Ali Holder

ATTN: Waterloo Records! July 17th at 6:30pm. A full-band, live performance of the new EP. FREE!

I’ve been doing this “art generating art” cycle around my new EP, out in September. The first event paired the new songs with wine and art history. The last will be a visual artist creating a Tarot deck based on them.

The Waterloo show was supposed to be the AI one: an AI artist generating art in real time to my music. Interactive, with a panel discussion on the pros and (mostly) cons of AI. But I cancelled it. I just can’t stomach it.

You know me. I love being vulnerable and transparent, so here’s the honest version. I use AI for work almost every day: editing, ideation, organization, etc. In my mind, the AI-art event was meant to be an exploration of what AI’s place is becoming in the creative world, and it was only ever going to use images approved by the artists.

But the idea of using AI to make music, visual art, creative things that come from the spirit of a human being… that’s the part I can’t stomach. It just seems to represent the big bad of everything that is wrong with the world (capitalism, de-humanization, etc.) I told myself this event was a way to reckon with using AI in my working life, but not my creative life. Except by hosting it, I’d technically be working creatively with AI. So… 🤷‍♀️

AI has its benefits, sure (ones I use). But mostly it has consequences that heavily outweigh them. I feel a little hypocritical saying that, because I do use it for work... but the truth is, we’re already running out of water; we don’t need AI making that happen any sooner. Music has already been so demoralized by the industry that making a living from it feels nearly impossible. The fact that “AI slop,” as they call it, can be produced for almost nothing and distributed everywhere feels icky. So does the time I heard a song I liked and found out it was an AI “artist” to my chagrin.

I’m not here to be divisive. I’m here to be human, and to process out loud the chasm between what we believe in and what we do. What we are practical about, what we sacrifice.

Anyways, it will be AI-FREE & the first time played live, by the full band who recorded it!

Happy New Moon in Gemini ♊️ 🌕

$10 // 3 Card // New Moon Tarot Readings

All proceeds benefit RAICES

Leave your email in the comments of your payment. Expect a reading in your inbox by the end of next week. Venmo Ali Holder PayPal [email protected]

Moons Over the Garden (out on the 19th) is about the emotional labor that comes along with an unexamined relationship dynamic. It’s about burying your partners burdens so they are less on them. In turn, being more on you.

I think as women (especially in the South), we are culturally raised to people please and make everyone else feel comfortable (except ourselves). To feel the responsibility of suppressing our own feelings so we don’t cause more of a burden upon others.

I am so grateful to be alive and almost 40 to have really had the time to work through these issues and break those lineage stories and cycles. Not that it’s perfect now, but there’s at least a little awareness and intention around it. A little more self trust and confidence in the fact that others feelings aren’t my responsibility.

10 days until the third single drops!

I am so excited that “Different Kind of Lonely” made it onto the June Texas Ten playlist! Thanks so much for having me on your radar BMI 😍 Listen now at the link in my bio!

Thanks to and for always championing Texas artists!

Have you listened to Different Kind of Lonely yet!? It's out everywhere you listen to music.

Feeling generous? Buy it on Bandcamp 😉

Different Kind of Lonely is out TODAY! 🥀

Stream it at https://orcd.co/differentkindoflonely
Buy it on Bandcamp: https://aliholder.bandcamp.com/track/different-kind-of-lonely

I never sleep alone
With your void next to me
When I bring somebody home
They fill the space the way I need
I'm a different kind of lonely now

Different Kind of Lonely out THIS FRIDAY!!