Los-Angeles-based alt-rock artist AVATARI just released his new single "Hold On," and to celebrate we asked him to tell us the story behind the track. Here is the story:
"Hold On" came to me three years ago while I was in Joshua Tree with my family. That desert has always been a spiritual home for me - a place to quiet the noise, reconnect with nature, and listen for something larger than myself.
At the time, the world felt like it was unraveling - political chaos, civil unrest, wildfires raging across California. But more than that, I was going through personal heartbreak. We had just lost two people very close to my heart, and the grief was still raw. I was also a new father, navigating the overwhelming beauty and weight of raising a child in a world that felt so uncertain.
It was in that fragile space - grief, awe, chaos, love - that I heard a kind of whisper through the silence. A melody started forming, followed by a phrase I couldn't shake: "Hold on, hold on, hold on." It felt like a lifeline. A message not just for me, but for anyone standing on the edge of despair. The chorus came quickly after that: "When the night has come and the light has gone, baby hold on."
When I got home, I finished the song... and then I put it away. Maybe it felt too intimate. Or maybe I had gotten what I needed from it at that moment. Either way, I didn't touch it again for years.
Then life echoed back.
More political unrest. More war. More fires - this time threatening my own home, my wife, and my children. Once again, everything felt fragile. And once again, the song returned. This time, though, I knew it wasn't just for me. I felt this deep calling to share it - a message for anyone walking through darkness, unsure of what comes next.
"Hold On" is a reminder that even in our loneliest, most painful moments, we are not alone. That even in the dark, there is a sunrise coming. That sometimes the bravest thing we can do is to keep going.
I believe the job of an artist is to feel what the world is feeling and turn it into something people can hold onto. That's what "Hold On" is for me - a lifeline. A cry for hope. And a reminder to keep walking toward the light.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here
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