There is something fun and exciting about discovering a new artist who has the potential to break out. It is an even bigger thrill to get to chat with one. Luckily, we had the opportunity to chat with Gina Petro, better known as HOLDN, about her new sound, her brand new single, “BURN” and the emotional release of songwriting.
We enjoyed every minute with the singer-songwriter and here is how it went! Here is HOLDN.
Lemonade: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! So you recently dropped your first single, “BURN”, but a lot of our readers are just being introduced to you, so could you tell us about yourself and your choice for your alter-ego’s name, HOLDN?
HOLDN: Of course! Before I answer this, I’m just going to say the .gif you guys tweeted me the night of the release made my life. For anyone reading this that didn’t see it, I suggest you go find it (We did the heavy lifting for you! HERE). Now that I got that out of the way, HOLDN was inspired by the main character of the classic novel ‘Catcher in The Rye’.
LM: Ha! I’m so glad you enjoyed that tweet! It was inspired. In a different life, you were the lead singer of In Our Glory which is an alt-rock band. What made you decide to enter the dark-pop genre as a solo artist?
HOLDN: I was! I’ve always loved pop and R&B music and caught myself writing in that style so much more because it was what came natural to me so I decided to go with my gut. I let it happen naturally and this is the result of me allowing myself to create whatever it was that flowed out of me.
LM: Well, we love it! “BURN” is dark, moody track that is emotional and raw and the video conveys that exquisitely. How did the concept and creative design for the video arise and how was the production?
HOLDN: Thank you! I actually woke up abruptly in the middle of the night and wrote it in the notes on my phone, didn’t remember doing that, but somehow checked them a few days later to find the entire concept for the video penned out. I loved it and I stuck with it. The production was extremely fun! Super messy, but a lot of fun to bring my vision to life.
LM: Yeah, I can’t imagine trying to clean that up. Yikes. It seems that this single was deeply personal. How does songwriting help you deal with emotional situations?
HOLDN: It allows me to talk about things that I don’t feel comfortable openly talking about. It’s weird because I’ll sing about it in front of hundreds or thousands of people that I don’t know, but I still find it extremely difficult to just sit down to someone and open up. It’s something I’ve always struggled with, but I’ve found a niche in songwriting where I allow myself to keep that channel open.
LM: We are assuming an EP will be following shortly – at least we are hopeful for it! Should we expect more epic tracks like “BURN” or will there be some variety?
HOLDN: An EP is certainly in the works. “BURN” is the track that I wanted to use to introduce myself to the world, so you can expect tracks that are similar in genre to “BURN”. But I will also be exploring and experimenting more with my influences and styles.
LM: That is exciting! We can’t wait. Are there any plans for a tour to support your new music?
HOLDN: Touring is always in the cards! Nothing planned as of yet since I’m still hiding away writing lots of jams for you all to let into your eardrums by this summer!
Listen to “BURN” by HOLDN and see what she meant by getting messy on set!
