With Hold Onto, LA-based singer, songwriter, and producer M.T. Roads steps into 2025 with a sound that feels both expansive and intimate. The new single marks a defining moment in his sonic evolution, showcasing a cinematic fusion of electronic textures and raw emotionality that lingers long after the final note fades.
Built on a foundation of Moog-generated drones and crisp hi-hats, Hold Onto opens as a meditative drift through memory and time. But it’s more than just atmosphere—there’s a pulse of nostalgia at its core, grounded in M.T. Roads’ reflections on friends, family, and fleeting moments that shape us. Layered piano melodies and rich synth beds heighten the emotional weight, while Roads’ voice—both commanding and fragile—guides the listener through waves of longing.
“I had been having dreams of the past recently, and felt old memories were surging through my mind. At the same time, I had this feeling like I was writing new pieces of these old memories; pieces that never happened; extensions of what had already passed for me. It was an interesting realization, and had me thinking about memories and how we process them over time.”
What began in a studio found its emotional clarity in nature. A mountain trip, an acoustic guitar, and a deep reconnection with the past transformed the track into something more profound: a musical diary entry that echoes the experimental charm of artists like Future Islands and RY X. There’s a sultry, almost ghostly beauty in the production, where every sound feels intentional, every lyric quietly powerful.
Hold Onto is more than a song—it’s a slow-burning journey through memory and meaning. For M.T. Roads, it represents a major step forward, boldly carving out a sonic identity that blurs the lines between indie electronica, ambient pop, and emotional storytelling. It’s his most compelling release to date—and a promise that 2025 will be a year of honest, boundary-pushing music from an artist truly coming into his own.
