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Apr 29, 2021 By Caleb Campbell

Nashville singer/songwriter Peter Groenwald, one half of Americana duo the Hush Kids, has recently paired up with fellow Nashville duo I Was The Lion (Mark William Campbell and Benjamin Backus) for an upcoming collaborative EP, Come To Life. The trio already shared their first single from the record, “One More” and now are back with another single, “Hold On,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Hold On” leverages the strengths of both Groenwald and I Was The Lion together for a glossy nocturnal ballad. Plaintive piano chords, glistening beds of synths, and glassy vocal performances carry the song through dark and despondent passages, all the while flickering with hints of light as Peter struggles to hold on to hope. As Peter describes, “Not sure if dark optimism is a thing, but that’s what I think this song is. Someone encouraging others to hold on, even when he’s not sure he can. Like a captain of a ship that’s sinking, prepared and composed, but also scared as hell. It’s often easier to support and give advice to other people than yourself.”

Mark William Campbell continues, saying of the track, “When we wrote ‘Hold On,’ we had already realized that we wanted to make a record together. We had some momentum and all three of us really cared for the songs we had written so far. ‘Hold On’ represents a sweet moment during the writing of the EP, where we knew we could rely on our chemistry and instincts, and could let everything else be pure and simple and fall into place. I remember feeling the freedom of the chorus writing itself and not feeling like it needed to say anything but “hold on.”

Benjamin Backus also says, “We wanted to create a building and driving song that would coincide with this message of determination and hope. Especially in this most recent year, the idea of perseverance and holding on to hope is very important for us to keep close.” Check out the song below and watch for Come To Life, due out May 21st.