Magazine Article

Power duo Tranquila talk to Bzzurkk! about the rollercoaster journey of not only the bands

struggles, but also their love life battle and how they’re now finally powering onto bigger

and better things. Grace Holy and Sam Trailings band first caught the public’s attention in

2010 where they supported one of pop punk biggest bands- Blink 182, Sam explains how

“Mark really gave us the break we needed. I had worked with him in the studio before and

got to know him quite well, but I never did anything in the booth as my job at the time just

consisted of dealing with the technicalities, music was just a hobby of ours really. One day I

brought Grace into the studio and we just started messing about, doing a few songs nothing

too serious. We didn’t notice Mark as he entered the studio and he must have liked what

he heard from us because he decided to help us start a proper career. We worked on some

songs with him that year and in 2010 we went on tour with him and I can whole-heartedly

say that it was the best experience of my life!” After the tour, Tranquila’s fame began to

reach new highs and on the surface seemed like it was all going great, however the couple

reveal that mixing business and pleasure is actually quite difficult. “Although Tranquila

started to become well known in the music industry and our careers were going perfectly, it

was hard to maintain our relationship. It got to the point where me and Sam only saw each

other in studios, at venues and at party’s because we had no time to see each other alone.

This caused constant arguments and made us to start to drift apart, our music was no

longer making the relationship better, and it was beginning to just tear us apart!” In the

summer of 2012 Sam tells Bzzurkk how it was one of the hardest times in the relationship.

“In 2012 Tranquila was asked to play T in the park and Reading and Leeds Festival which

would be our first time at both festivals so instantly, I became extremely excited -we had

just brought out the album “Lonely Hearts” 6 months before hand so we had loads of

material to perform and it also gave us an opportunity to play never before heard songs!

However the relationship between me and Grace was slowly deteriorating, the only thing

we spoke about at that point was our music, arguments were becoming a daily routine and

we didn’t really have time for each other. A month before T in the park me and Grace were

at each other’s throats, and she walk out. She ignored calls from me, our manager, all of

our friends, she was done. At first I was extremely angry at her but the longer she was away

the more I realised what was happening, it was over for good.” The band did not make it to

the festivals and shortly after the incident the couple announced the end of Tranquila.

Grace tells her feelings at that time, “I was heartbroken, I didn’t want to see anybody and I

got myself into a very dark place, I missed Sam, and the music but I just couldn’t cope with

it anymore, I was living back in Scotland with my parents and trying to get over the whole

ordeal.” And so Tranquila came to an end in 2012. “for a year I went back to working in the

studio and back to my old lifestyle, I was no longer known as the singer from Tranquila and I

was no longer with Grace, I ended up being very unhappy and unable to function properly.

This led me to be on anti-depressants and the loss of my job again.” After a hard 2 years, in

2014 Sam decided to finally take a trip to Scotland. “I honestly had nothing to lose, so I got

up one day and went to Scotland with my best friend Matt. I had no idea whether she

would still be living with her parents, and because I hadn’t spoke to her in a year and a half I

was going off luck, but it was worth the risk. I pulled up to her parents’ house and knocked

on the door, and she was there. Fortunately for me she was a similar way and we decided

to talk it out. After that I stayed in Scotland for a few days and we decided to start our

relationship up again, and I couldn’t have been happier.” Sam admits that although it was a

risky move, he and Grace say it was the best thing he could have ever done. Once the

relationship started to build again the couple were desperate to get back into the music

industry and found a brand new manager. They have now built a good system to be able to

mix their lifestyles. “me and Sam have never been happier and are definitely living the

dream, we have just brought out our new album ‘Intoxicated’ and have been asked to play

Leeds and Reading Festival, our relationship as a couple and as colleagues is finally an equal

balance and our fan base has been as supportive as ever, we couldn’t ask for more” The

power couple are finally back.