Holdan dwells in life’s opaque depths in his dreamy debut “Foggy Lake,” a catchy atmospheric journey through the haze of instability and isolation.
Stream: “Foggy Lake” – Holdan
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/607265046?secret_token=s-86LYP” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&visual=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]On a foggy lake, my body aches ’cause I don’t know what it takes…
Clarity is a state of mind too often taken for granted: Without it, we are lost – drifting through life without purpose or place, not knowing where we’re going or why we are wherever we are. It’s easy to fall into this pit of restless uncertainty and wandering; climbing out is the hard part. Holdan dwells in life’s opaque depths in his dreamy debut “Foggy Lake,” a catchy atmospheric journey through the haze of instability and isolation.
Haven’t seen you in years
You’re the only reason
that my mind is not clear
My heart is beating
Can’t see nothing through my fears
It’s so scary that I’m
running out of all my tears
Why is this repeating
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering Holdan’s debut single “Foggy Lake,” produced by Josh ‘Igloo’ Monroy and independently out now. The first release off the artist’s forthcoming debut EP I Lost My Friends in the Spring, “Foggy Lake” introduces Los Angeles-based Holdan as a self-aware songwriter searching for balance and meaning in an imbalanced, often chaotic world.
A song for life’s darker patches, “Foggy Lake” juxtaposes lyrical uncertainty with musical majesty. Whereas the term ‘atmospheric’ is so often used to describe an ethereal cloudiness, Holdan’s soundscape serves as a warm, comforting background ambience. Smooth, reverb laden keyboards bounce with sweet, subtle jubilation as birds (yes, birds) softly coo and crow in the distance. One might envision the artist sitting on a forest floor with a battery-powered synth, singing his soliloquy up into the canopies above. Layered vocals and synthesized harmonies inject light and wonder into Holdan’s solo lament, cushioning the impact of an otherwise somber and destitute outpouring.
Few folks are fortunate enough to find and then pursue their “true calling” in life; even artists, for all their self-expression, seldom know what it’s all about or why they do what they do. Holdan sings from a place of loss in the chorus, his voice weighed down as he opens up about his fears and insecurities:
On a foggy lake
On a foggy lake
My body aches
Cause I don’t know what it takes
On a foggy lake
On a foggy lake
My spirit breaks
Cause I’m surrounded by fakes
“’Foggy Lake’ was a metaphor for my mental state at the time,” Holdan tells Atwood Magazine, diving back into the mood that permeates his entire I Lost My Friends in the Spring EP. “Everything in my life at that moment was very uncertain, and I was trying to do what I knew would make me happy because at the end of the day that’s one of the only things you can do… I just kinda put all of how I was feeling into that song.”
Haven’t seen you in years
You’re the only reason that my mind is not clear
My heart is beating
Can’t see nothing through my fears
It’s so scary that I’m running out of all my tears
Why is this repeating
A Florida native, Holdan left his home at the ripe age of fifteen to pursue music in Los Angeles, where he initially played as a drummer in various Californian punk bands. Eventually, he connected with Grammy-winning producer Josh ‘Igloo’ Monroy (Ludacris, JoJo, Elton John, Justin Bieber), and some musical transformations and introspective journeys later, we have the stirring artistry unveiled to us today.
Yet no matter how many times you find yourself, or reach some new plateau of clarity, eventually “the fog rolls in… makes my head spin.” We will forever be climbing our own individual ladders in an endless pursuit of self-worth and purpose, but that doesn’t mean we’re alone in life, nor does it take away from our accomplishments, relationships, all of what we do have.
Maybe we just need a little ever-present fog in our lives to keep us from standing still, or feeling like our journey has finished. With that sort of mindset, “Foggy Lake” can almost feel like a friendly nod to continuity and perseverance – that drive that keeps us moving forward every day, no matter what.
Stream Holdan’s debut single exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
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:: stream/purchase Foggy Lake here ::
Stream: “Foggy Lake” – Holdan
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/607265046?secret_token=s-86LYP” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&visual=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]— — — —
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