Holmes and Presley, a Nashville Americana duo comprised of Steven Holmes and La’a kea Presley, blossomed out of an array of multi-cultural influences. They both grew up in nontraditional, musically inclined families. Holmes spent most of his childhood in Manila, Philippines spending a lot of time, “Simply playing, always by ear and always what felt right, a lot of rubber soul by The Beatles” said Holmes. He was strongly influenced by his father who played guitar as well as his piano playing sisters. On the other hand, Presley moved back and forth from Arkansas, Hawaii and Seattle. Because of spending a period of her life in Hawaii, she is influenced by native Hawaiian music as well as hula. Presley is also a classically trained pianist and is influenced by baroque music. Her mother, who was an opera singer, greatly influenced her love for the classical arts. “We are an Americana sort of rootsy but louder almost country sometimes kind of sound,” said Presley. With such diverse and intricate musical backgrounds, it’s not a surprise that Holmes and Presley eventually came together after meeting Belmont University to pursue music. Eventually they both realize their passion for music was more important than their time in school. “For two years I studied Music Business, until I realized that it was souring the sweet sweet love I have for performance and being involved creatively in the industry,” said Holmes. They helped each other develop their own individual writing styles and always found success in the music they create together. As Holmes said, “Finally, we realized that we were destined to be a duo.” Currently, they are pursuing a career in the music industry by continuing their songwriting and performing around Nashville.