2018 peaking at No. 11 on the ARIA Albums Chart. She received multiple ARIA nominations in 2018 including Breakthrough Artist, Best Pop Release and Engineer of the Year. She’s also graced the stages of some of Australia’s biggest festivals – Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival and The Great Escape. She’s managed to jam pack a HUGE amount into two years and there seems to be no stopping her!

Originally from Forster, a small town on Australia’s east coast, Jack River aka Holly Rankin has been on a wild ride. Following a family tragedy where she lost her sister in her early teens, Holly’s world was turned upside down, and songwriting becoming her salvation. She continued to develop her skills over the years and today she is a successful singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer in an incredibly competitive industry. 

Holly describes herself as equally interested in the creation and production of music, as well as the business side of things. What really impresses us about her is the way she’s willing to question the norm and shake things up – trailblazing for musicians that come after her.

Testament to this is her creation of the Grow Your Own Festival in her hometown of Forster and also Electric Lady movement, a platform amplifying the strength of women in music, politics, science and sport.

Now, Holly joined us in the Byron Bay studio on the eve of the release of her next EP Stranger Heart, which explores the heart in the digital age. With a focus on authentic expression and conversation, it yet again illustrates her voice as a powerful conscious environmentalist, musician and activist.