Thursday January 26, 2023
Hold Me Close was written during the COVID pandemic and this might be a clue to the track’s ability to generate an indie rock experience marked by a sense of fascination that’s difficult to ignore.
The new track is the latest for Grammy-nominated US singer-songwriter and producer James Kelly. It follows the great success of his debut album, Loose Talk (2020), which explored his battle with bipolar disorder. He is a proud member of the Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers wing and a Grammy® voter.
Hold Me Close was recorded by James and Marc Urselli (U2, Lou Reed) and mixed by therenowned engineer Michael Brauer (John Mayer, Coldplay, Rolling Stones) and is bound to be the break-out hit for this emerging rock artist. Based in New York City, James learnt the music production ropes under the guidance of John King, one half of the Dust Brothers production duo (Beastie Boys, Beck, Rolling Stones, Santana).
Over a decade in the industry, James has scored and mixed music for clients including Samsung, Canon, and Nestlé and produced and mixed several albums for independent artists. As James says about the new single, ‘Hold Me Close is, at its heart, a love song.
But it’s not all rainbows—the narrator is a bit broken, a bit damaged, and thoroughly in need of redemptive love.’ When asked about his influences, James says, ‘I am an unabashed lover of classic rock—The Stones, The Who, Lou Reed, etc. So, I do my best to rip that sound off while bringing something fresh to the table. In short, it’s rock n roll with a little bit of modern production value thrown into the mix.’
Hold Me Close is an up-to-date interpretation of a classic rock sound, and it is certain to propel James Kelly into the upper echelons of the rock world.
