Meet Ali Holder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ali Holder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ali, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking a Risk for Love: Married After Six Months Taking a risk for love has always been the way I operate. When I was younger that equated to traveling long distances to see someone. It involved playing a song I wrote about someone right to their face and of course, knowing no strangers at the end of the night. 70% of these risks led to embarrassment and heart break. Half of them unrequited. The other 30% has been worth it all. I was fresh out of a very toxic four year relationship when I decided to start interviewing folks about love. I interviewed about forty-five people total. During the year I conducted those interviews I turned thirty and had a series of failed relationships. I also went on a month long solo tour. By the time I got back from tour I had decided I was done dating for a while. Now, let’s rewind. A few months prior to tour I had made a new friend thanks to one of the multiple failed relationships. This friend told me about a friend of hers she thought I would be perfect with. I saw his picture and thought he was a bit out of my league. I also shrugged it off not have the capacity to date two people at once. However, during the beginning of my tour (before I gave up on love entirely) I told her I might be interested. I got home from tour at 10am on a Thursday. I slept all day and then played a show at Radio Coffee & Beer here in Austin that night. My friend showed up with said person of interest by her side. We exchanged numbers and went on a date a week later. Two months in Trump was elected, my new boyfriend’s visa was running out and the future of immigration looked dim. “I would marry you,” I said. Four months later we were married at Precinct 1. It was a rough transition the first few years as we got to know one other. However, it’s been the most rewarding risk yet. My advice to anyone who cares is to always be willing to risk your heart. It usually doesn’t pay off but when it does, it’s pays BIG.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been writing, singing and playing songs since I was fourteen years old. I came to Austin a decade ago and have been a working musician ever since. COVID has changed things for me now musically. At the very beginning of the pandemic I received a Black Fret nomination and release a record. I might have lost my identity completely as a musician had it not been for those two things. The album I released is about my Uncomfortable Truths. My hope is that people will feel less alone in their own uncomfortable truths by listening to it. Since I didn’t get to have a release show or tour the album I have decided to release four different videos on the one year anniversary of the release. These four videos are for four different songs from the album called Speak 1, 2, 3 and 4. The vignettes are woven through the album speaking to different types of privilege and how we can use our own in this world. Stayed tuned for this release in April 2021.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To drink and two step: Sagebrush & Sam’s Town Point To eat: Garajmahal, Bufalina & Belladonna Subs

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate this story to Acey Monaro and Thomas Blain.

Website: https://aliholder.com/
Instagram: @aliholder
Twitter: @aliholders
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliholdermusic

Image Credits
Eryn Brooke