Greg Holden
Greg Holden is an accomplished musician with a myriad of talents,
but his unending perseverance, selflessness, and sincerity stand out.
The British-raised, Los
Angeles-based singer/songwriter has garnered recognition as an independent
artist for the past several years and is likely best known for writing American
Idol winner Phillip Phillips' hit
debut single, "Home," which sold
over five million copies in the U.S. and earned Holden an ASCAP Pop Award. His music has also been featured on notable
television shows including Sons of
Anarchy, Private
Practice, and One Tree Hill. In
addition to earning praise from industry staples such as Cher, Tom Hanks, Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles,
Michael Bublé, Zane Lowe, TIME, NPR, and more. Holden has racked up critical
acclaim in the press, with BuzzFeed hailing
his "soaring, purpose-filled songs that
carry real emotional weight," Paste lauding his "clear vocals" and "expressive
lyrics," and Nylon applauding
his unique ability to "actually
touch the lives of another person with raw, emotional lyrical poetry."
Despite his impressive accolades,
Holden nearly gave up on the music business in the early days of his career. After self-funding his Tony Berg-produced
sophomore album, I Don't Believe You (2011), the label due to release it folded, thus the
promotional efforts for the record. He then went into debt during a sold-out
tour of Europe, so much so that he basically called it quits while on the road.
Most artists would have thrown in the towel at this juncture, but Holden
persisted through these setbacks, leading to the well-deserved, massive success
of "Home." He then went on to
self-fund his third studio album, the critically acclaimed Chase The Sun (produced by Greg Wells, 2015), later licensing the
record through Warner Brothers Records.
Holden is excited to be back in the ring with his
impressive new single, "On The Run," produced
by the iconic Butch Walker (Katy Perry,
Panic! At The Disco, Weezer). The track is an uplifting anthem complete with
catchy hooks that perfectly mesh with Holden's strong, heartfelt vocals. " 'On The Run' is one of a few songs that
was bouncing around in my head when it came to the question of what to lead
with after three years on the
dark side of the moon," says Holden. "Ultimately, this
song felt like the most authentic, whilst at the same time not being so
typically subject heavy that I would scare my listeners away. I'll save that
for the second single..."
" 'On The Run'
is an apology, obviously. But it's an apology to a number of people, for a number of things," he adds. "For years I've been on the road, either
emotionally or physically absent, and at times probably a nightmare for
partners, friends, and family. I
wanted to write something that in a way, said
sorry for all that. A way to
relinquish some of the guilt perhaps. I recorded it last winter with Butch Walker, along with some incredibly
talented friends. It took a morning, it was a blast, and then we were done. It
feels right to lead with this one as it came out so naturally."
This summer, Holden is also set to debut "The Power
Shift," a political, call-to-action earworm. Holden produced and wrote the song
himself, and it aligns with his rebellious spirit of pushing back against the
status quo. "I was trying to manifest a
collective call on the, for lack of a better word, bullshit. I think it's
important that when someone is lying to you, you call them out." says
Holden. Although there was no singular event or figure who inspired him to
write the track, he notes his frustration with a growing series events around
the world. "I was getting tired of
screaming into the social media echo chamber and really wanted to put my
frustrations into a song that wasn't so toxic," he notes. "I'm under no illusion that this is just a
song, but it's better than a tweet."
Additionally, Holden has not
taken his success in the music industry for granted and at times has worked to
prioritize philanthropy and establish his profile as a socially conscious
artist. Standout track, "The Lost Boy," (from
I Don't Believe You), inspired by a
Dave Eggers' novel about a Sudanese refugee, was the theme for a Red Cross
campaign in The Netherlands that raised over $50,000 for the organization. His
hit single from Chase the Sun (WBR), "Boys In The Street," an acceptance
anthem that discusses a gay son's strained relationship with his father,
directly benefited LGBTQ youth by raising money for the Everyone Is Gay
organization's 2014 fundraiser, The
Gayest Compilation Ever Made II. It's an emotional, poignant track that Tom Hanks called "The perfect song."
Needless to say, Greg Holden is an
artist to watch in 2018, with more new music expected later this year. Stay
tuned for exciting news to come.
- Website:
- http://gregholdenonline.com