Holly Rankin, also known by her musical alias Jack River may be one of the biggest names on the Australian music scene, but first and foremost, she’s a family girl from Forster, passionate about putting the Great Lakes on the map.

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“I decided to use my old pirate name Jack River because it doesn’t give anything away,” Holly said.

“People have no idea what my music will sound like, so it makes them really listen to it, with no expectations.” 

Now based in Sydney, Holly still finds time to visit her family home in Forster to play with her dog,  surf with her little brother, and play golf with dad.

She’s also found time to direct the phenomenon that is Forster’s Grow Your Own music and produce festival.

“It’s been a big year for everything really,” she said.

“My song Fault Line has just been the most played Triple J song in Australia, which is just unreal, I can’t believe it.

“As well as my music, Grow Your Own has become a massive event this year, so it’s a busy time, I’ve never been busier.”

With the hustle and bustle of organising her own festival, complete with nationally renowned bands and a variety of local food producers, it’s hard to believe Holly has time to fit anything else into her schedule, but she certainly does.

“I’ve released two songs this year and they’ve both gone pretty well so far, so that’s pretty exciting. It’s been a massive year and I guess a turning point year for Jack River and everything I do,” she said.

“It’s really mind blowing and cool to see, to go on the Triple J website and see my song as the most played song in the country, that’s a massive dream come true. My other song Electric Lady has had a great reception so far too.

“I’ve got a big couple of months coming up, with Grow Your Own, then I’m playing at three New Years Eve festivals in three days,  which is pretty hectic. I’m doing Lost Paradise on the Central Coast, Beyond the Valley in Melbourne, and then playing on New Years Eve at Byron Bay.”

Heading into the new year, Holly’s schedule isn’t looking like cooling down any time soon, with a headline tour around the country in March, and the release of her new album scheduled for the middle of the year.

“It’s going to be my biggest national tour yet so I’m excited for that, and then releasing the album will be great too,” she said.

On the mammoth success of Jack River’s song Fault Line, Holly couldn’t be more excited.

“I never really expect anything from my music because the music industry is so unpredictable, but it’s pretty awesome to know that people are requesting it and playing it a lot,” she said.