With the exception of a few musical soundtracks, notably ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ and its follow-ups, David Holmes has been quiet in recent years but this musical drought has been ended by the release of ‘The Holy Pictures.’ 
It may have been a few years since his last record but according to its creator, this album has been in the making for much, much longer, which has been influenced by more influences than just the usual problems of life, becoming a dad and dealing with labels. “It’s just been a process that’s evolved naturally” said Holmes, when asked about the influences behind this record. “My dad passed away during the recording and that inspired a great deal of it but then you think back further than that, all the way back to my mum passing. It took a great amount of time to pass and I didn’t know if I could get it all out, sometimes I felt I had nothing to say but I got there. I definitely feel with this album that I HAD to get it out rather than I wanted to.”
There is no doubt that the passing of his parents has influenced this record and the closing instrumental of ‘The Ballad of Sarah and Jack’ not only helps with the personal feel of the record but will also help provide the fans of Holmes who appreciate his soundtrack work with a cinematic like feel to attach themselves to.
Like his career to date, ‘The Holy Pictures’ carries a broad range of styles and influences and the appearance of Martin Rev, best known for his work with Suicide, was a key component in the albums development for Holmes. “The thing is with Martin was that I really wanted him to sing on this record, I love his solo work, I love his voice. So many bands have been influenced by the sound of Suicide but I wanted the sound of his voice.” Rev appears on ‘I Hear Wonders’, a recent single, which turned out to be a true lyrical collaboration after both artists provided lyrics on the same point and themes.
‘I Hear Wonders’ has also been given the Andrew Weatherall treatment with a remix and it was suggested that the longetivity and varying styles of Weatherall may have been an influence on David Holmes, which seemed to elicit some approving noises. “The thing is with Andy that I’ve been into him for nearly 20 years and he’s always been inspirational. Some of the best nights I’ve had as a punter it’s been because of him, no matter if it’s rock’n’roll, acid house, rockabilly, Andy always makes it a great night. And as a person, he’s a great influence too.”
Of course, if you are looking for variation from an artist, Holmes would be near the top of any list for having a chameleon-like approach to art in the way he would flit between styles and genres. There is an urge to ask artists of this nature if they have a favourite genre or style and the response was typically candid. “I feel comfortable in film but I’m into music first and foremost. I couldn’t do the same thing all the time, I’d become bored and I really enjoy the magic in discovering new things. I like producing, I like playing around in the studio and creating new sounds… I’ll be honest, I just try to really follow my heart and keep it interesting.” This was followed by a brief pause for breath and then the answer was explained even further and it was obvious to see that Holmes was keen to point out that he loves pretty much all of the work he undertakes.
“All my different styles inform each other – if you take one away, another one might suffer. If I didn’t DJ, I maybe couldn’t sing. I was into music before I was a DJ and if it all stops tomorrow; I’m still going to be a music fan.”
With regards to any follow-up album being released quicker than the time it took to create this record, don’t build your hopes up too much. “I’m so exhausted with all the travelling and interviews and it can leave you uninspired. I need some time off to relax and hopefully become re-inspired again. The good thing is I don’t know what the next album will be like, I’m delighted with this and I wouldn’t have put it out if I wasn’t happy with it. I am, from the bottom of my heart but that’s the line drawn under it and its time to move on.”
Holmes has experienced life on the road as part of his band with his previous work with The Free Association so it was only natural to enquire if this new album would see the artist heading back out onto the rock’n’roll map but was answered quickly. The drawing a line under the album which was already discussed was further emphasised when David offered a swift denial about any touring plans. “No, I’m never going to play this record live. I don’t want to stand on stage singing this album; the thought hadn’t even entered my head. If there’s maybe a new record and new material then maybe you know…whatever.” With a known pedigree for doing the unexpected, it would be unwise to rule out future live shows completely but there did seem to be an emphatic closure regarding this album. Considering the amount of emotional imagery and influence on the record it is probably no surprise that David Holmes needs to put some distance between himself and this record but he seems to be fairly relaxed with where he is at the time.
“I’m really thankful for the reaction this album it has got and you know, that’s it immortalized on record and I’ve said all these things I needed to say. It’s time for a break and I’m looking forward to it but yeah, I’m happy at the moment.”