holly avila

Travel back in time on a journey through the free love '70's. Read what happens when a young woman coming of age turns on, tunes in & drops out on a quest for freedom and spiritual self-discovery. Hitch a ride with Holly from go-go dancing jobs to hippy communes to anti-war demonstrations with nothing but a backpack, guitar and her thumb. Dive into romantic LSD trips and magical experiences as our heroine explores the edges of existentialism & the irony of love.

In this opening chapter of the series, we are introduced to Holly's pursuit of truth after rebelling against her cloistered life & upbringing with a midwestern military family. Through her love affairs, philosophical musings & psychedelic experimentation we are brought on a journey around the continent as a reflection of her internal search for answers. Why have I never felt at home? Why did my mother give me up? Why do I feel incomplete without a lover? Why does the 'real world' seem so unreal to me?

Holly Avila is an artist, author & musician who has been writing & performing songs since the 1970s. Her love of folk music led her to Greenwich Village, NYC where she formed the bands NY Frets & later Wheels, playing the tri-state country-bluegrass-blues circuit for 12 years. In 1986, Variety wrote, "The city came through vividly in the lyrics, but her deep-rooted singing was pure country like maple syrup poured over a stack of flapjacks." Her music found its way to the big screen in 1987 when Wheel's song "Trying Very Hard" appeared in the feature film Kandyland. 

Holly later joined the Juggernaut String Band in Pennsylvania while raising her children. They performed around the Delaware Water Gap area & appeared on the main stage of the Philly Folk Festival in 2000. She then went on to form her own world fusion project Blue Planet / Planeta Azul to explore her interest in Latin American folk forms, multi-cultural influences & psychedelic rock. Global Rhythm Magazine selected her Cumbia "Querida De Mi Alma" for their November 2006 Global Rhythm on Disc compilation. In 2009 she released her debut album "Mountains Back Home" on all digital streaming platforms, defining Blue Planet's new sound of Pan-American Fusion. 

In 2011 Holly drove cross-country to Baja California, Mexico where she wrote & recorded her upcoming project "West Coast Bound" EP which is due to be released in late 2018.