Jack River (musician)

Holly Isabella Rankin was born in 1991, to David and Donna Rankin,[1][2] and raised in Forster, New South Wales.[3][4] She started writing a diary from five- or six-years-old, "I just had an attraction to writing and also recording things. I've always been fascinated by people and stories and nature."[3][5] Her younger sister, Shannon Rankin (1995–2006), died in an accident due to a faulty drain in a spa.[2][5]

Initially performing under her given name Rankin adopted the performance name, Jack River, upon relocation to Sydney.[6] Her eight-track debut extended play, On Nature Part One, was issued in April 2013 via Waterfront Records/MGM Distribution.[7] James Monger of AllMusic described how her, "laid-back, psych-tinged electropop earned her a loyal local following."[6]

River signed with I Oh You/Universal Music Australia, which issued her single, "Talk Like That", in early 2016.[6] Happy Mag's Emerson Noble felt, "[it] has an incredibly tangible, organic feel that seems to come pretty naturally to [River]. There is an air of self-produced originality that draws you into this track but it's still so damn hooky that you're going to be singing that sweet synth riff for days."[8]

Her seven-track EP, Highway Songs No. 2 (October 2016) peaked at No. 19 on the ARIA Hitseekers Albums Chart.[9] It was co-produced by Rankin and Xavier Dunn.[6] Laura Polson of The Newcastle Herald observed, "On top of writing the melody and lyrics, Rankin seeks landscape sounds to add to her music... the opening track 'Highway (Intro)' draws together carnival sounds with a western, cowboy twist."[3]

River's single, "Fool's Gold" (June 2017), was accompanied by a music video, which Sosefina Fuamoli of The AU Review felt was, "dreamy as hell" and "lit up through a beautifully-crafted haze of a narrative, following different couples."[10] The single was certified gold for shipment of 35000 units in January 2019.[11] In June-July 2017 the singer-songwriter launched a series of concerts, Electric Lady, featuring only female acts: Ali Barter, Alex Lahey, and Gretta Ray.[10][12] River supported Midnight Oil during that year and undertook her own Fool's Gold Tour.[13]

On 22 June 2018 River released her debut album, Sugar Mountain, titled for Neil Young's song of the same name.[5] The album recounts River's painful memories, including her sister's fatal accident.[5] During an interview with Richard Kingsmill on 2018, a program on Triple J radio, River explained that music was her way of dealing with emotions and also as therapy, calling it her "go to for everything".[14] It peaked at No. 11 on the ARIA Albums Chart and she received three nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 2018: Breakthrough Artist, Best Pop Release and Engineer of the Year (the latter shared with Dunn and John Castle).[15] In October 2019, she came at no.11 in Happy Mag's list of "The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now".[16]

On 4 October 2019, River released the single "Later Flight" and announced she had an EP due for release on 14 February 2020.[17] [18]