Conversations with Holly Ramos

Hi Holly, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a songwriter/storyteller. Born in NYC, I wrote and was in bands for years there. I moved to Los Angeles 18 years ago with my husband who works in film. I always write, but I paused playing music when I started working on a family, a whole other creative project. A few years ago, I was invited to play at a school fair in the “dad’s band”. It was nice to be invited but the band’s name ruffled my feathers. I hadn’t thought about ever performing live again, but something in me told me I needed to do it for my daughter, to represent to all the kids there that moms play too. I had a lot of resistance to performing live again, but I kept remembering the reason- representing for my daughter and all the kids. I asked another parent to join me on a song, and he texted me after and said, “we are going to make a band” and I texted back “uh-oh”.

Eventually, I came to my senses and OSO My Brain (Other Side Of My Brain) was born. We are a poppy garage band with a Ramones meets the White Stripes edge. We have been playing around Los Angeles pre-pandemic. We just released our debut single “Better Now” (of a four song ep on Velvet Elk Records). The second song, “God Only Knows” comes out on Dec. 4th, along with a vinyl release. Along with me on guitar and vocals, Norwood Cheek is on bass and vocals and David Avery is on drums. In addition to playing in the band, I continue to write with other artists and have had my songs produced by the Grammy-winning artist Lucinda Williams on Jesse Malin’s Sunset Kids album, among other releases.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s not a smooth road at all. The music business is tough. I have been writing songs since I was a teenager. My songs have come out on albums from the beginning, just out of luck, because I wrote with someone who was in a band and put the songs on vinyl. In New York, pre-internet, my band Fur got a lot of attention. Our CD came out on an indie lable. We toured the US and Europe and had radio airplay, but didn’t have much distribution. After the band, I put out a solo Americana-style release. It didn’t always get a lot of attention, but I persevered. I continued to make music and when I wasn’t making music, I was writing it. I always believed in my songs, even when other people didn’t and when opportunities knocked, I was ready.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I play guitar and sing and write songs. My greatest strength is my writing because I write from an interesting perspective. I have secrets no honest man would believe, so to speak. I use honesty mixed with vulnerability, but not in a sappy way, because there is some fun and attitude, too. And I set it to a catchy tune. I am most known for having a strong pop sensibility but with an edge, not too sugary. I am proud to hear anything I create out in the world, on a playlist, on the airwaves or in a soundtrack. I love hearing how my work touches someone or moves them. One of my favorite songs that I co-wrote with recording artist Jesse Malin on his debut release, The Fine Art of Self Destruction, is a song called Cigarettes and Violets. It’s awesome to hear something you wrote brought to life by someone else.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Just keep writing. Don’t write for the money, write for the joy, write what is inside, be truthful. Put yourself out there. Release your own songs and try to write with others.

Pricing:

• Vinyl single $7 + shipping at bandcamp/osomybrain

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/osomybrain/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/osomybrain
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/4KiKjcxiJz0
• Other: https://tinyurl.com/OSO-BetterNow-SPOTIFY
  https://tinyurl.com/OSO-BetterNow-AMAZON
  https://tinyurl.com/OSO-BetterNow-APPLEMUSIC