She moved to North Carolina where in 1999 she created a collection of traditional hymns and gospel songs which caught the attention of radio listeners and Yep Rock Records.

[2][3] Acoustic Guitar Magazine wrote, "Claire Holley is an observer, a romantic reporter from the backyards and front porches of the heartland.

"[4] Claire Holley has performed with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kate Campbell, and Caroline Herring, and has composed music for The Fence, an independent film which received the 2008 UCLA Directors Spotlight Award.

[9] Holley was also a member of Musette (formerly Song Sirens), a group of female singer-songwriters that performed every so often in Sierra Madre, a little town in the mountains just north of Los Angeles.

[11] Her latest, Every Hour, features modern arrangements of hymns and sacred songs, ranging in style from a 4th century carol to southern gospel and a Beach Boys cover.