A conversation with Greg Holden
I have seven different songs in my iTunes all titled “Home,” yet one always stands out as a go to: the song Phillip Phillips sang on American Idol which has now commanded advertisements for over a year. I remember being curious as to who wrote the song when it first came out, so I searched and discovered the song was penned by Greg Holden and Drew Pearson. A few months ago, I was excited to see that Greg would be headed out on tour — first with BOY and then with The Lone Bellow this fall.
On an unusually warm October night, I once again found myself at the Theater of The Living Arts for Greg’s show with BOY. Following an interview (read below), I hung around to see what his live set would be like and was treated to 30 minutes of pitch perfect vocals, well crafted songs, and some onstage humor to connect with the intimate crowd. Following his set, fans were treated to BOY who brought a bit of international humor to the table along with their beautiful voices that blended perfectly with the crowd. It was an evening of smiles, jokes, and great music. Photos of the show are below the interview.
Arin: How did you get into music and decide to pursue it as a career path?
Greg: For me, I didn’t have a really great upbringing so it was kind of an escape for me. I didn’t really play music as a kid or at high school or anything like that, and then I saw a few people writing their own songs and it seemed to me like they were able to express themselves more through their songs and I really relate to that. So I started writing and playing guitar at the same time when I was 18, and I think when I started doing it, I just realized that it was what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to try and follow the normal life that everybody else [had and] that I was taught to believe was what I was supposed to do.
A: How did you begin to develop your sound and turn it into a career?
G: Ten years of trial and error. I was in punk bands a lot when I was a kid and in metal bands, and that’s what I loved. That’s what I was attached to so I was playing a lot of rock music for a few years, and then I finally started to realize that I wanted my voice to be heard. So, I started writing my own more personal songs and that kind of developed into the singer/songwriter thing. And then the last five years, I’ve just been trying to hone in on what I’m good at and what I’m not good at and what I can develop, and I’m finally at a place now, I think, where I’m maybe sounding like I was supposed to.
A: I heard about you through ‘Home’ which you co-wrote and Phillip Phillips sang on American Idol. What has it been like watching that song explode?
G: It was totally crazy. When I wrote that song, I never really realized it was a good song so for that to happen was completely bizarre. It just blew up. It’s every singer/songwriter’s dream to have their song heard by so many people. For me, it’s still bizarre when I hear it [and] I still can’t really understand what it means, but it’s great, I love it.
A: As of right now, who are some of you favorite artists to listen to?
G: The band I’m obsessed with at the moment is The 1975. I’ve been listening to those guys a lot, I love it.
A: Do you have a favorite moment about performing live?
G: When you realize that people like your music. That’s always nice. [laughs] Sometimes you get worried when you’re in a new town that people are [not] gonna like it. So the moment you realize people are into it with the cheering and the dancing, that feels awesome.
A: When you go to a show as a fan rather than being the performer, are there things you pay attention to that most people might not?
G: For sure. I used to absolutely love going to concerts and being a complete fan and being naive to the bullshit and just being like wow this is amazing. Now I’m paying attention to the way the lighting is or the way the guitar sound is — all the technical sides of it that I hate. It’s kind of [like] touring has definitely ruined watching a live band unless you’re really obsessed with the band and then you just forget about it, but I definitely look at the technical sides of things.
