Interview: In conversation with Cheryl Holland: Finding space in sound

Singer, songwriter, producer, vocalist and DJ Cheryl Holland has never been confined to one corner of electronic music. Her collaboration with Riigs on the forthcoming Deep Blue EP, released through Sub-Label Recordings, brings that versatility into drum & bass, pairing thoughtful songwriting with spacious, melodic production. Alongside the music, Cheryl also talks about Glimmer, her growing sober club initiative, and why community matters just as much as the dancefloor.

Listening to Deep Blue, there's a real sense of restraint in the production. Even when the drums open up, your vocals are never fighting for space. When you and Riigs first started writing together, was that balance something you consciously set out to achieve, or did it emerge naturally as the tracks evolved?

No, it happened quite organically. I think at one point we may have experimented with harmonies/adlibs and decided it worked better without.

You've worked comfortably across house, pop and now drum & bass, but your songwriting always feels recognisably yours. Does the genre shape how you approach writing, or do the lyrics and melodies usually come first, before you've decided where they belong?

When I do collabs, the genre will usually define how I write the melody and the lyrics. Usually more floaty style for trance, a bit more upfront and attitudey for house. I think dnb will be a mixture of both. But I’m not averse to chucking a spanner in the works and doing something different. I think it depends what mood I’m in and what’s alive in me at that time.

Every collaboration asks both artists to give something up as well as bring something new. Looking back at this EP, was there a moment where Riigs challenged one of your instincts, or where the project ended up somewhere neither of you expected when you first started writing together?

No, I don't think so. Although I think Riigs was a bit shocked at the sexiness of Chaser.

You've spent a lot of time performing both DJ sets and live vocal performances over the last few years. Has being in front of audiences changed the way you think about arrangement and energy when you're back in the studio, or do you try to keep those two worlds separate?

I’ve not actually been DJing for that long. I’ve done live vocals forever. I always wanted to combine the two. The two are entwined because you shape the song thinking about the journey you want to take people on, the hook, the drop and how it might translate onto the dance floor. I always imagine what a track would sound and look like on the dance floor when it goes off!

Glimmer has grown into something much bigger than simply putting on sober club nights. Was there a particular moment when you realised people weren't just curious about the idea, they genuinely needed a space like it?

Having been sober for 3 years 3 months (today actually) - I remember it quite clearly going for a walk on the canal with my friend Tash (who is also sober) and I was like “There needs to be a space for sober raves for people who are curious, people in recovery, for people who just don’t drink - not just revellers but artists too!” So I did my research and off I went and did it. And they're springing up all over now. Especially the coffee raves.

Dance music has long been associated with drink and drug culture, yet it feels as though more people are beginning to question whether that's the only way to experience a night out. From your perspective, do you think club culture is changing, or is it simply making room for different ways to belong?

Well, there are a couple of ways to think about it. I think you LOVE the music anyway so it doesn’t matter if you take the associated, then you have hedonistic side of the club scene. I think people’s attitudes towards drinking and substance use are changing. Younger people aren’t drinking as much, and apparently ketamine is on a lot of dancefloors now, which I can’t imagine is very nice. I’ve come across some serious backlash both online and whilst I’m out (people think you’re weird or in the police). You’re not a proper clubber, blah blah blah. You know, sit down! I was clubbing and raving in the 1990’s. I know what that’s all about. Everything was different back then. But the whole ethos was peace, love, unity and respect, and I think people sometimes forget that, and we need to get that back. The scene is still amazing. There is enough space for everybody. And people also forget that coming together and dancing to music is one of the most primal things humans do, and we've always done it. It’s a way to lose yourself, to connect, find community and feel alive all at the same time. It’s also quite a political thing (but that’s for another time - we’d be here forever). The vibe is still there. I’ve noticed a lot more people who are my age coming back out; the kids have flown the nest, and they’re back out. You never lose the bug. I’m just high on music and life.

Your productions have picked up support from BBC Radio 1's Future Dance and Jaguar, but recognition like that usually comes after years of quietly refining your craft. Was there a point where you personally felt you'd found your voice as a producer, regardless of what anyone else thought?

Arrival was on an EP I collaborated on with Tom Sleeps, who is a Belgian trance producer. We’ve been working together for around 3 years. I think I’ve always had that voice regardless. However, I’m always evolving, as am I, as a person. I think over the past 3 years I’ve always written about similar things: life, death, self-empowerment, but I think maybe I’m becoming more confident in expressing those ideas.

Between producing, songwriting, DJing, performing and running Glimmer, you're constantly switching between different creative roles. Do they all feed into one another, or have you had to learn how to wear each hat separately depending on what the day demands?

Singing, songwriting and producing come under one hat. Then separate for DJing, kind of, but I'm always thinking how would this track translate as a DJ as a producer. Then promoting, you’re curating the event, the vibe, the DJs, music, promotion, sorting venues etc. So completely different again for that.

Away from music altogether, what's something you're genuinely passionate about that people would probably never guess if they only knew Cheryl Holland through your records or your DJ sets?

You mean there is an away from music???? Only joking. Cats. I adore them. That and nature and theatre too. Empowerment for people who have mental health challenges and also those affected by domestic abuse.

Finally, the Drum & Bass UK tradition. You're stranded on a desert island with electricity, but you've only got room for one record. What are you taking, and why?

Can I bring an album? That’s classed as one record, right? Ok just the one it is! Gabriel by Roy Davis Jr featuring Peven Everett (Garage Live Version). I could never tire of that song: beautiful lyrics, gorgeous singing, chilled low bass, just enough to have a little dance on the beach but nothing too mad so you can fall asleep to it. That or Wham - Nothing Looks the Same in the Light. One of the most underrated records, again with gorgeous lyrics and velvet voice. Chilled vibes but enough groove on the synth to have a dance.

Whether she's writing for drum & bass, trance or house, Cheryl Holland's focus remains on the song first and the connection it creates. The Deep Blue EP offers a new side to that approach, while Glimmer continues to show that the experience of electronic music can be every bit as powerful without the expectations that have long surrounded club culture.

Massive thanks to Cheryl Holland for joining us.