Currently based out of Dallas, Texas, Griffin Holtby has developed a unique and uncompromising sound that shines with a sharp blend of rock, pop, and timeless blues. A talented young artist who has experienced more in two decades than most do in a lifetime, Griffin has just unleashed a brand new single and a fiery music video, setting the stage perfectly for his upcoming EP, ‘The Hell Series’.
Born in Russia but was adopted by an American couple at just eight months old, Griffin spent his early years in Southern locales, finding his feet and cutting his teeth in places like San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and Dallas, Texas. At the tender age of seven, Griffin first experience the transformative power of music by being introduced to seminal rockers Cream by his Father. It was a life-affirming moment, one that would shape his future forever. Throughout middle and high school, Griffin became obsessed with writing music, creating material with sensibilities far ahead of the typical purview of young adults. Though most teenagers go through a period of rebellion and “finding oneself,” Griffin found himself going to an extreme, putting his family through ‘Hell,” hence the name of the EP. As a result, he learned to use songwriting as a tool for catharsis and a creative medium as a form of therapy.
Holtby stated that “’The Hell Series’ includes three songs I wrote during a period when I was really struggling. My teen years were rough due to a personal identity crisis I experienced because of my adoption from Russia. At that age, I couldn’t understand why I felt so bad about myself, but it was pain stemming from abandonment and attachment issues. All I knew is that I was struggling to know who I was and where I came from and why I felt like I didn’t fit in. Many adopted teens go through that. You don’t feel connected to anything.”
The first of the three new songs, ‘This Ain’t Hell’ centres around themes of maturation, or as Griffin explained, "I went looking for the devil and all I found was me - this song is about realizing that I can be my own worst enemy. I hope this video makes you think about your own struggles with good and bad.”
An artist who has been consistently outspoken about his struggles with depression, anxiety, and abandonment issues, Griffin is well his way to becoming a voice for the lost and disenfranchised, and if he can keep producing epics like ‘This Ain’t Hell’, there’s no telling what he’ll be able to achieve.
Tune into the new track above and be sure to follow Griffin on YouTube, Spotify, and his social media pages below so you don’t miss the release of his new EP in 2021.
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