Holding onto the Holy is the debut solo album for Eric Cannata, guitarist, songwriter, and founding member of Young the Giant, Coma Culture and American Pets.

Cannata first dipped his toes into the solo stream with the Lonely Beast EP in 2020, a collection inspired by solitude. Now he’s back with a record about togetherness, or how to love life while the world falls apart, sparked by his relationship with fiancé and collaborator Connolly.

The album began with 10 days of Covid quarantine, when he used a scratchy throat and an old microphone to find a new voice. Inspired by 1960s and 70s pop and rock including Roy Orbison, Harry Nillson, and The Velvet Underground, Cannata emphasized fun and exploration to chase other muses such as childhood cartoons, folklore, and daydreams.

He fleshed out the sound with new instruments like 12-string acoustic guitars, the Solina string synth, and an old upright piano, new collaborators Kosta Galanopoulos on drums and father Ernie Cannata on piano, and a few trusted voices: Hannah Connolly co-wrote and sang on “Over & Over” and sang on “Losing Patience”, and Jon O’Brien, Cannata’s long-time friend and collaborator, handled mixing and additional engineering.

Cannata started this project searching for joy in a chaotic world; he found it dancing by himself and recording with loved ones.

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"Each song on the album feels like a conversation with oneself, an intimate exploration of what it means to love and be loved while navigating personal and collective chaos."
- The Luna Collective

"In a world where, even as artists, we don metaphorical armor, shield ourselves behind masks, and adopt anonymity for safety, here is an artist prepared to bare all and show emotions, someone who isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his album sleeve."
- Big Takeover