Holly ‘Cookie’ Baker

Holly ‘Cookie’ Baker’s latest single The Winter is a masterclass in turning heartbreak into something luminous. Positioned as an accidental sister song to her 2017 duet The Summer with Tim Rogers, the track feels like the closing of a circle—where warmth once bloomed, now there is cool reflection, but also the promise of new growth.

What immediately stands out is the emotional weight of Cookie’s performance. Her voice, shimmering with both fragility and strength, glides across lush string arrangements by South Australian composer Thea Martin. These strings don’t just decorate the song; they breathe with it, expanding and contracting alongside the lyrics like the rise and fall of a heartbeat. Producer Mario Spate brings his atmospheric pop sensibility to the forefront, crafting a soundscape that is cinematic yet grounded in intimacy. The addition of Ollie English’s vocals is a revelation—his raw tone intertwines with Cookie’s in moments that swell from whispered confessions to roaring crescendos, embodying the emotional arc of the song itself.

Lyrically, The Winter explores dissatisfaction and loss without succumbing to despair. Instead, Cookie crafts a narrative of resilience and quiet hope, confronting resignation but still reaching for light. The track builds on her reputation as one of Australia’s most evocative storytellers, an artist unafraid to sit with vulnerability while seeking catharsis.

With its expansive chamber-pop textures and poignant lyricism, The Winter is not just a song about heartbreak—it’s a hymn for renewal. It lingers long after the final note, like frost giving way to the first hints of spring.