Arrowsmith's songs, which draw heavily on folk with touches of country, are largely influenced by her natural surroundings in the South Island, where she grew up.
This year she and her husband Mike moved to the North Island.
"The opportunities had run a bit dry in Queenstown and I thought it was time to challenge myself," she says, adding that though it was hard moving away from family and friends, she's now happily settled in Auckland.
"Mike is from Milton and I'm from Arrowtown, so we're not city people. We thought Mt Maunganui would be a good middle ground.
"But we got there and after a week we realised it's pretty much the Queenstown of the North Island, so we just got back in the van and came to Auckland. It just felt too comfortable.
"And Auckland's not bad. You get these stereotypes, especially in the South Island, but I don't find it that different here. I think it's all about the people you have around you. That makes all the difference. It's a really cool city."
Arrowsmith credits helpful friends in the industry for her success so far. But it's clear that sheer determination and self-belief have also played a part in why she's now touted as one of Kiwi folk's rising stars.
"From the minute I decided that this is what I wanted to do, I've believed it was going to work. There have been a few moments of doubt, like, 'I need to go to university and get a real job', but never enough to go out and do it," she says.
"For me it's all or nothing. If you launch yourself completely into something and you don't have a back-up plan and anything to fall back on, you are more likely to keep going."
• Holly Arrowsmith is playing at the Tuning Fork in Auckland on September 5. For more upcoming tour dates visit hollyarrowsmith.com
