Though Holly Golightly entered the music business through Thee Headcoatees - the all-girl garage-punk counterpart to Thee Headcoats and Thee Milkshakes - she's carved out a niche all her own since going solo in 1995. Her original blend of folk, vintage rock and old-school blues landed her a duet with Jack White on the White Stripes' 2003 album Elephant and the title song of Jim Jarmusch's 2005 film Broken Flowers.
Then, in 2007, the English musician teamed up with Texan one-man band Lawyer Dave to make You Can't Buy a Gun When You're Crying. The two joined forces again this year for a new album, Dirt Don't Hurt, which hit stores in October. To promote the new album, Golightly and Dave - known to fans as Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs - just kicked off a U.S. tour, which includes a stop at Cafe Montmartre Sunday.
Golightly says she's looking forward to returning to Madison after an enjoyable concert here last year. She even plans to visit some of her hangouts from the last time around, such as the Cha Cha Beauty Parlor.
"They were so nice and did such a great job. I'm hoping to sneak in there early if I have the time," she says.
This visit to Madison is more than just a stop on the duo's American tour, though. It's the beginning of a new chapter for the two musicians, who are relocating to the backwoods of Georgia to live.
"The original idea was to live somewhere rural, easy and warm. Georgia is all those things and more. For [me], it resembles England enough to feel familiar, and for Dave it resembles Texas enough to keep his gun collection," Golightly says. "Future plans for the farm include moonshining, recording studio, miniature animal ranching, illegal architecture and founding the one true church."
Golightly also hopes the new living arrangements are conducive to songwriting, which has been the lifeblood of her career as a solo artist. In fact, since breaking away from Thee Headcoatees, she's been quite prolific, releasing 18 polished albums, including Dirt Don't Hurt.
"I used to have a lot of time on my hands, which led to many ideas for songs and a lot of backlog for many years," she says. "I don't think of it as hugely prolific; it's just something I do. I can't help it, I guess."