“Such a good vibe sound on such a depressing subject “.
Do you remember at the beginning of the pandemic, we were asked a lot about how we use our time, and especially what we are doing with our life? For Matt, that time was an opportunity to review and dedicate himself to some of the songs he was saving for the famous “who knows, maybe one day” moment. That day has come and that’s how Holding Poison. was born.
The band is formed by Matt Blackwell (guitar, bass and vocals) and longtime friend Jack Findell (guitar). But for the recording sessions of this EP, Joe Lazarus (drums), Georgie Carter (backing vocals), Charlie Carter (backing Vocals), Andy Wells (keyboard) also appeared.
Holding Poison carries in it’s sonority influences from Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana and many other big names in the international rock scene.
Despite the current situation, the musician also says that he sees beauty in being able to send demos and work remotely with other artists. This makes sure that he will always be able to create something new.
“Recording an EP during a pandemic is not something we imagined would happen, but life doesn’t stop and we are not getting any younger!” Said Matt.
So far, Holding Poison has released two singles: “Sitting Duck”, which talks about falling in love with someone. And “Losing Grip”, which brings the reflection on the struggle to find its place in society and the question of how our generation seems so lost.
Listen now to the band’s latest release:
I confess that I loved this song because of affective memory. First because of the sonority, the melodic hard rock that totally reminds me of the type of band I was used to listen in my teens. Second, the name of the band is the name of a Foo Fighters song, and the name of the single released in February is the name of an Avril Lavigne song hahaha. Nostalgia is the word, right?
According to the band, soon we will have news that they still did not want to give me any tips, which made me very curious ahaha. Also, I heard that they managed to record the entire EP in just 3 and a half days! At least, Matt told me how the recording process went “out of the ordinary”.
The recording of the EP
“So, Jack owns a studio called Pocket Factory and Joe has been there a few times to record videos of drum covers. Jack mentioned recording in the studio and watching some of Joe’s drum videos. So, I (Matt) knew this was the place to go!
The studio is a small factory unit, where you can’t play the drums after 5 pm. Low roof, small space for the tracking room – one of those where you ask ‘will it work?’ But for sure, yes! Joe went down and destroyed the EP in 3 hours (he even got a zoom call with Biffy Clyro in the middle … something you don’t see every day!).
Listening to the EP with that very firm drum sound that is a little dry is perfect and fits the style perfectly. It gives that Queens of the Stone Age vibe. The bass / guitar / voice / keyboard and everything that is featured on the EP was recorded in a studio called Highfield Studios by Elliot Richardson (Missing Andy drummer).
Matt had already worked with Elliot on a previous project and knew that he would get the sound we were looking for. His time and dedication in helping us achieve the sound / sensation we wanted was second to none.
Sometimes it can be taken for granted to work with someone who knows you and your sound / how you work. When you go to a studio and work with someone who doesn’t really understand what you’re doing, it can affect the project dramatically.
Mixing and Mastering – We were incredibly lucky to join the 3x Grammy winner Marc Urselli. We were so excited to hear what he brought to the tracks. We were not disappointed! Mixing can be so stressful, but it really wasn’t, and that’s because we knew it was in good hands. We couldn’t be more proud of the final product. ”
Are you surprised too? So it is. Now, what we have left is to follow Holding Poison on social media and wait for the next releases of this incredible EP!