Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Edd.
Hi Renee Edd, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Holiday & Vine was born one night when Nathan and Renee were at strange and spooky Halloween Speakeasy. There was a jazz trio doing, of all things, 80s covers. Nathan and Renee, both members of prolific Houston female-led 80s tribute band The Lost Boys, were intrigued… “Both Nathan and I have these jazz backgrounds. Like his first love is the sax and I grew up singing standards. I wasn’t allowed to listen to radio as a kid so I would run around singing Judy Garland and Bing Crosby while the other kids were listening to Hall & Oats (who I love, but…)! So we were like we can do that! But we wanted to do pure standards and jazz with some cool acoustic pop thrown in! And so it began in the middle of goblins, ghosts, and great cocktails!”
Renee was performing jazz standards in the late 90s in Houston. “There were some cool lounges back in the day and it was really trendy then – remember Zoot Suit Riot? Anyway, I got cast in a production of Jekyll & Hyde at TUTS then that weirdly led to me doing the 80s tribute thing full time – which I’ve been doing since 2005. I’m really wanting to get back to simple and classic songs that don’t require so much production. Songs that stand the test of time and really sooth the soul…”
Nathan is a life-long musician and skilled guitar technician who began performing in church at the age of three. He has played in dozens of groups over the years, developing his versatility by covering musical styles from Baroque to Bang Your Head. You might see him playing bass, but you also may see him on guitar, saxophone, flute, harmonica, banjo, mandolin, or just singing his ass off. Yes, you’ve seen him before. Maybe at the rodeo, maybe playing with one of your favorite local Houston bands or solo artists. And soon with Holiday & Vine!
Combined they have played Reliant Stadium, Toshiba Center, House of Blues several times, The Rustic, and every other major and minor venue in and around the city of Houston – not to mention countless private parties, festivals, galas, weddings, and more. Holiday & Vine debuted on Art Gallerry row on Kirby before headlining at the famous, now dearly departed Ready Room.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It can definitely be a struggle. Houston is not always a user-friendly city, so to speak, for artists. There might be a lot more competition in places like LA or New York but in Houston, artists are still getting paid the same scale they were getting 40 even 50 years ago. There are a LOT of entertainment venues and we love our bars, restaurants and clubs so these venues don’t really need to incentivize their patrons, making gigs tough to land and keep.
However, once you do get a gig it’s amazing – the reaction and enthusiasm from Houstonians. Houstonians know good music and good artists and it’s just a dream to be able to get paid to perform in front of these audiences once you get that golden ticket, so to speak. So the struggle is definitely in finding those artist enclaves and fighting to be seen as a legitimate business person even if you are a musician.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
About Holiday & Vine
Over 40 years of professional musicianship combines in the acoustic duo of Renee Edd “Holiday” and Nathan Kyle. From Lena Horne to Elton John, soothing standards to familiar acoustic pop, the music selection is a fit for almost any special event and venue.
Renee is an award-winning vocalist with professional stage credits and bizarrely – or not so bizarrely – she sang before she even spoke. Her vocal range allows her the freedom to tackle songs not frequently performed by others. She attended the Houston High School For Performing Arts and London’s Royal Academy For Dramatic Arts. She is the love child of Olivia Newton-Johhn, Pat Benatar and Steve Perry with some Joe Elliot thrown in for good measure.
Meanwhile, Nathan is a multi-instrumentalist who began touring professionally out of high school. He is a professional music teacher and can even fix instruments as complex as the harp. Their love of music is rivaled only by their consummate professionalism and dedication to putting their clients first.
We are proud to take on the standards and deliver them in a way that remains true to the form. We try to eschew trends and modern sensibility to truly embody the original intent of the music. If I’m singing 30s music, I’m going to emulate that vocal style not try and fail to sound like Janis Joplin (no shade to the legend) singing Cheek To Cheek “.I think if you really want to create a bygone atmosphere, remaining true to form is important. It’s also challenging which is why I think so many other artists fall back on “their version” or try to make it sound new – when really the reason this music has stood the test of time is because it’s so incredible on its own without the flourishes.” said Edd.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I learned that not singing in public is torture. That was a terrible year for live musicians who just wanted nothing more than to be out and connecting with an audience. All this talk of AI and automation. There may come a time when AI is spinning the tunes but it will NEVER replace that audience/musician interaction, that energy, that incredible vibe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.holidayandvine.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holiday_and_vine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576749360103
- Other: https://www.gigsalad.com/holiday_vine_houston
Image Credits
Holiday & Vine
