Origins

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On his debut, Wild Empty Promises (2017), Holden Laurence burst onto the Cleveland music scene and garnered widespread praise for his unique combination of 80s Alternative and vivid, vulnerable Americana songwriting.

“Wild Empty Promises is a fantastic debut that blends Mope-rock, Post-punk and New Wave deftly... with its bittersweet tone and cinematic delivery.” - Eric Sandy, Cleveland Scene Magazine

On Rewire (2019), Holden expanded his musical and emotional palettes with walls of synths and glassy guitars, driving grooves, and eloquent and visceral songwriting. The textures were more lush, the drums more bombastic, and the sonic landscapes more vast. While songs like “Shadows of Old Love” and “Mary Magdalene” were natural extensions of Wild Empty Promises, Holden broadened his creative scope with the infectious road-trip rush of “Speaking in Tongues” and the heartbreaking honesty of “Rewire” and “Roses and a Romeo Mask.”

“Whether you’re falling in or out of love, or staring dreamily at the stars knowing he, she, ze or they are out there looking for you too, the songs on Rewire will fill your mixtapes and playlists with plenty of edgy, melodic, romantic, and darkly epic earworms.” – Popdose

“An Indie Pop/Rock classic.” – American Pancake

“It’s thoughtful but playful and boasts a subtle infectious energy that drives from start to finish. Holden’s dreamy vocals take the spotlight and allow that dusky feeling to wash over in a gentle wave.” – YACK! Magazine

Starting in the fall of 2019, Holden released a series of singles that examines coming-of-age angst, the disillusionment of the new American Dream, and the obstacles of forming an identity, exploring sexuality, and developing healthy romantic relationships in the modern digital age. Skin and Bone (2021) was the seventh single in this series, preceded by What We Want, What We Need (2020), Candy Scented Scars (2020), Sometimes Laughter (2020), Wild Horses (2020), Rock the Cradle (2019), and Like James Dean (2019).

Written and recorded entirely during the pandemic, Holden's 2021 release, Floating, Drifting, examines the dissonance between the white-washed American Dream and the reality of modern life in the US, meditating on mortality, emotional and political manipulation through social media, family heirlooms of hatred and prejudice, and the impending consequences of our actions on humanity and the environment.

“Undeniable Power and Emotion; A perfect balance of playful and darkness.” – Girl at The Rock Shows

On his third full-length album, Fires Fading into Black (2023), Holden's gaze shifts back inward, a dissection of humanity - why we are the way that we are and if we're capable of real change, framed in the context of love and relationships.