Holiday Flyer
| Holiday Flyer | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Genres | indie pop, twee pop |
| Years active | 1993–2002 |
| Labels | Silver Girl, Darla |
| Members |
John Conley (guitar, vocals) Katie Conley (vocals, percussion) Verna Brock (organ, piano, cello, flute, vocals) Michael Yoas (bass) Jim Rivas (percussion) |
Holiday Flyer were a Roseville, California-based indie pop band formed in June 1993 by siblings John and Katie Conley. In this incarnation, Holiday Flyer released their debut long-player, Try Not to Worry, in 1995. The band grew by one member for each of their next three records: Verna Brock (an alumna of Rocketship, Beanpole, and later the California Oranges) joined the group for 1997's The Rainbow Confection; Michael Yoas for 2000's You Make Us Go; and Jim Rivas (also of Rocketship) for the band's 2001 swansong, I Hope. Holiday Flyer disbanded in October 2002, with leaders John Conley and Katie Conley devoting more time to other projects: the California Oranges and the Sinking Ships, respectively.
Reception
During their career, Holiday Flyer drew comparisons to many indie pop standard-bearers such as Blueboy, the Softies, early Wolfie, and the Aislers Set, and indeed influenced some of those bands. Their jangly, chiming guitars, wistful lyrics, and wildly concordant sibling boy-girl harmonies made their music both bouncy and soothing, but more earnest than twee. As the zine Caught in Flux put it, Holiday Flyer's sound is 'comforting like a cup of hot chocolate . . . on a drizzly weekend morning.'
The band's reluctance to tour was somewhat unusual for an indie pop band, many of whom rely on word of mouth and contact at shows to build their fanbases. In an interview, Katie Conley summed up the band's live career: 'we've played around town, a little in L.A., very little, like three times, and one time in New York.' Nevertheless, being primarily a studio band did not prevent Holiday Flyer from developing a healthy following in Japan, where their last two releases were put out through Sony.
Discography
Albums
- Try Not to Worry, 1995 (Silver Girl, SG-021)
- The Rainbow Confection, 1997 (Silver Girl, SG-030)
- You Make Us Go, 2000 (Darla, DRL 088)
- I Hope, 2001 (Darla, DRL 119)
EPs and Singles
- Snowballing, 1994 (Fingerpaint)
- Sweet and Sour, 1996 (Darla, DRL 017)
- Blue Harvest, 1998 (Darla, DRL 058)
Compilations
- Pop American Style, 1996 (March, MAR 024)
- The Verna Brock EP, 1998 (Papercut, PCT 005)
More information
- Holiday Flyer on TweeNet
- Holiday Flyer on Allmusic