In a city teeming with talent and transformation, Houston’s newest duo, Holiday and Vine, emerges not as rookies but as seasoned artists rediscovering their roots. With decades of experience under their belts—from Broadway stages and ‘80s rock tributes to operatic training and pop gigs—this new project is anything but a debut. Instead, it’s a homecoming of sorts, a return to timeless melodies and the elegant restraint of jazz and pop standards. Fueled by a shared desire for authenticity and a chance encounter at a surreal Halloween event, Holiday and Vine channel both nostalgia and mastery in a city that’s more than ready to listen. As they prepare for their June 14th debut at Houston’s chic new venue, DeFortune, we sat down with the duo to explore the inspiration, intention, and musical conviction behind their refined new venture.
Holiday and Vine is a fresh project, but you both have decades of experience in Houston’s music scene. What inspired you to shift focus to jazz and pop standards, and why now?
I think that has two answers that kind of dovetail nicely. One is that we are ripe for it, both having spent so much time in the cover scene doing super-produced big hits. There is so much incredible energy in that, and yet, there is something about the simplicity and pared-back nature of quieter beloved classic songs that really require a lot of skill and meticulous attention. Things that you get better at over time in many ways – so it is the natural extension of moving forward as musicians.
At the same time, I’ve been reading a lot about mass swaths of people wanting to rewatch beloved shows from, like the 90s, or listen to songs from basically before the digital age. There’s space there. Space in between. Less chaos. It’s like everyone is suddenly wanting to reset their collective nervous system and I think these types of songs do that. Take you to where you feel safe and sound… where you can let go and truly enjoy the moment. Soothing, I’d say.
Your origin story is delightfully unexpected—being inspired at a Halloween event with jazz covers of ’80s pop. Can you talk about what clicked for you in that moment and how it shaped the Holiday and Vine concept?
Yes, that was actually hilarious. We wound up at this particular event where they give you seven, yes, seven, free cocktails and you wander around this immersive twisted Halloween-scape. I can’t even describe the mayhem and yet in the middle of it all was a trio doing jazz renditions of 80s songs like Hit Me With Your Best Shot. To be honest, not my favorite thing to listen to and so we were both like, not only can we do that in a more honest way, but we’d rather tackle the actual Great American Songbook, so to speak. So it was really great how excited we both got about it! The seven cocktails helped as well. And I was also waxing 1998 really hard at the time, and that’s back when I first ventured into the jazz standard thing so it all kind of came full circle.
You’ve each worn many musical hats over the years—from Broadway and opera to ‘80s rock and beyond. How do those experiences shape the way you approach classic standards today?
For my part, the entire reason I am able to sing the variety of things that I do without the wear and tear is precisely because of my classical training. I won’t even touch a vocal teacher or coach who doesn’t approach vocals from the classical foundation. So, to me, these types of songs are your foundation. It’s where all these newish musical genres kind of stem from. Same with the pop standards that stand the test of time. They are foundational and so as a musician it’s weirdly going back to your foundation but also being equipped with the skill to perform them. Every performer worth their salt releases an album of standards, it seems. But I personally keep them pretty simple. No runs or like 5 notes to every consonant…. Just my preference – like the melody matters more than my voice.
Houston has long been your creative home. What makes the city such a fertile ground for launching a new project like this—and why is DeFortune the perfect place to kick it off on June 14?
Houston is just BOOMING right now! It’s so exciting. The energy and influx of new, creative opportunities are unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I’ve been here most of my life. I moved to New York and other places seeking this type of opportunity so I’m thrilled that I can finally branch out in my beloved – warm! – home. DeFortunate is gorgeous and one of the cool new venues that really is melding aesthetics together with authenticity. Kind of like us! So that makes it a great venue to kick this thing off. We’re so excited to share this with all our friends and fans as well as the DeFortune audience.
In a world of tribute acts and theatrical gimmicks, you’ve made it clear that Holiday and Vine is about authenticity. What does it mean to simply let the music—and your voices—speak for themselves?
It’s funny, I just had this discussion with a friend the other night. I just have always been this way. We started The Lost Boys 80s band 20 years ago this year. And we never once have donned wigs or codpieces (yes, I said codpieces) or copious amounts of neon. We also don’t use tracks or sequence anything and we aim to sound exactly, and I mean EXACTLY, like the original recording. So that’s what I’m wanting to bring over to Holiday and Vine.
Sure we give the upscale, speakeasy vibe with a bit of an aesthetic but I won’t be wearing a flapper wig and Nathan won’t be smoking a cigar – wait, actually he might. But the point is the audience will viscerally respond to what they’re hearing. If you are full-on in costume and leaping around but the heart of the music isn’t vibing, then you are actually not paying tribute to the great artists who originated or wrote the material. I just think less is more. To quote Tanya Harding, “Why can’t it just be about the skating?” Maybe that’s not the best quote.