Holding Onto the Holyisthe debut solo album forEricCannata–guitarist, songwriter,and founding member of Young the Giant, Coma Culture, and American Pets, as wellas acclaimed producer of projects by Hannah Connollyand Kenton Chen.Cannata first dipped his toes into the solo stream with 2020’sLonely Beast, a folkand psychedelia-tinged EP inspired by solitude. Now he returns withHolding Ontothe Holy, a self-produced full-length collection about togetherness and how to lovelife while the world falls apart, sparked by his relationship with fiancé and musicalcollaborator Connolly.The project had its genesis during ten days of Covid quarantine, impelling Cannata touse a scratchy throat and an old microphone to find a new voice. Taking inspirationfrom such classic pop and rock icons as Roy Orbison, Harry Nilsson, and The VelvetUnderground, the multi-talented instrumentalist and songwriter emphasized fun andexploration to chase other muses such as childhood cartoons, folklore, anddaydreams.Cannata fleshed out his evolving sound with a range of instruments including 12-string acoustic guitars, a vintage Solina String Ensemble string synthesizer, and anold upright piano, with additional accompaniment from Kosta Galanopoulos ondrums and father Ernie Cannata on piano, as well as a few trusted voices in Connollyand longtime friend and collaborator Jon O’Brien, who handled mixing and additionalengineering.Eric Cannata may have startedHolding Ontothe Holysearching for joy in a chaoticworld, but he found it dancing by himself and recording with loved ones.