Hi! “Hold Fast” is a stirring song about confronting challenges head‑on, choosing to face the storm rather than avoid it. What personal moment or realization inspired that central theme?

A: Thanks so much for the kind words!  It’s been really fun to see “Hold Fast” bouncing around out there making the kind of impact that it has so far. I’m actually not sure there’s one specific moment that I could point to, it’s probably more like the amalgamation of thousands and thousands of moments that probably laid the groundwork thematically. As song-writers, we’re probably all at our best when we tell our inner editors to kindly “shut the fuck up” and not overthink the ideas that surface. That said, my writing tends to be dominated by explorations into struggle and trauma, so this song definitely sits in that space.  

When you hit play, you note a tension between fragility and determination in the track, especially in the outro. How did you intentionally shape that balance in your lyrics and delivery?

A: From the very first voice memo I recorded, I knew the song would have to evolve into some type of catharsis. I had no idea how we were going to actually make it happen until we all got into the studio together with Grecco (Buratto, producer). Having the song end with that repeating coda felt like a really big risk and it would not have worked at all if we hadn’t succeeded in building all of that swirling distorted chaos. Once the musical ideas started to take shape, I really began to hear what my vocal was going to need to do, so then it was just a matter of getting all that emotion in the room and using it. There’s a real urgency to the track, so that balance you’re asking about is huge. 

There’s vivid imagery in lines like ‘caught in a riptide’ and ‘bury the shame.’ Can you walk us through your lyrical process and what these metaphors meant to you?

A:I really fell in love with the idea of us as humans carelessly charging headfirst into the biggest, scariest challenges we all face. What does that even feel like, right? Essentially just saying, “you know what, fuck it – I’m going straight at this thing”, when all other instincts are screaming “run the other way”. So I wanted to play with that idea throughout the song. I also really wanted to be as honest and truthful as possible with where the song landed lyrically. It doesn’t take you to a happy place where there are rewards for taking the risk – it’s way more ambivalent. There’s no sugar-coated moment, there’s no real peace, there’s just noise. No easy answers given. 

The song builds from intimate acoustic strums to an intense, rock‑friendly crescendo. How did you work with producer Grecco Buratto and engineer Steve Drizos to craft that arc?

A: Grecco and I have done a lot of work together over the last few years, so he’s really adept at taking my raw ideas and shaping them into records. With this song, I think we were both interested in doing something really different. I don’t typically write rocking anthemic tunes, so there was a real sense of excitement in trying to harness the general chaos of the song in a way that would translate into a record that takes you on a journey. These Portland sessions were the first I’d done with Steve Drizos at his studio and it couldn’t have gone any better. He’s obviously a heavy hitter producer and artist in his own right, but also he’s an incredibly attuned presence in the studio as well. Super flexible and curious – he and Grecco clicked immediately and I knew we were going to get into something really cool. 

The interplay between the playful bassline, syncopated guitar, and rising vocal adds dynamic motion. Were there any particular references, moments, or band jams that led to this groove?

A: I’m super glad those dynamics stood out to you so much. That’s awesome! Jeff Langston’s bassline is one of my favorite parts of the whole track. Overally, I think we ended up striking a really good balance between coming into the session prepared, but not toooo prepared. It really was some of the most fun I’ve ever had working in the studio. My world’s really collided having Grecco fly up from LA and produce the sessions here in Portland with our band. He’d never met the guys, so it was incredibly gratifying to sit back and just watch everybody jump in with such joy. That vibe gave way to a number of really pivotal organic moments where parts were being moved around and even written in real time. The groove that developed just showed up like magic. Plus, if you’re ever in the studio with Grecco Buratto and he starts pulling guitars off the wall – get out of that dude’s way. Something incredibly cool is about to happen!  

The visualizer art and EP artwork were shot by Joshua Singh. Why did you team up with him, and how do his analog, nostalgic visuals complement the song’s emotional tone?

A:Joshua Singh! Yeah, he’s such a mega talent. I was aware of him from all my years living in the Bay Area and had been following him on social media just like everybody else. He specializes in several different types of photography but his analog stuff always really moved me. San Francisco has got to be one of the most photographed cities on the planet and he has a way of capturing that place in ways I’ve never seen. He’s just a really special artist and he hopped right on board with In the Furious Light and graciously allowed me to use his photos. The image we used for “Hold Fast” specifically captures the emotional tone of the song so well. I’m tremendously grateful to him for allowing us to use it. 

“Hold Fast” is the first track to feature your full band—Ben Landsverk, Jeff Langston, and Ned Failing. How did their involvement influence the final version?

A:I feel super lucky to get to play with those guys. They’ve all known and played with each other for years, so there’s this built in rapport and love between them that is a magical thing to jump into the middle of. Alternatively Grecco and I have developed this incredibly cool process of making records that generally involves cutting basic tracks in LA with a bunch of killer musicians in his circle down there. So with “Hold Fast”, it would have been really easy to have gone that direction yet again. It was just so clear to us both that we had an opportunity to make something really different, so changing up our recording process made a lot of sense to me. I had also recently brought “Hold Fast” to the band to work up for some live shows and it immediately sounded incredible. Those guys made their mark so deeply on the sound of the song, it wouldn’t have made any sense to cut the track with anyone else. 

As the lead single, “Hold Fast” sets the tone for Into the Furious Light. How does it reflect the emotional journey woven through the whole EP?

A: All 3 songs traffic in vulnerability, rage, and sadness I think. While “Hold Fast” has a really big presence, something like “Let Them Love Ya” arguably takes even a bigger risk by stripping back all the noise and just sitting in melancholy. As sad as that song is though, it does actually offer some hope in letting the folks that love us actually most show up for us when we need them. Singing that song in the studio was really tough in some ways but the lyrics being so direct helped a lot. I chose to include the acoustic version of “The Sad Ones” mostly because it really fits great thematically and I always wanted to feature that alternate version somehow. That song has really become a super important staple of our live shows, so it’s really cool to have another version for folks to check out.