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What moment made you realise that The Music wasn’t just another release, but a full creative shift for you this year?

I’m not sure I ever had a moment exactly like this, but there was one kind of “uh huh” moment that I feel guided the process of putting this EP together.

I was throwing a lot of ideas at the wall, and halfway through writing the title track it became apparent that this would be the northern star of the project — a sonic reference for the rest of the tracks. Lyrically, the track The Music was my reflection on how crazy the world is and how music can be a reprieve from that craziness. I wanted that to be the thing someone might hopefully take away from this whole collection of songs.

How did the idea for that “rubber band” synth line in Nobody (Like You) first hit you, and what feeling were you chasing sonically?

I guess it was a bit of a happy accident! I had it in an old session, and kind of pieced it together like a puzzle with the drums and vocals, all from different sessions. That combination felt like the track could tear apart at any moment — a lot of energy, and I found that really exciting.

This EP arrived quickly after legitimate dj behaviour — what sparked this streak of momentum for you in 2025?

It really did, and it kind of surprised me! A combination of things — I love making music for starters. And I had some great people in my corner: Leo Horton who did the artwork, my manager Jez, the team at Believe who did distribution. Great people to bounce ideas off and expand the world I was conceiving for this EP. I really attribute a lot of the momentum to the people around me who encourage and push me directly and indirectly.

When you listen back to the five singles together, what thread ties them into one cohesive world?

Hmm, it’s hard to say! I think the drum grooves, or maybe some of the synth elements feel quite cohesive across tracks.

Which track from the EP surprised you the most during the production process?

100% 1Mhz. It’s quite different to the rest of the EP in my opinion. A few days before it came out I was low-key freaking out it was going to flop, but it ended up doing better than some of the songs I felt more confident in.

A lot of your music feels built for communal moments on the dancefloor. How much do crowd reactions influence the way you shape a track?

I think I’m more focused on listener reactions. How does this feel in headphones? Is it exciting, and do I want to listen from start to finish? I’m also somewhat mindful of how it could be mixed when making it, but mainly on the listening aspect.

What did you want listeners to feel during that moment where the EP “could tear apart at any second”?

Excited and alive!

You’ve called this project spontaneous — how do you balance instinct, experimentation and discipline when you’re in a creative sprint?

I think the foundational element is discipline, or building and maintaining a routine to be creative. This was a bit of a challenge this year while juggling an almost full-time day job.

Experimentation is the second most important factor, and I would conceptualise it more as being freely creative without judgement, pressure or expectation getting in the way.

I think once I’ve turned up to be creative and gotten an idea somewhat fleshed out with enough essential elements to have some form, that’s where instinct comes into play. Instinct guides the refining period of finishing ideas for me — mostly subtracting elements, occasionally adding.

Where do you see The Music taking you next, both on stage and in the studio?

I’m figuring out the studio stuff now, and I think that’ll become clearer over the next few months. I’d like to work with some other people on tracks — it’s been almost entirely me on production so far. I’d also love to be involved in other people’s projects too!

Hopefully a lot more sets in 2026!

Stream:

https://bfan.link/the-music-ep

Socials:

https://linktr.ee/harleygirl.vroom

Credits:

Written & Produced by Connor Grant (aka HARLEY GIRL)

Mixed by Connor Grant & Doug Wright

Mastered by Suture Mastering

Artwork by Leo Horton

Photos by Koady

How did returning to Christmas music open a different creative or emotional space for you compared to your previous albums?
I am a songwriter and I sing my own songs. I have not regularly performed other people’s songs for twenty years. However, over the course of this project, I was captivated by the process of curation and how it is artistry of a different kind. Earlier this year I looked closely into how art and museum curators work. Placing different objects side by side, or in particular rooms, can take visitors on a specific journey through an exhibition. In curating the Christmas EP, I found myself doing the same, but sonically. The artistry involved was such a wonderful surprise.

As I have pursued the meaning of Christmas art, I have found the coexistence of light and darkness. Images of homes, greenery, merriment, and the warmth of fireplaces and hot summers sit against a backdrop of war, longing, death, and grief. There is a lot to work with.

What drew you to curate a collection that blends German hymns, wartime Hollywood ballads and early Laurel Canyon storytelling — and how did those influences shape the final EP?
Often, it’s easy to think of Christmas music as what we hear blaring through shopping centres. These tend to be seasonal songs of the Christmas experience like White Christmas or Jingle Bells. However, there is a huge pool of music to draw from.

One of the oldest and still very popular carols is O Come, O Come Emmanuel, which dates back to the eighth century, but there are even older tunes still used in Byzantine churches at Christmas time. One of the carols I chose for It’s Coming on Christmas is Lo, How a Rose is Blooming from around 1580. Silent Night dates to the early 1800s. These carols have a rich history and have survived the test of time.

However, the popular songs from wartime Hollywood like I’ll Be Home for Christmas and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas also have a rich history and interesting stories, especially around separation and longing for home. River by Joni Mitchell provides another perspective on the season. It’s not even a Christmas song, but it has become one because of its wide use. It is a very personal and complex song for Joni Mitchell. I wanted to record the songs and live in those different worlds that bridge the centuries.

When you talk about Christmas being “beautifully complex,” what memories, images or personal experiences informed that perspective while you were recording?
I have great memories of my childhood Christmas experiences. I am from a very big family – one of six children. We also have such a large extended family. Christmas has always been a huge affair.

However, in 2011, I lost my father, my uncle, and my seven-year-old niece within the span of three months. From that point on, Christmas has involved a lot of grief, but has also been a time when the memories of our traditions or the quirky, silly stories from our past provide a lot of comfort.

Your version of “River (It’s Coming On Christmas)” feels like a centrepiece of the EP — what did you want to emphasise or reinterpret in such an iconic and deeply melancholic song?
The song starts with familiar festive imagery and sounds – It’s coming on Christmas / They’re cutting down trees / They’re putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace. Then Joni Mitchell hits us between the eyes when she sings, I wish I had a river I could skate away on.

To me, it’s like that lyric sums up how I have felt before. Even though there is a lot of joy happening, and everyone is caught up in regular rhythms of the season, I don’t want any part of it because it’s too painful.

This EP has been out for such a short time, but so many people say that this is the song that has touched them the most. River resonates with many people. It’s saying the outside does not match how I feel inside. That song speaks to me each time I hear it or think about the lyrics. Joni really is one of the best songwriters. What a gift she is to our world.

Working with Sean Carey at Church Street Studios brings a particular warmth and honesty to the recordings — how did that collaboration influence the atmosphere of the project?
Sean Carey was the perfect producer for It’s Coming on Christmas. Every moment in the studio was filled with ease, and I absolutely loved working with Sean. I performed at Church Street Studios in 2024. Before the show, I poked around the halls and found his magical studio. We met and then stayed in touch for about a year or more about working on some of my songs.

I reached out to him in July and said, what about a “Christmas-adjacent” EP? This is why Angel by Sarah McLachlan is on the EP. We wanted to touch the sides without going “Christmas proper.” Well, obviously we ended up making a proper Christmas record. But I think the honesty is there because the intention was that we wanted to record songs that brought comfort to people.

When we selected the songs, the benchmark was that they had to have a particular emotion, fragility, and sensitivity. He was the best person to create a soundscape that matched that intention. Sean has great taste and the kind of restraint needed for these recordings. It was just one of those rare times where it all fell into place. We were really in step, and it was completely stress-free.

As you explored Christmas music traditions from different countries, what surprised you the most about the way people use holiday music to cope, connect, or remember?
Okay, stick with me. I think music is a way to find comfort and solace. The seasonal music of Christmas especially feels familiar and safe. When I created the songs for my 2023 album Familiar Drama, I went on a journey to discover more about nostalgia. And this Christmas EP really extends those findings.

Nostalgia comes from two words, nostos and algos, which mean home and pain. However, there is so much more than wanting to go home. First of all, nostos is first used in Homer’s poem The Odyssey:

“Take off these clothes, and leave the raft to be carried on by the winds, and then, I tell you, strive for your nostos, the land of the Phaeacians, by swimming with your hands; your destiny is to flee [from death] there.”

While nostos has come to be known as home, in The Odyssey, it is not about home only. Instead, the word’s use in this poem also means escaping death, safe landing, returning from war, and being back home. When we think about nostalgia, we think it’s about wanting to return home.

I don’t think people really get that full satisfaction when they return home. Instead, this longing we call “nostalgia” could be simply an escape from difficult times. I like to think about this at Christmas because we want to go home, but sometimes, once there, it’s not all we remember it to be. All that to say, I think music at Christmas time is a way to live in a world that feels secure, and as you say, cope.

“Blue” seems to be a recurring emotional colour throughout the EP — how intentional was that palette, and what does “blue” mean to you in the context of the season?
I started working on pre-production for this in July. It was weird to immerse myself in Christmas while it was Winter, because this EP would come out in Australia in Summer. But in another sense, it wasn’t weird because Christmas comes with so many northern hemisphere Winter references.

However, I decided to lean into the Winter metaphor. I think this is what makes the album a little blue. I read Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, Susanna Clarke’s The World at Midwinter, and listened to Kate Bush’s 50 Words for Snow. Even though I will have a very summery Christmas and holiday season this year, I really enjoyed immersing myself in imaginary white Winters. We are having a private show and will perform White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. I find that Winter is magical, mysterious, and strangely comforting.

This is your first release since Familiar Drama — how did stepping into a Christmas EP help you reconnect with your artistry after the emotional weight of that record?
In a way, It’s Coming on Christmas extends the emotional arc found in Familiar Drama. That album is filled with grief, redemption, and nostalgia. It’s Coming on Christmas explores all those themes. Including Angel by Sarah McLachlan, as well as River, provides a bridge between the two.

Running your own label gives you a unique vantage point on independence and creative direction — how did Lights Record Label shape the way this EP took form?
I just love being over in my little corner of the world. I am not really part of the music scene; I play on the edges. I love to create and dream without any inhibitions, without worrying about where the work will end up.

Many years ago, I heard a visual artist talk about how he was going into the bush in South Australia with his 80-year-old Dutch mentor to paint for a few days. As they drove there, this 80-year-old said, “Oh by the way, everything we paint, we will burn.” Can you imagine? It meant that my friend could paint without any rules, take risks, paint for the joy of it, and be in the moment. I love that philosophy, and I think that’s what I try and do with Lights Record Label.

As listeners revisit these songs each December, what do you hope this collection adds to their own holiday memories, traditions or reflections?
When we recorded this music in Church Street Studios, I said over and over again, make it sound like a hug. I want to pour proverbial tea in an oversized gingerbread-man-shaped mug for people. I hope this brings comfort and bears witness to those who find Christmas a little tricky.

What drew you back to the electronic sounds that first made you fall in love with production?
Electronic music blew my mind when I was younger when I realised how it was made, and got into making music with computers. The creative possibilities are endless and the only limit really is your imagination. I played piano but I was never very good, so not being limited by my technical ability on a particular instrument was really cool. I also loved computers and games at the time, so it kind of felt like playing a more productive and artistic video game.

How does working as 44 Ardent open a different creative door for you compared to cln?
I think it just gives me a dedicated outlet for a different sound. I can make whatever comes naturally and don’t have to feel too restricted.

When you named the project “Me, Again,” what part of yourself were you recognising or reclaiming?
It’s mostly a literal reference to this being my second musical project, and going back to my more electronic roots—sort of where I first started making music in the first place.

This EP feels deeply rooted in the influences of Caribou, Bonobo, Tourist, and Odesza. How did those inspirations naturally guide the writing?
I try to let the music that influences me happen subconsciously. So my strategy is to listen to a lot of great music (like the artists you mentioned), and then what your brain thinks sounds good when you are making music will (hopefully) actually sound good to others too. You don’t want to over-do it to the point where you are copying another sound. Ideally you want to be inspired but not let it impact your creativity.

What was happening in your world when “Chemicals” and the title track came together for the first time?
Honestly, I can’t remember. That project file is super old and has survived a few different computers. It was a forgotten idea that I found again when I was going through old project files. If you still like it after all that time, it’s probably a keeper and deserves to be released. A few of the songs on this EP are like that—old tracks brought back to life.

You mentioned wanting to focus less on social media and more on the music itself. How did that mindset shape the final EP?
Yeah I dunno, I think I am just getting a bit old and probably out of touch, but I don’t really have any desire to be a social media personality or make content. I like making songs and am pretty lacking in the social media skills department. I also don’t think I am cool enough for that world anyway lol.

The artwork comes from a photo you took inside a mountain cave. What does that place mean to you, and why did it feel right for this project?
The photo is from a mountain called Mt. Maroon in Queensland. It’s a beautiful spot with a bunch of locally endemic wildflowers that only occur on top of the mountains in that area. I really liked the photo, and it just felt right as the EP cover.

How did reconnecting with your early musical instincts shift the energy or emotion in your production process?
It took the pressure off a little bit and helped me to get over writer’s block. It brings a bit more fun to the process—I can just make things and see what happens, and I have more options to release them now.

Where do you feel the line sits between cln and 44 Ardent now that this EP has recalibrated your direction?
I guess the cln project sort of got to a point where it is very vocal-driven and calm/peaceful. I still really love making that sort of thing, but I also wanted the option to make fun electronic sounds too. I guess what I make mostly depends on my mood.

Looking back at the full journey of making “Me, Again,” what moment or realisation stands out as the turning point?
Hard question. I am not sure if there was a clear turning point for this one. I guess I played a few shows under this project last year, and had a fun time, so I wanted to write a few more songs that would sound good in a live context.

Stream:

https://bfan.link/me-again

Socials:

https://soundcloud.com/44ardent

https://www.facebook.com/44ardent

https://twitter.com/44Ardent

https://www.instagram.com/44ardent

What pulled you toward the sonic world of this new track, and when did you realise Jupiter was the right song to signal the beginning of a new chapter?

 I think the shift started during the lockdowns. I was watching heaps of producer tutorials on YouTube and found one from Decap, known for his Drums That Knock packs. He had this short video basically saying, “just make a beat a day with zero judgement.” I tried it, and honestly it changed everything. It opened doors I’d usually keep shut.

As a producer you know your comfort zone – mine’s always been 85-95bpm, hip-hop beats, samples, live-band friendly stuff. And because I was performing with a live band, I’d avoid anything that wouldn’t translate onstage. But the Decap method made the process exciting again, and I had to ask myself: do I follow this new path, or keep sticking to an established format? The new path felt way more joyful.

Jupiter came out of those sessions and just felt like the right track to signal something new for me.

You’ve spoken about starting the track from a chopped chord loop that evolved on its own. What was the moment the groove revealed its true direction to you?

 The chopped chords and samples had the vibe straight away, and the tempo felt right, but I struggled with the drums for a while. Then I stumbled across this Oliver sample – he’s everywhere on Splice. I questioned whether I should use it as-is, knowing I might hear it pop up in someone else’s track one day. So I filtered it and added extra percussion.

But the shuffle and swing were perfect. It just locked in with the sample. And look, producers are still using the Amen break to this day, so I’m cool with it. I haven’t heard it in anyone else’s tune yet, but I’m sure that day’s coming.

There’s a sleek confidence running through Jupiter that feels both effortless and intentional. What internal shift sparked that energy for you?

A beat kind of needs that confidence early on. Jupiter was one of those ones I just kept playing in the studio because it felt good. You get attached to that early magic – until the honeymoon is over baby, its never gonna be that way again! That’s a Cruel Sea reference for those too young to know. 

Then Iva sent through a vocal demo and it pulled me right back in. Everything started clicking after that.

You and Iva Lamkum have a rare creative chemistry. What was it like reconnecting after so many years and stepping back into the room together?

Honestly, it was really special. Most people don’t realise that when she recorded Turn Around – which was a big tune for us – we didn’t actually meet. She recorded in Wellington, I was in Auckland, and we just bounced demos back and forth. We only met later when she came up for shows.

After the Get It Together touring cycle we drifted into our own worlds, so reconnecting after something like 13 years felt pretty special.

Jupiter feels spacious, warm, and full of movement. How much of that atmosphere comes from instinct, and how much comes from deliberate sculpting in the studio?

It’s a mix of both. If you heard the early demos, the vibe is already there. The mixing and refining helps shape it, but the spark has to exist at the start.

Mixing definitely elevates it though. Simon Gooding mixed Jupiter and the whole album – he’s a bit of a Kiwi mixing mantis (Neil Finn, Pink, Dua Lipa, Ladi6, etc). I like to try my own mixes first and I’m getting better, but I’m slow, and overthinking can really derail the process. So having someone with fresh ears at the end is a lifesaver.

You’ve always blended genres without ever sounding derivative. How do you balance absorbing influences like Tame Impala or Oliver while still protecting your own lane?

Finding your sound is about tuning into your own sensibilities – everything you’ve absorbed since birth: art, music, how you see the world. It’s all uniquely yours. That’s what gives your music a voice.

Every now and then I’ve caught myself trying too hard to mimic someone else’s vibe. It never works, and honestly I wouldn’t want it to. It’s a dead end.

That Decap beat-a-day method really helps reveal your sound. Maybe not on day one, but give it a few days and wonderful things start happening.

Kenji Iwamitsu-Holdaway added some striking touches to the track. What did his contributions unlock that wasn’t present in the early demo?

 Kenji’s is so great. He’s a virtuoso player but also incredibly musical. He listens to what the track actually needs and fits into it without cluttering anything. He brings all these flashes of colour and little ear-candy moments.

On Jupiter he added these super funky bass pops that, once filtered, almost feel like a synth. He also added a simple little lead line at the end – nothing over the top, just exactly what the track needed.

Iva described the song as carrying a bold, in-your-era energy. What does that phrase mean to you personally at this point in your artistic life?

That’s probably one for Iva, since she wrote the lyrics. I helped here and there, but it’s her story. My take – and don’t quote me – is that she’d lost some confidence after some rough industry experiences, being signed to a major and all that.

Before recording Jupiter, she’d started to find her footing again – as a mother, as a woman, as an artist. That’s the energy I feel coming through.

This upcoming album arrives after a long run of evolution and reinvention. What felt different about the creative headspace this time around?

Honestly, just letting go. Breaking down whatever walls I’d unconsciously built around what Sola Rosa should be. Lockdowns, for all their downsides, were a freeing period at first. I look back at that time as a real turning point – heaps of change and growth.

Not all sunshine, but definitely transformative.

Your catalogue has travelled far beyond Aotearoa and built an international following. How has that global reach shaped the way you approach new music today?

I don’t really shape the music to suit any specific audience. I just follow whatever’s inspiring me and hope people connect with it. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t – but I’m always fully invested in what I’m making.

With the new album, I definitely wanted music that moves people on a dancefloor or at a show. Still managed to sneak in some chill beats too. It’s a good mix – my version of dance music anyway.

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