Angèle Returns

2HOLLIS wears PANTS by 424, BELT from SLAM JAM ARCHIVE, SHOES are THE WEAPON.

We first met in Paris at the end of June, during a sun-filled afternoon shoot in a loft in the fourth arrondissement. Ten days later, I called him from Amsterdam, and he picked up from his studio in Los Angeles. On that call, we talked about the habits that keep him grounded—early mornings, no phone, light through the window—as well as the imagery that keeps showing up in his work: digital symbols, anime references, private rituals.

With a 24-date North American tour starting in September, things are picking up. But 2hollis seems less interested in momentum for its own sake. What matters more is staying connected to the core of what he’s making: slow growth, clear intentions, and enough time to feel things as they come.

Below is our unfiltered conversation on that trans‑Atlantic call:

ENZO: Take me back to this morning—what was the very first thing on your mind when you opened your eyes?

HOLLIS: Lately I’ve been waking up and forcing myself to stand right up, rather than look at my phone. I find that the days I start my morning by scrolling on my phone aren’t the best days. So I just get up and walk outside immediately.

Straight into natural sunlight?

Yeah, I just step into the sunshine. That’s usually what I do.

Left: SHOES are THE WEAPON. Right: 2HOLLIS wears JACKET and PANTS by 424.

TOP: 2HOLLIS wears COAT by LU’U DAN, PANTS and BOOTS by 424, SUNGLASSES by GUCCI. Bottom: 2HOLLIS wears JACKET by RICK OWENS.

Do you have any rituals throughout the day to set the tone or keep you going?

Definitely. I try to get sunlight whenever I can – I even invoke Metatron sometimes. I mostly just exist on my own terms. I’ll go into my own space, away from phones and from people. I like to spend time alone when I really want to start my best day. I feel like if I see anyone, it resets my creative timer. The more I'm away from people, the higher it builds, and the more I make the crazier shit.

Lately, my process has been working during the day, because my creative flame is really fueled by sunlight. I just can’t sit in a dark studio with a fruit bowl and poor air conditioning – it’s not inspiring for me. So I set up a studio in my new house with huge floor-to-ceiling windows, and I get lots of sun. I work during the day, in the light, and lately I’ve been trying to go to bed early at night. I’m a bit of a grandpa lately.

You’ve talked about feeding off nighttime vibes before. How does that fit in?

I’ve switched it up lately. I’ve found working at night to be less inspiring. I was going to bed at 7 a.m. and waking up at 3 p.m., and then I’d wake up hating it. So I said, “Enough of that; I’m taking control.” Now I wake up early and feel a lot more inspired.

You grew up in a musical household—what do you remember hearing around the house?

Pretty much everything. My dad is a huge part of my musical influences—he showed me so much of what I still love today. Early on I got into Daft Punk, Justice, and some classic rock like Iron Maiden and AC/DC. I was also listening to a lot of hip-hop and soul—A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Al Green, Otis Redding. And then there was this Berlin techno duo, Basic Channel—my dad used to play their stuff in the car all the time. I didn’t realize it then, but that sound really stuck with me.

That’s a lot of European influence?

This was young, but I was absolutely obsessed with a Swedish band called Lo‑Fi Funk. Their first album is called Boy Life—that was a bit of an influence on, if you know, with all the boyliife shit that me and my friends are on. There’s a track on it called “City” that was my favorite. I’d always ask my mom to play it when she drove me to school. If you listen to that song now, you can hear how it's definitely influenced me..

Left: SHOES are THE WEAPON. Right: 2HOLLIS wears JACKET by RICK OWENS.

What was the first thing you remember discovering yourself that made a big impact on you, musically?

For sure, Skrillex. Everyone knows Skrillex was huge for me. Also Deadmau5, and really all that dubstep coming out around 2013-2015. Honestly, Minecraft YouTuber intro music was a big deal for me as well for me when I was 10 years old. I was obsessed – I’d replay certain YouTuber intros over and over just to hear the 15-second drop. I’d even try to recreate them in GarageBand and fail hilariously.

I know you’ve changed your stage name a few times. When did you start thinking about stage names?

Oh, I was very young. I must have been about 12. I was into skateboarding, and my friends and I would skate listening to everything that was hot at the time. This was around 2016. Famous Dex had this song – it’s called “Drip” – that goes, “I get the drip from my walk.” We were so obsessed with that track. We would skate to it all the time. I remember wanting to change my Instagram name back then, and I was thinking about that song, so I went with “Drippy.” Then I just added “Soup” for no reason. So my name was “Drippy Soup” for a while. It had a nice run, but eventually it had to change. “Hollis” is my real name, so I switched to that. Then I added “2” in front because I see the number 2 a lot in my life. So in high school I became “2hollis.”

What triggers you to create?

Everything. It’s the music I’m listening to, the images I see, the movies, the video games, the people around me. It’s experiences, nature, love, heartbreak, anger... all emotions, life itself.

Left: 2HOLLIS wears JACKET by RICK OWENS. Right: 2HOLLIS wears PANTS by 424, BELT from SLAM JAM ARCHIVE, SHOES are THE WEAPON.

You mentioned Minecraft. I know you’re very fond of the game. What exactly about it inspires you?

I love Minecraft because it’s perfect in a way. The great thing about Minecraft is that it can be anything you want it to be. You can create any experience you want in that game.

Do you want to create the same feeling with your music?

People always ask me, “What’s the meaning of this song?” But for most of my songs, the best answer I can give is, “It’s what you want it to be.” Some songs have specific stories, sure, but I like art where the listener or viewer gives it their own meaning. Once someone listens to a song and it resonates with them, that song becomes theirs in a way. I think that’s why I relate to Minecraft – both allow for personal interpretation and creativity.

If you could import one element from Minecraft into real life, what would it be?

Elytra. Definitely. My friends and I always talk about that – imagine if we could have Elytra and just fly around. That would be insane!

Do you see yourself as a worldbuilder? Do you have certain symbols or visual motifs that keep reappearing in your work?

Totally. I always think visually when I’m making music. For the past couple of years, I’ve actually been world-building a story around my music. It’s something I’ve been developing, and it will be more fleshed out in time. Right now, I think of all my albums as part of the same universe I’ve built. Some connections are obvious, others more subtle, but everything ties together. I like to keep it canon, so even if different albums or songs sound different, they’re all in the same conceptual world.

2HOLLIS wears COAT by LU’U DAN, SUNGLASSES by GUCCI.

You mentioned that your earring was inspired by Howl’s jewel from Howl’s Moving Castle. What draws you to Howl’s character and his sense of beauty?

I’ve had a personal connection with Howl ever since I was very young. I’ve loved that story for a long time. I see a lot of myself in him. He’s a genius character – charismatic, beautiful, but also flawed. I admire a lot of his traits and sometimes try to channel them. Of course, some of his aspects are toxic, and I’m aware of that, so I know what not to emulate. But I think he’s just a beautifully complex character. I relate to him in many ways, and I try to capture a bit of that beauty in myself.

You recently changed your hair color to black. Is there a particular color that makes you feel most “you”?

I think 2Hollis is meant to be ever-evolving, ever-changing. Staying in one place has never been me – in personality or in art. I like to move around, try new things, never stay still physically or spiritually. I’m always moving. Literally, when I'm sleeping, my foot is shaking. My mom took a video of it one time. I'm literally constantly moving.

But I’ve noticed fans can get really attached to a certain image of me. It becomes almost personal for them, like they feel they know me and own a part of me. I’ve kind of wanted that – I feel that way about my fans, and they feel it about me. So I guess it worries some people when I change. Some fans were even outraged by my new hair color. But I find that interesting. I’m always going to change. People often react negatively to change simply because it’s unfamiliar at first. If every new thing I did was immediately loved, maybe I wouldn’t be pushing any boundaries.

So yeah, I’ll keep changing – hair color, music style, look, everything. That’s part of who I am.

2HOLLIS wears PANTS by 424, BELT from SLAM JAM ARCHIVE, SHOES are THE WEAPON.

Left: 2HOLLIS wears JACKET and PANTS by 424. Right: SHOES are THE WEAPON.

You give off a strong sense of self. What’s your relationship with feeling misunderstood?

I feel like I’m misunderstood almost 99% of the time. But that’s part of being an artist, right? Almost all great artists are misunderstood. Sure, many people do get me – my true fans really understand what I’m about. But yeah, most of the time I feel like people don’t fully get me.

When did you first realize you were good at what you do? 

Honestly, I think when I first started trying to make music, I just knew in my heart it was my path. Even as a kid in middle school making beats on my computer, I had this feeling that I was headed toward exactly where I am now. And I know I’m still nowhere near where I’m ultimately going to be. There’s a long way to go, but it’s exciting.

What would you say is your own weapon?

I use no weapons. I only use love.