Holly Brand: The Singing Mississippi Queen

from Fall 2023 Quarterly

FYP: Fearless, Young Powerful.

HOLLY BRAND: THE SINGING MISSISSIPPI QUEEN

In case you missed the last issue of the Quarterly , singer Holly Brand, Psi–University of Alabama, now Mrs. Holly Brand Davis, was featured on the Spring 2023 issue’s cover. Holly made it to the Top 8 semifinals of season 23 of NBC’s "The Voice." We interviewed Holly while she was competing on The Voice, and as promised, here is her story.

This Mississippi girl was destined for a national stage at a young age. Singer Holly Brand competed on "The Voice" stage at the ripe age of 22, but she had been performing and competing since she was a little girl. Holly spent her teenage years gaining exposure as an artist at any and every festival, fair and talent competition that she could enter. However, her musical roots started in the church, (ironically, the same church that lead singer Haley Williams from Paramore used to attend in her younger years). Holly's father was a Minister of Music in the church, very talented vocally and instrumentally, which obviously made an impression on Holly from a young age (with the first place she ever publicly sang being at church).

There was no doubt of the country influences on Holly’s singing style from her three-chair-turn blind audition of “Mississippi Girl” by country artist Faith Hill (another Mississippi girl). Throughout the entire competition, Holly stayed true to her roots.

“I primarily sing country, and I lead worship at my church and do Christian and southern gospel as well. These are the two genres that I grew up on the most." Growing up, Holly loved and looked up to strong female singers in the country music industry, such as Carrie Underwood, LeAnn Rhymes, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride and Faith Hill. As she got older, she started experiencing with pop and a little bit of rock, and of course, found her love for Kelly Clarkson.

Holly remembers Kelly Clarkson turning her chair first during her audition, followed by Niall Horn and Chance the Rapper. The show features five levels of competition: Blind Auditions, Battle Rounds, Knockouts, Playoffs and Live Performance Shows. Contestants have only 90 seconds to wow the judges during the Blind Auditions. About five seconds after Holly started singing, Kelly turned her chair.

“Going into it, everybody just wants to make a team. In the back of my mind, I was really hoping that Kelly or Blake Shelton would turn because, of course, Blake is the country coach, and it's his last season. But Kelly is also from the south, and she does some work in country music too and has won the show with country artists. So, I’ve always said that if I did 'The Voice,' I would either be on Team Blake or Team Kelly.

While Holly ended up choosing Kelly as her coach, she got to thank Blake for the inspiration and role that he played in her life as a young singer. When Holly was 10 years old, she got to open for Blake in concert, and that was the moment she realized that she wanted to be an artist, the moment captured in a photo with Blake in her hometown of Meridian in 2010.

“Singing became something that I wanted to make a career. That’s when I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It changed the vibe of my performances, and it definitely changed the game for me. I was really grateful to be able to tell Blake that, even though he didn't turn his chair, to be able to walk down there and show him the picture and thank him for inspiring me. That's a really cool moment that I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

Since joining Team Kelly, Holly has been close with her teammates and coach. While the show touts pinning artists against each other, Holly describes the atmosphere as an encouraging environment rather than a competitive one. She’s gained good friends out of the positive experience, and grown her confidence through every performance and coaching session with Kelly.

“Kelly is absolutely amazing. I love her. What you see on TV is really how she is in person. I think one thing that I've learned from her that has been a game-changer for me is trusting myself and trusting my abilities and what I’m capable of."

Holly knew for years that she wanted to audition for "The Voice," but she prayed and waited for the right time. It’s hard to stand out amongst the competition at the national level. However, Holly learned to recognize that everyone brings something special to the table and that you can’t compare yourself or doubt your abilities.

“If you're going to do something like 'The Voice,' you have to be sure of yourself because when you get to that stage of the game, everybody's good. And it's really easy to try to compare yourself to somebody else. I’m glad that I auditioned when I did. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without a sense of security in myself.”

Her years of experience singing on stage and competing in pageants definitely helped prepare her talent, although nothing could have prepared her for the day that she received the call from the producers.

“I ended up recording a video of myself singing in my house and didn't think anything about it. I didn't think that anybody was going to see it. I got an email a couple of months later, submitted other videos of me singing, and then a week after I was crowned Miss Mississippi, I got a phone call that I was going to Los Angeles to film a blind audition. Honestly, I just couldn't believe it.”

Seeing herself on TV is something that is still a shock. While she grew accustomed to watching herself do pageants and interviews, singing is different. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the fame and limelight, yet Holly stays grounded through her faith.

“It's easy to get distracted and lose sight of who you are and what you believe in. For me, my faith is probably the main thing that keeps me grounded. The Bible talks about keeping our eyes on the Lord and seeking him first. I don't want to get distracted by that, and it's something that I pray about every day. That, and of course my family, keeps me grounded.”

One moment that nearly caused Holly to lose her cool, though, was meeting country music legend Reba McEntire. Reba appeared as the season's Mega Mentor for the Knockouts round.

“I literally cried when I saw that Reba was the Mega Mentor. My family is absolutely obsessed with her. She’s absolutely the queen of country music!” Holly gushed. Holly and the other contestants rehearsed for and received advice from Reba prior to the Knockout Premiere (episodes 11 and 12).

Holly surpassed much of the season’s competition, reaching the Semifinals milestone and securing a Top Eight performance which was aired on live TV. Among Holly’s vocal talents are some unique riffs, yodels and some other vocal tricks and runs that set her apart from your typical artist. She incorporated several higher register whistle notes throughout the season that you typically don't hear in country music. (Imagine a blend of Martina McBride’s voice and Mariah Carey's voice.) Even though she didn’t get the opportunity on the show, she also plays the piano and ukulele and used to play mandolin when she was younger.

Having the opportunity to work with the coaches and gain exposure on a national scale, Holly’s goal was always to pursue music after the show. While she would love to make a record deal one day, she is exploring moving to Nashville to pursue a career as a country and Christian artist. After the end of the season, Holly had more big news to announce. Since leaving the show, Holly revealed her secret engagement and wedding that took place in the late summer. Staying true to her roots and bedazzled knee-high cowgirl boots, Holly continues to sing and lead worship in venues across Georgia, Tennessee and, of course, Mississippi.

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