Bio in link
Driftwood Holly is an extraordinary individual—a true adventure musician, enthusiast, and enabler.
His life story is captivating and full of diverse experiences. It all began with his days as a competitive ski jumper in East Germany, but at the age of 19, he was drafted as a guard to the Berlin Wall. He witnessed the moment when the wall came down, becoming a part of this historic event.
Following the wall's collapse, Driftwood Holly embarked on extensive travels across the globe, finding solace in his trusty guitar during the occasional moments of solitude along his journeys. After exploring numerous countries, he felt compelled to undertake a vision quest and chose the Yukon River as his pathway into the next chapter of his life. At the end of a canoe trip, he stumbled upon Dawson City—a peculiar northern gem that left him mesmerized. Although he attempted to leave several times, he eventually surrendered to the city's beauty and spirit, making Dawson his home.
Since then, Driftwood Holly has settled on the other side of the river, leading a self-sufficient life off the grid with his wife Kirsten and raising their two children. He has driven a covered wagon for years, traversed the Yukon wilderness with his team of sled dogs, or found solace on his unique houseboat “The Wooden Pearl”.
Throughout these years, Driftwood Holly has been crafting songs and stories, culminating in the release of his debut album, "Little Lilly Mammoth Hair," recorded in a log home in 2013. Fate intervened once more when Jäcki Reznicek, a member of the German cult band "Silly," discovered Holly's work. Intrigued, Reznicek delved into Driftwood's background and eventually joined him on an upcoming tour with Pavel Osvald, a talented violinist. The trio's performances resonated with audiences wherever they played, capturing the Zeitgeist, and they successfully crowdfunded a next album.
In just four weeks, they raised the necessary funds to book a session at the esteemed analog recording studio "Castle Röhrsdorf" near Dresden, Germany. It was there that they brought to life their new album, "Aura Borealis."
The release of the new album on a raft floating along the Yukon River was a spectacle in itself, drawing a crowd of boats and spectators on the shore. The album quickly gained attention, particularly as a source for film soundtracks. German filmmaker Mario Goldstein featured Holly's music in his successful documentary "Sehnsucht nach Wildnis," which documented a raft trip to the Bering Sea. Additionally, filmmaker Iohan Gueorgulev frequently incorporated Driftwood's catalog into his films about cycling the world. Furthermore, the prestigious German film festival "Freiträumer" selected Holly as the musical headliner for their 2017 edition, attracting over 6,000 adventure film enthusiasts.
Many adventures and tours followed leading up to the recording of the Album “Casanova” in the magic town of Venice Italy. Here Holly managed to invite Lori Goldston, known for playing Cello with Nirvana, to add her talent to the music. But that again, was just the beginning.
As 2021came around and no music could be publicly performed, Holly couldn’t wait and used all his bush and boat skills to create a showboat with a stage. In Yukon style with a touch of Tom Sawyer he designed and built the “Dream ~ Catcher” in only 8 weeks. He than took this vessel down the German river Elbe and performed over 30 beach concerts to the delight of a crowd starving for Art.
The event was so well received that Fans offered the funding for the recording of the music writen on this ship. Holly moved the Band back into the “Castle Studios Röhrsdorf” and crafted the Album “Dream ~ Catcher” produced by Basti Reznicek and Sylvia Massy. The recording was released as a CD, but also as a DCD….the first plastic free recording that includes all the artwork.
Driftwood Holly’s adventures choice of venues and magic places to perform has brought him not just in the underground of old mining operations, he has played on the water and on top of mountains. In gondolas and cable cars and caves. But now he is aiming for the sky. Yes ..a flying livestream show out of a Holly designed hot air Ballon is on the horizon. So please look
Driftwood Holly is an extraordinary individual—a true adventure musician, enthusiast, and enabler.
His life story is captivating and full of diverse experiences. It all began with his days as a competitive ski jumper in East Germany, but at the age of 19, he was drafted as a guard to the Berlin Wall. He witnessed the moment when the wall came down, becoming a part of this historic event.
Following the wall's collapse, Driftwood Holly embarked on extensive travels across the globe, finding solace in his trusty guitar during the occasional moments of solitude along his journeys. After exploring numerous countries, he felt compelled to undertake a vision quest and chose the Yukon River as his pathway into the next chapter of his life. At the end of a canoe trip, he stumbled upon Dawson City—a peculiar northern gem that left him mesmerized. Although he attempted to leave several times, he eventually surrendered to the city's beauty and spirit, making Dawson his home.
Since then, Driftwood Holly has settled on the other side of the river, leading a self-sufficient life off the grid with his wife Kirsten and raising their two children. He has driven a covered wagon for years, traversed the Yukon wilderness with his team of sled dogs, or found solace on his unique houseboat “The Wooden Pearl”.
Throughout these years, Driftwood Holly has been crafting songs and stories, culminating in the release of his debut album, "Little Lilly Mammoth Hair," recorded in a log home in 2013. Fate intervened once more when Jäcki Reznicek, a member of the German cult band "Silly," discovered Holly's work. Intrigued, Reznicek delved into Driftwood's background and eventually joined him on an upcoming tour with Pavel Osvald, a talented violinist. The trio's performances resonated with audiences wherever they played, capturing the Zeitgeist, and they successfully crowdfunded a next album.
In just four weeks, they raised the necessary funds to book a session at the esteemed analog recording studio "Castle Röhrsdorf" near Dresden, Germany. It was there that they brought to life their new album, "Aura Borealis."
The release of the new album on a raft floating along the Yukon River was a spectacle in itself, drawing a crowd of boats and spectators on the shore. The album quickly gained attention, particularly as a source for film soundtracks. German filmmaker Mario Goldstein featured Holly's music in his successful documentary "Sehnsucht nach Wildnis," which documented a raft trip to the Bering Sea. Additionally, filmmaker Iohan Gueorgulev frequently incorporated Driftwood's catalog into his films about cycling the world. Furthermore, the prestigious German film festival "Freiträumer" selected Holly as the musical headliner for their 2017 edition, attracting over 6,000 adventure film enthusiasts.
Many adventures and tours followed leading up to the recording of the Album “Casanova” in the magic town of Venice Italy. Here Holly managed to invite Lori Goldston, known for playing Cello with Nirvana, to add her talent to the music. But that again, was just the beginning.
As 2021came around and no music could be publicly performed, Holly couldn’t wait and used all his bush and boat skills to create a showboat with a stage. In Yukon style with a touch of Tom Sawyer he designed and built the “Dream ~ Catcher” in only 8 weeks. He than took this vessel down the German river Elbe and performed over 30 beach concerts to the delight of a crowd starving for Art.
The event was so well received that Fans offered the funding for the recording of the music writen on this ship. Holly moved the Band back into the “Castle Studios Röhrsdorf” and crafted the Album “Dream ~ Catcher” produced by Basti Reznicek and Sylvia Massy. The recording was released as a CD, but also as a DCD….the first plastic free recording that includes all the artwork.
Driftwood Holly’s adventures choice of venues and magic places to perform has brought him not just in the underground of old mining operations, he has played on the water and on top of mountains. In gondolas and cable cars and caves. But now he is aiming for the sky. Yes ..a flying livestream show out of a Holly designed hot air Ballon is on the horizon. So please https://www.driftwoodholly.com/ up and forward to the next chapter of Driftwood Holly’s Adventures. He would love to have you with. In and forward to the next chapter of Driftwood Holly’s Adventures. He would love to have you with.
