Cowgirland is the collaborative EP of Hollan and Zach Wood. The process for it initially started way back in 2016, where the demo version of ‘Water’ landed on Zach’s radar. In 2019, the two artists finally met and soon discovered that making music together was pretty fun. Having had a mini tour cancelled due to the ol’ pandemic, the two decided to record their songs in Zach’s home, resulting in the creation of this totally homemade, glorious EP.
It feels right to talk about ‘Water’ first considering it was the song that sparked this collaboration. With an intro full of acoustic strings that fall like rainfall, it immediately transports you to the colder nights of Autumn. Each strum roll with emotions that’s backed up by the softest of melody in the background. I get Adrianne Lenker vibes from the vocals, that dominate the airwaves but fall quickly within the instrumental. It’s wonderful, and the pairing of Hollan and Zach’s vocals really helps bolster the urgency that’s present in the music.
‘Rare As Gold’ opens up Cowgirland with a upbeat set of chords as Hollan gives an insight into her travels. Wearing raincoats on the west coast is the perfect imagery for these chords, and once again the vocals combine to add more richness to the track. It has a carefree attitude that comes with the experiences both artists had in their early twenties. The additional harmonies that ring through the music flitter past like a breeze, cementing a great way to kick off the EP.
‘Milk & Honey’ is the longest track on the EP, clocking past the five-minute mark and provides more vivid imagery along the way. As Hollan recalls dreaming of being various things such as a dancer or a cowgirl, it evokes an innocence of youthfulness that kind of becomes lost as we grow older. The instrumental backs up this memory lane with a mid-paced set of melodic strings that allow the lyrics to shine through. It’s a beautiful song, and a real highlight.
Well, I hope we get more material from these two. Cowgirland is a superb EP that wraps you up in its world. It delivers a set of songs that don’t stray too far from the foundations but brings a lot of personality and insight through the lyrics. It’s great.