Today, Montreal alt-pop sensation dee holt makes her presence known in 2023 with the release of new song + video 'Better.' The track highlights dee’s moody vocal characteristic with a magnetic and mysterious hook: “I’m better left behind / It’s better not to try / Better to deny.” The guitar-driven song captures a sultry sound that holds its own next to contemporaries like Billie Eilish and Charlotte Lawrence. Listen to 'Better' on all digital retailers here.
“This unconscious cycle of self-sabotage is what Better is all about,” dee explains. “It's about always expecting the worst in others as well as yourself. It's about getting into relationships and expecting it all to fall apart before it's even begun. It's about thinking that you're ‘better left behind.’"
'Better' serves as the follow-up to 'Sober' signaling more music on the horizon from the rising star. After making her highly anticipated live performance debut at M for Montreal Festival in November, dee has shown herself as one to watch in 2023. Billboard praised her “confidence” and “crisp vocals,” and RANGE named her in their Class of 2023, highlighting the best upcoming Canadian artists.
From singing to her dad’s guitar in VHS home videos and performing at family gatherings, to studying music and art in high school, dee holt’s life has been saturated with creativity from the very beginning. But despite all the external affirmation of her musical talent, she never thought about making a career out of it. As dee says, “Of course your mom’s going to tell you you can sing, right?”
It’s fitting then, that the performance that started her career wasn’t an audition or in front of a label, but an intimate gathering for her and her boyfriend’s parents to meet. When, on cue, dee’s mother suggested that she sing, dee turned to face the wall so that she could play the guitar without laughing. After she had finished, she turned around to see tears in her boyfriend’s eyes, the eyes of both his parents, and his little brother, too.
It was impossible to ignore any longer. dee doesn’t just have a good voice; she has a gift.
After forming a creative bond with local producer Benjamin Nadeau, dee’s first two singles landed her on Spotify’s LOREM playlist, among countless others, and the momentum didn’t stop. In 2022, after signing with Nettwerk Music Group, she released her debut EP, When I Close My Eyes, garnering millions of streams, numerous playlist covers, rave reviews, and even a Spotify billboard in downtown Toronto. TeenVogue called her “one to watch,” and SHEESH Media compared her vocals to the great Billie Eilish.
dee is currently studying art/animation at university and continues to design all her own artwork and direct her own music videos. The project translates that much more of dee’s singular and magnetic sensibility. “With my cover art and visuals, I like to say that it’s fully me. It’s more authentic. It pushes me to learn new things and push myself.”
