Bringing soft grunge to knoxville
Hollis Rivenbark is the frontman, lead vocalist , rhythm guitarist and song writer for Starting September, joined by BELL on drums and Jeffery McMurray on lead guitar.
Born in San Diego to a Navy family and raised between the US and Naples Italy, Hollis grew up surrounded by music. The child of touring musical theatre performers, she’s been on stage since she was seven, and writing her own songs since she was fourteen.
After being handed a guitar in high school and told to learn a Beatles song in a week, she never put it down. Over the past decade, she’s performed across California, Utah, Georgia, and Tennessee, building her sound through years of live shows and intimate venues.
Influenced by Neko case, Elliot smith, and phoebe bridgers, starting September blends haunting vocals with introspective songwriting and accustic-driven alternative textures. Their 2026 single, “Serenity,” captures the fragile space between heartbreak and hope in the early days of sobriety.