Kirsten Holly Smith & Ethan Allen

Kirsten Holly Smith & Ethan Allen
Songwriting Duo | Artists | Producers
“KiKi Holli… delivers a performance of great beauty.” – Rolling Stone
Kirsten Holly Smith (known artistically as KiKi Holli & The Remedy) and Ethan Allen are a Los Angeles–based songwriting duo crafting emotionally grounded, genre-fluid songs rooted in melody, groove, and narrative truth. Their partnership is built on deep musical intuition and a shared commitment to authenticity—writing songs that feel lived-in rather than constructed, and timeless rather than trend-driven.
Smith is an indie-pop vocalist, songwriter, and performer known for her cinematic sensibility, harmony-forward writing, and emotionally direct vocal delivery. Writing under her artist identity KiKi Holli and performing with KiKi Holli & The Remedy, her work blends indie pop, soul, alt-rock textures, and atmospheric elements into songs centered on vulnerability, transformation, and connection.
Her work has received widespread critical recognition, with features from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Earmilk, LADYGUNN, and 1883 Magazine. The duo’s single “WISH” was named Best Song of 2025 by Atwood Music Magazine, marking a defining moment in their collaborative catalog.
Ethan Allen is a 2x Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, engineer, mixer, and multi-instrumentalist whose career spans decades and genres. He has worked with Ben Harper, Mavis Staples, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Tricky, The 88, Luscious Jackson, The Cult, Gram Rabbit, Sheryl Crow, Tim Finn, Brant Bjork, Donita Sparks, Patty Griffin, and Better Than Ezra, contributing across albums, film, television, and sync-driven projects.
Allen also served as lead engineer for six years at Daniel Lanois’ Kingsway Studios in New Orleans, a formative period that deeply shaped his approach to sound, space, and emotional resonance in recording.
He is additionally a core member of the indie-dance/post-punk collective ASHRR, where he performs, writes, and produces music grounded in groove-forward rhythms, electronic soul, and layered harmonies—elements that subtly inform his songwriting work with Smith.
Collaborative Projects
KiKi Holli & The Remedy
The primary artist vehicle for Smith & Allen, KiKi Holli & The Remedy centers on unified lead vocals and harmonies, expressive guitar work, and a strong rhythmic foundation driven by bass, toms, and snare. Their songwriting emphasizes cohesion and feel over contrast, creating songs that move physically while carrying emotional depth.
Their critically acclaimed single “WISH”—named Best Song of 2025 by Atwood Music Magazine—explores longing, renewal, and presence, solidifying the duo’s voice in modern indie pop and indie rock. Additional releases include the Billboard-praised “WIN U OVER,” LGBTQ+ favorite “PRETTY BOYS,” and fan favorites “NEW HIGH,” “Play to Lose,” and “Sun Playing Tricks.”
Website: kikiholli.com
Vintage Country Project (Kirsten Holly Smith & Ethan Allen)
This project explores classic country, early Americana, and folk-rooted songwriting with a focus on restraint, tone, and emotional honesty. Rather than recreating vintage aesthetics as pastiche, Smith & Allen write and record from inside the tradition—leaning on melody, storytelling, and performance to carry the songs.
The project is defined by warm, unvarnished vocals, traditional song structures, and arrangements that favor space and intention over modern gloss. Oscar-winning music supervisor, Matthew Hearon-Smith, described the work by saying, “Most people attempt to get the vintage sound, Kirsten Holly Smith & Ethan Allen are owning it.”
The result is music that feels genuinely timeless—rooted in the lineage of classic country and folk while remaining emotionally immediate and personal, well-suited for narrative-driven sync and artist-forward releases alike.
Soleil Violette
Soleil Violette is Smith & Allen’s meditation and ambient project, created as a space for stillness, nervous-system regulation, and emotional grounding. Built from gentle harmonic movement, sustained tones, breath-like phrasing, and subtle melodic motifs, the project is designed for deep listening rather than distraction.
The music draws from ambient, minimalist, and cinematic traditions, with an emphasis on softness, repetition, and flow. Ethan Allen has had the rare opportunity to spend meaningful time with Brian Eno, whose approach to atmosphere, space, and intention has profoundly influenced Allen’s sensibility—an influence that quietly informs the ethos and restraint of Soleil Violette.
Soleil Violette is intended for meditation, movement, healing practices, and moments of introspection—music that supports presence rather than demands attention.
Across all three projects, Smith & Allen approach songwriting as an act of care—whether crafting groove-driven indie songs, time-honored country narratives, or immersive ambient soundscapes.
Smith has a rich background in theater, TV, and film, and is best known for creating, co-writing, and starring in the critically acclaimed Forever Dusty: The Dusty Springfield Musical, which premiered Off-Broadway to glowing reviews. Press highlights include:
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY – “Kirsten Holly Smith captures Springfield's soul legend.”
NEW YORK POST – “Smith is the real thing!”
NEW YORK TIMES – “Dusty Springfield is reincarnated!”
TIME OUT NEW YORK – “Smith is a truly gifted vocalist.”
She has also contributed to Oscar-winning short films and notable TV/film projects, showcasing her versatility across mediums.
With Allen’s deep production experience and genre-spanning collaborations, Kirsten Holly Smith & Ethan Allen function as a true songwriting duo. Their work is unified by emotional clarity, musical trust, and a commitment to songs that feel honest, textured, and deeply human.
Websites:
kikiholli.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EthanAllen(music_producer)
ashrrmusic.com