[2] Her father, Jeremy Sparks, Carmen's then-partner, was a film set constructor and later worked as an engineer on the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony (2000), festivals and large public artworks (including Halo).

[3][4][5] In October 2019 she reflected on her upbringing, "I was raised by a colourful family completely entrenched in the entertainment industry; a complex group of eccentric individuals.

[8] For secondary education, she attended Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and recalled working on music with a friend, "when we were 13 and both playing guitar, we started a band called Bridezilla.

The group played festivals and opened for the Dirty Three, John Cale (of the Velvet Underground), Wilco, Stephen Malkmus (Pavement), the Drones, Interpol, and Sia.

[15] They released a five-track self-titled extended play (November 2007),[16] a vinyl split single shared with the Tren Brothers (2019) and a sole full-length studio album, The First Dance (October 2009).

[15] Their original material was co-written by all five members;[17] Courtley explained to Louise McClean of The Blackmail, "Our song writing style has changed so much since the EP and that natural progression to a more sophisticated platforms equals more hard work.

[31][32] Holiday contributed a cover version of Darlene Love and Phil Spector's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" to Valentine Recording Presents: A Christmas Miracle (23 December 2018); a collaborative benefit album by various artists for victims of that year's California Wildfires with other contributions from Cameron, Mac Demarco, Jack Ladder, Kirin J. Callinan and Weyes Blood.

[37] Sidewinder relocated to London in late 2012 to pursue a solo pop career; she briefly returned to Bridezilla for their final dates.

[38] She told Zac Bayly of Oyster magazine in August 2014, "The allure for me with pop music: it's universal and it shows that we're all human, that we all have these common feelings despite age, race, socio-economic backgrounds and all that.

"[38] In March 2014 she independently released a single, "Carousel", written with Mike Chapman (Blondie's producer) and shot the accompanying video on the Brighton Pier with choreographer Holly Blakey.

The Hairpin's Jia Tolentino wrote, "I read somewhere that having Sia Furler as your babysitter means that you are contractually obligated to produce great pop music for the rest of your life, which explains this new single from Holiday Sidewinder, very much a kooky, cotton-candy, retro-dream-pop jam.

[47] Sosefina Fuamoli of The AU Review observed, "this is a return we have been hanging out for ages... [it] heralds a new chapter for Holiday as she continues to mine the depths of some hectic psych infused disco-pop and present a final result that is almost insatiably good.

"[47] Paper's Justin Moran premiered the follow-up single, "Tra$h Can Luv", in February 2018, which he described: "Singer-songwriter [Sidewinder] has officially gone solo to become a global pop sensation...

[52] He explained, "[it] is so effervescent you'll need an insulin shot from all the sugar, with a Game Boy-esque riff, drum machines from an 80s-imagined future, and the same sex-positive message that has shone from her past few solo singles.

"[52] Sidewinder performed her original tracks, "Tra$h Can Luv", '"Baby-Oil", "Whispers" and "Leo" live on United Kingdom reality TV show, Made in Chelsea, Series 17 Episode 07.

The Line of Best Fit's Olivia Swash premiered the track and wrote, "[she] slams picture-perfect 'keeping up with the Joneses' lifestyles... her droll lyrics take a swipe at the assumption that a nuclear family is the culmination of happiness, singing of white picket fences and four-wheel drives.

[55] Album of the Year's correspondent, TheBravesDH, felt, "her first batch of songs that shows she can fit right in with those others [Cameron and Callinan] in terms of wit and humor.

[58] Face of God was described by Cat Woods of Audiofemme as "cosmic disco via transcendental dance, taking elements of psychedelic indie rock, electronica and new wave synths to result in a highly-referential, wholly new sonic playground.

"[57] In 2017 she launched an exercise company, Lovercise, in London with her personal trainer and then-boyfriend, Sapan Sehgal, and British entertainer and broadcast journalist, Carolyn Owlett.

"[60] In an interview with Javita Lee of Black Magazine (NZ), in August 2018, she explained, "Well, I somehow ended up running a gym with my personal trainer (who became my boyfriend, of course).