Holly Hebe is the local pop star you need to know

Holly Hebe wanted her new project Mood Ring to stretch far beyond the music. “I really like consuming EPs and albums that aren’t just isolated to one medium,” she says over Zoom. “When I was putting together the concepts for this EP, I wanted it to be this whole world. ”

When she heads out on a national tour this month, the Melbourne pop artist will even bring her own range of mood rings in tow. “I’ve got these little booklets I’ve made because I think the most nostalgic thing about a mood ring is that little paper slip you get that has all the colours and emotions,” she says.

“I’ve made my own Hebe-ified version of that with all the songs that’ll come with the mood rings that people buy, which I’m really excited about because I think it gives the songs a little bit more context.” For those playing at home, her track Nineteen is the colour green while Babypickyourphoneup is purple.

Built out further through music videos and social media moments – she also released a tattoo flash sheet for the EP – Mood Ring’s world is vast and inviting. Across its seven songs, Hebe explores feelings of euphoria and heartbreak that appear during young adulthood, with her poignant songwriting and tender vocals at the fore.

Swimsuit is shimmering and propulsive, while the comparatively unpolished Maybe I’m Growing leans on raw acoustic guitar and Hebe’s crystalline vocals. Her strongest musical offering to date, Mood Ring is set to act as a salve for many a broken heart – including her own.

“My deepest, darkest feelings are in some of these songs, and there’s no way I would vocalise those if I was to properly say them verbatim,” Hebe admits.

Now regarded as one of Australia’s strongest pop artists, Hebe has come a long way since growing up on the Mornington Peninsula where she took piano lessons throughout her school years. After a string of pandemic-era singles, her 2022 EP Party Mix gave a glimpse of her songwriting potential and her 2024 EP Ruby (named after her pet dog) reached straight for the heartstrings. Ruby’s highlight Bottle Blonde, a gentle ode to the identity crises present within young adulthood, held its potency in its restraint.

Hebe’s relationship with the piano has ebbed and flowed in the years since, but – following a recent stint in the US (including showcasing at SXSW Austin) – she’s spending more time focusing on her production and her first instrument. “I’ve been getting back into it and trying to find new and weird ways to produce that sound,” she says. “I’ve been buying a lot of new plug-ins and diving really nerdily into the production space. I’m excited to start pairing that with the songwriting I’ve been doing and seeing where I can stretch that. I think it’s a really exciting time of experimentation.”

If you search for Hebe on Instagram, not only will you find her own account but a range of fan accounts, too. It may be a common occurrence for overseas pop artists but the fandom she’s created around herself stands out in Australia, and it’s something she’s particularly proud of fostering. “It feels healing for me in a way,” she says of her fan interactions, especially with younger girls. “I just feel so grateful for their support. They fully drive the industry here.”

Certain aspects of the local music scene are less wholesome. As someone who requires a cane in her own life, Hebe is bemused by a trend that’s become a common sight at Australian music festivals: attendees using walking canes as a fashion accessory. She notes that it’s made it more difficult for people like herself to use them confidently.

“When I played Beyond the Valley festival a couple of years ago, I was noticing canes and it was just as I was starting to use my cane a little bit more. It was weird to witness because I was seeing a lot of people using canes for reasons that I wouldn’t be using mine for,” she says.

“It made me feel like I had to try and hide the fact that I needed to use a cane. It set back my confidence a little bit in wanting to accept help in that way. But I’m lucky that I have great team members around me and amazing friends who have really encouraged me to just do what’s best for me, and it has been so life-changing using my cane when I really need it.”

When you live the fast life of a burgeoning pop star, sometimes having a comparatively slower-moving interest to ground you keeps things in perspective. I’ve been given the tip that Hebe’s an avid fan of cricket, which she confirms. “There’s something sacred about sitting in front of the TV for five days and watching a chess match,” she says. And if you were wondering what she bowls? Leg spin, she says. Some people really have good taste in all areas of life.

Holly Hebe’s Mood Ring is out now. Her national tour includes shows at Sydney’s Metro Social on July 24 and Melbourne’s Espy Gershwin on August 8.

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