There are artists who use music as escapism, and then there are artists who use it as confrontation. For Lyric Noel, the project has become a vehicle for the latter, turning deeply personal experiences with mental illness into something raw, visible, and emotionally honest.
With the release of “Shades of Black,” Lyric Noel enters a bold new chapter. The single marks the band’s first release in partnership with Judge & Jury Records, the label founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson and Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace. But beyond the significance of the signing, the track also represents one of the most personal pieces of music the project has delivered so far.
Speaking with Jai That Aussie Metal Guy for CRANNK, vocalist Lyric Hollar reflected on the journey that has brought the band to this moment, from early musical memories and viral covers to a deeply personal creative direction that now defines the project.
Music has always been part of Lyric’s life. Growing up surrounded by singing from her mother and the soundtracks of classic Disney films, she remembers discovering her voice as a child while singing songs from The Lion King and Pocahontas. What began as a childhood fascination slowly evolved into something more serious as her musical influences expanded.
Early inspirations ranged from pop icons like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and NSYNC to heavier acts such as Nirvana, Kittie, and Arch Enemy, before eventually landing on the atmospheric and genre-blending sounds of Sleep Token, a band Lyric describes as one of her biggest modern inspirations.
But the foundation of Lyric Noel itself lies in a creative partnership much closer to home.
Lyric is quick to credit guitarist, composer, and producer Russell Hollar as the driving force behind the band’s sound. Their collaboration began organically during the early days of their relationship, when Lyric would post recordings of herself singing online and Russell began encouraging her to take the idea further.
“I always try to drive home to everybody that this project would not be what it is if it wasn’t for my husband,” Lyric explains. “He composes, writes, records, mixes, masters, he does all of it.”
From those early collaborations, the pair began releasing covers online in 2018, experimenting with reinterpretations of familiar songs. The approach soon found an audience, particularly when the band released a metal version of “Carol of the Bells.”
What started as an experiment quickly exploded. The track went viral almost overnight, eventually reaching more than two million views and even being shared by official Ukrainian government social media pages during the Russia–Ukraine war, due to the song’s Ukrainian folk origins.
That unexpected momentum helped bring the rest of the band into focus. Drummer Jerrin Castillo joined the project after performing in the “Carol of the Bells” video shoot, instantly proving himself to be a natural fit for the band’s energy. Guitarist Robby Gray, who had previously played with Russell, soon followed.
While the covers helped introduce Lyric Noel to a broader audience, the band was never content to remain defined by reinterpretations alone. Over time, the focus shifted toward original material — music that would allow Lyric to explore deeply personal themes in her own voice.
That shift is immediately apparent in songs like “Blood in the Water,” a track Lyric describes as one of her favourites in the band’s catalogue.
The song draws inspiration from the documentary Blackfish, reflecting both Lyric’s passion for animal advocacy and the broader emotional metaphor of reaching a breaking point. In the track’s narrative, the moment when something snaps — whether an animal pushed too far or a person overwhelmed by emotion — becomes a universal expression of frustration and release.
But if “Blood in the Water” explores the idea of a breaking point, “Shades of Black” dives directly into the emotional darkness that can precede it.
The song centers on the experience of borderline personality disorder and suicidal ideation, exploring the way emotional instability can shift perception and distort reality. In Lyric’s words, the world begins to appear not in simple black and white, but through countless shades of darkness.
“When you have borderline personality, you experience the world through multiple shades of darkness,” she explains.
The symbolism of the Black Dahlia — a flower often associated with death, beauty, and tragedy — serves as a central metaphor within the song. Rather than offering easy resolution, the track embraces the contradictions of mental illness: pain existing alongside beauty, exhaustion alongside resilience.
That emotional honesty is not a one-off concept but part of a much larger vision.
Lyric Noel’s forthcoming album will explore different mental disorders through a series of characters, with each song representing a specific condition. Over the course of the album, these characters gradually reveal a larger narrative about mental health and the complexities of living with emotional instability.
For Lyric, the decision to tackle these themes openly felt natural.
“That’s what I write about anyway,” she says. “So I just figured let’s lean into this and make this part of who I am.”
Musically, the band continues to evolve alongside those themes. Lyric describes the project’s sound as a collaborative effort shaped heavily by Russell’s production approach — blending heavy guitars with atmospheric textures, layered synths, and cinematic elements that add emotional depth to the songs.
While Robby Gray has contributed compositions such as “Blood in the Water” and “Gravity,” Russell’s role in shaping the final sonic landscape remains central to the band’s identity.
That creative control was also a key factor when Lyric Noel began conversations with Judge & Jury Records.
Rather than simply seeking industry backing, the band wanted a partnership that would allow them to maintain the sound and creative direction they had already established.
“My biggest stipulation was that my husband had to remain the producer,” Lyric explains. “This is his time to shine.”
Judge & Jury embraced that vision, giving the band the freedom to continue building their sound while providing the industry support needed to reach a wider audience.
Visual storytelling has also become an increasingly important element of the project. While earlier videos were created independently by the band, the cinematic presentation of “Shades of Black” represents a step forward in translating the emotional weight of the music into visual form.
For Lyric, the goal is simple: the visuals should capture the same atmosphere and intensity that listeners hear in the music itself.
Beyond the production, the project’s core mission remains centered on connection. Lyric has already experienced moments where listeners have reached out during livestreams to share how the music has resonated with their own struggles.
Those moments, she says, are among the most rewarding aspects of creating music.
Looking ahead, Lyric Noel remains focused on completing the album and preparing the band’s next stage of growth. Touring is something Lyric hopes to pursue in the future, particularly because it would offer the opportunity to connect with listeners face to face.
For now, however, the priority is ensuring that the band’s first full-length album arrives exactly as envisioned.
“This will be the first full-length original album we’ve ever released,” Lyric says. “People finally get to see and hear me, my band, and my message for what it is.”
If “Shades of Black” is any indication, that message is not about hiding from darkness — but about giving it a voice.
