Hit The North: Have you no Holmes to go to?

He may not have a quiff, specs, or a fondness for Henderson’s Relish, but there’s more than a shared set of initials that suggests Robert Holmes enjoys a kinship with Richard Hawley.

Perhaps it’s the unabashed classicism of his acoustic folk (although, Holmes has, as yet, shown no signs of embracing slap-back rockabilly), or the way his hometown provides the amorphous backdrop to many of his songs. Most likely, though, it’s the deep, resonant singing voice, and the years of hard-won experience it suggests.
He has some way to go before he can match the Sheffield man’s musical accomplishment, but, like Hawley, the bricklaying father of two has no trouble convincing with the seriousness of his intent.
“Part of me is thinking that this could be my only shot at making music,” admits the North Belfast man over a coffee. “I don’t mind that. People have advised me to come up with a career path, but I’ve no real expectations to be honest and if nothing comes of it, it’ll not be the end of the world. But the way I look at it is – now I’ve decided to have a go, there’s no point in fannying about. I’m just going to do it and see what happens.”
A self-acknowledged late-starter, it is only over the course of the last eighteen months that Holmes has begun writing his own songs. But from the off, his dark narratives and brooding observations bore all the hallmarks of someone with an original, intriguing voice.
Encouraged by friends, he decided to get serious; which meant not only mastering the songwriting craft, but broadening his knowledge of DIY production skills.
“I splashed out on a laptop which was a big deal because the only computer I’d ever had before that was a ZX Spectrum. But I got my head down, learned how to use it and it turned out to be a really liberating thing. “
As has his subsequent decision to rap on a few doors for help. Holmes’s forthcoming EP has the distinction of being amongst the first products recorded in the in-house studio at the Oh Yeah Building. Produced by Barrett Lahey and Oppenheimer’s Rocky O’Reilly, while the songwriting in places is in need of some polish, overall the record gives a great indication of just how rich his voice is with potential. Of more significance, on a song like ‘Hazard Hill’ he also does something that no other musician in Belfast really attempts these days: he writes about the city.
In fact, not only does he write about Belfast, he writes an even more overlooked place: working class Belfast.
“I know,” he says. “It’s a bit of a taboo. People don’t want to go near it, or hear about it. But it’s what I know.”
The towns, cities and farmlands of Ulster have been well, and evenly, represented in Hit The North over the years, but good luck searching through our archives for the sons and daughters of Rathcoole or Twinbrook, Kilcooley or Turf Lodge. The music scene in Northern Ireland is a two-car household. Born and raised in Ballysillan, Holmes has a suggestion for why that may be.
“It’s about confidence. I know loads of people who were really into music, had great record collections, and could talk about it all day – but they’d never think of writing a song themselves. It goes very deep. I remember when I was at school and the careers advisor came in. He asked me what I wanted to do, and I said I wouldn’t mind being a graphic designer. He went all fucking uncomfortable and then told me I’d be better off looking for work in the shipyard. It has an impact, that way of thinking. It does.”
Thankfully, though, Holmes looks to be shaking it off. Now that the EP is complete, he’s found that songs are coming much easier to him than before.
“It’s like playing with a Ouija board: you search for a contact and bang – it’s come.”
In fact, there only appears to be one thing that will hold him back.
“I’m terrible at coming up with names,” he laughs. “It takes me much longer than writing the songs themselves. But then I was exactly the same when it came to naming my kids. Katie was Baby Holmes for 2 weeks, Eve a week and a half. I think I need to take my time getting to know what they’re about. There’s no point rushing these things.”