Interview: Sidewalk Sounds Takes Over NYC - with Holden McRae and Jessy Dover

Holden McRae - Artist

A rising voice in alt pop, Holden McRae is known for his honest lyricism that blurs the line between heartbreak and healing. With a knack for turning personal stories into universally felt moments, McRae’s music captures the beauty in vulnerability. His latest collaboration with Dagne Dover marks a new chapter in how artistry meets design.

Jessy Dover — Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, Dagne Dover

As the visionary behind Dagne Dover’s functional-meets-fashionable aesthetic, Jessy Dover has turned the brand into a staple for modern creatives. Her approach to creativity merges intention, sustainability, and storytelling. With Sidewalk Sounds, Jessy expands Dagne Dover’s world beyond design, connecting it to sound, culture, and the pulse of New York City. 

Hey everyone, it’s Jackie with Muah Music Media! We’re here in New York City on October 28, 2025 for Sidewalk Sounds, a brand-new collaboration between Dagne Dover and local music artists that brings together the New York fashion, creativity, and live music scene in one place.

We’re joined by Jessy Dover, along with tonight’s performer, Holden McRae, to talk about what this collaboration means and how it came to life.

Jackie:

Holden, Jessy -  thank you both so much for chatting with us after the show!

Jessy:

For sure. Happy to be here. 

Holden:

Yeah same.

Jackie:

Holden, you’re the first artist to perform as part of Sidewalk Sounds. What drew you to this collaboration?

Holden:

I think it’s just a combination of things. I think it’s just a brand that I really do care about and love. I think that’s really important for me, like if I’m ever gonna work with any brands, it has to be something that I like using and am a fan of their values. And I think that’s first and foremost the most important thing and then I think we also just aligned a lot in terms of creativity being really important and in terms of the whole vibe of this collection, being to get in touch with nature and spend time outside and take note of those smaller moments were all things that I totally believe in and are putting in my music so I thought it was a perfect collab opportunity. 

Jackie:

And Jessy, why was Holden the right fit to kick this off? What about his sound or story spoke to the Dagne Dover brand?

Jessy:

The second I heard Holden’s music, I absolutely loved it, and same thing, I resonated with his message. I’m a mountain girl at heart. I’m from Colorado, I grew up there, and I really wanted to drop this collection with the theme of Highlands because it makes me feel like home. I sometimes, in New York, get a little bit homesick or I want to touch grass and I can’t haha I have to go to the park. 

And so I wanted Highlands to encapsulate this feeling of being in tune with nature and with self and taking a moment to breathe and really be aware of the things going on around me and myself. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the craziness of New York and building a brand and all those things. When I heard Holden’s music, I specifically listened to “Sit This One Out” and I was like ‘Oh, this is it.’ It was exactly what I needed to hear at that time. Haha. I also was like ‘Oh, this is just like, it’s perfect.’ And then I started to go down a rabbit hole of getting to know who Holden was, and I was like ‘Yeah, seems really aligned with the brand in terms of our values and what we stand for.’ And just being both creatives too. I felt connected to his work. 

Kai:

My question for you Jessy is, can you walk me through how Sidewalk Sounds came to life? 

Jessy:

That’s a great question. I remember. I have a deep appreciation for music. I’m not a musical person at all. My art form is very different. But I’ve always wanted to… I guess I’m passionate about working with other artists and showcasing their work and exposing them to my community that I built with Dagne. And actually, friends of friends got us in touch with Holden and it sort of felt very fortuitous at the time. But Sidewalk Sounds came together after we met Holden, actually, now that I’m thinking about it. I really wanted to incorporate music in the drop and partner up with someone. And then I was like ‘Okay, so what can we do with this?’ and my team just got around the table and they were like - they’re so creative - it just kind of came out. We were throwing ideas around and then we were like ‘It’s dope. It’s perfect. Let’s try it out.’ And also this neighborhood it’s very commercial. And we were like, ‘Well let’s just create a vibe and chill people out and see what happens.’ 

Kai:

So what made you want to merge bag design and live music?

Jessy:

I guess the same thing. When I’m creating a collection, I'm creating an entire… My head is in a theme that I've created as an inspiration, like a little imaginary world, and I pull all my colors and textures and things from that. And music seems like the obvious way to bring that to life for our community and our consumers. And obviously, socials is so important and being able to utilize music to communicate the message is the best way to do that, I think. 

Jackie:

You both create things that people live with, whether it’s a song that sticks with you for days or a bag someone carries daily. Do you think about longevity when you’re creating? Either of you can start first. 

Holden:

Yeah. I definitely do. I think with any good brand, it’s probably similar. I think there’s an element of feeling the external pressure about ‘What is going to resonate with people in this moment? What’s trending? How am I going to capture the moment? How am I gonna make something extend to a lot of people and perform well on socials and stuff like that?’ But I think I feel like the more you do music, there’s a world where people do that, but I also think it's really important if you're going to build anything that lasts, that it has to be super authentic to you, and it has to be part of your story.  

And I think the same thing with a brand. You really want to layer that and set that foundation so that you can establish a sense of identity. Because I think similarly, if you're starting a brand and if you're starting an artist career, the thing that people want is to know you. And if you're constantly changing what that is, it's really hard to establish that. 

And so I think with everything I do, I try to just make it as authentic as possible so that I know 10 years from now when I look back on it, I'm not going to be like, ‘Whoa, that was a crazy era I was in like,’ I'm like, no… maybe… but that was also me and that's still me. And, you know, that's super important to me. 

Jessy:

Yeah, I love that. That's so important. Also just being able to connect with people, I think, is one of the most important things. If you can't be real and authentic, then I don't know, an unimportant connection doesn't feel meaningful. 

But, for my work, I think it's a little different. We're creating stories also. And we drop seasonal collections to kind of hit trends and make sure there's current things happening, but… 
It's really the same thing. I just design what I like and what I want to wear and what works for my life. And I think, in that sense, I guess it is just being authentic to myself. 

I want something that carries my computer that's performance driven, that's cute, that I can work to the gym, but I can also wear to the office that I can share with my boyfriend and like gift to my mom and my grandma or anyone in my family, and they'll appreciate it and be able to use it too. So that's kind of where I come from. And then I guess it ends up being a little bit timeless from that perspective, similar to what Holden said, I feel like with songs. You have a feeling. Sometimes I'll look back at journal entries or a jacket I had or whatever, and be like, actually, that's's really fucking cool. Or I will have written the same sentence five years ago that I wrote two weeks ago and I just have no recollection of it, but that's how you know it's just very much in you and who you are in a sense. I don't know if it's intentional, but those things just end up coming to the surface. 

Kai:

And how does Sidewalk Sounds tie into your FW25 collection and the Dagne Dover experience as a whole?

Jessy:

That’s a great question. We really just wanted to bring the collection to life and to bring our people into it. It's one thing to drop a collection. Maybe you can buy it, maybe you can't afford it, maybe it's not the right time for you, but you can always come and listen to some music and vibe out. So that was kind of our thought behind it. 

Jackie:

While this is only the first in the series, can we expect more Sidewalk Sounds events in the future, in other cities or with different types of artists?

Jessy:

Hahaha. Yeah. That was a huge success. I think people LOVED Holden. So like, that was a whole part of it 

Jackie:

As they should. 

Jessy:

But yeah, I think it was great. We would definitely do it again. 

Kai:

Holden, what’s next for you musically after this collaboration?

Holden:

I mean, as I alluded to at the end of the set, I'm putting out a new single very soon, so that'll be in a couple weeks. I'm planning on releasing a Christmas song as well by the end of the year. 

Jessy:

Yes!

Holden:

I'm just really focused on putting out as much music as I possibly can in the next six to eight months. I feel like in a lot of ways, I've recently discovered what I feel like my voice is as an artist, so I think it's super important to be telling people that as much as possible by putting out music that aligns with that. 

And other than that, my main instrument is keys and I play for my older sister, Jensen, so we're going to be doing a lot of touring in the next, you know, year or so as well.

Jackie:

Heard. Heard. Noted. Haha.

Well, we love seeing brands like Dagne Dover merge creativity, culture, and connection in new ways. Thank you both so much for chatting with us here at Muah Music Media tonight. Stay tuned for more coverage of Sidewalk Sounds, Holden McRae, and Dagne Dover’s FW25 launch.

Holden:

Thank you! 

Jessy:

Thank you!

To see the photos from the show: