Rootsy, soulful and jazzy, and possessing a raspy, rich, resonating voice, Hollie Smith burst onto the NZ music scene like a volcano. Her debut album, 2006's Long Player, topped the national charts and won her a swag of New Zealand music awards. Her prodigious talents were first recognised when she was named Best Female Vocalist at the National Jazz Festival when she was only 16. She has since become a true DIY artist, self-producing and releasing records through her own label, as well as working alongside a bunch of her contemporaries.