After just two official releases - ‘Kelly’ and ‘Medicine’ - Fitzroy Holt is firmly on the rise. Signed to This Feeling Records, the singer-songwriter is set to play his debut London headline gig at St. Pancras Old Church on October 28th to follow a summer which has seen him land airplay on BBC Music Introducing and hit festivals including the Isle of Wight and Truck. Now the Midlander adds to his burgeoning reputation with the release of his new single ‘How Long?’ on October 28th.

‘How Long?’ represents a stellar step forward in Fitzroy’s sound. It’s there from the very beginning as his graceful, gilded voice is bathed in effects and soon complemented by a flourish of soothing, soulful backing vocals. Meanwhile the song’s production grows in stature throughout, the blunt insistence of its beats providing a counterpoint to the warmth of its guitar and the cinematic elegance of its violins. It showcases the singer-songwriter’s ability to traverse genres, touching on R&B, soul, psychedelia and blues without being beholden to any one of those styles.

Again self-written, ‘How Long?’ was produced by Gavin Monaghan (Paolo Nutini, Robert Plant) with engineering from Liam Radburn at The Magic Garden Recording Studio in Wolverhampton. The violin arrangements were provided by local musician Julianne Bourne, who has worked with everyone from The Sherlocks to Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi.

Fitzroy says, “‘How Long?’ was written during the first days of the Covid lockdown. We’d just moved into our old studio above an art gallery in Wolverhampton and began what effectively became a Involuntary artist retreat high above the city centre Like every artist at the time I think I was trying to channel my feelings of isolation and longing, but also hope.

I hope it can be a battle cry for anyone who’s going through a tough time emotionally or spiritually. It always gets better.”

‘How Long?’ is one of several songs that Fitzroy wrote during lockdown as the focus of this music drifted from his rock band roots to a more cultured and introspective solo career. Citing the likes of Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Blur as influences, Fitzroy is passionate about building a connection with fans on the road, the alchemy that arises between artist and audience and they share a moment during a live show. His other gigs to date have included shows as guest to Dylan John Thomas and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard as well as This Feeling’s showcase at The Great Escape.

https://thisfeeling.lnk.to/HowLong