Greg Holden

Greg Holden

Greg Holden is a Scottish singer-songwriter from Aberdeen, born in 1983. He begins his solo career in June 2007 after spending his late teens and early twenties touring with a band in vans and playing frequent gigs with little progress in the music industry. He switches from electric to acoustic guitar, something he has wanted to do since he starts playing at 17.

Style and influences

His songs draw on older songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, alongside more recent artists including Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne. His music is described as soulful, melodically beautiful, and genuine, and his live performances are a notable part of his work.

Early breaks and recordings

In July 2007, music producer Nunzio Signore invites him to New York after seeing him perform at a small venue in Brighton, where Holden lives at the time. That trip leads to his debut EP, Run, Don’t Walk. In New York he also meets his manager, David Margolis. After returning from New York, he leaves Brighton and focuses on London, but his next major opportunity comes from Brighton when writer and producer Richard “Biff” Stannard hears his music and calls him into a session. The session is mixed by Ash Howes.

Online series

In January 2008, Holden starts a video series on YouTube called The Living Room Series, which features him performing songs with his guitar and a webcam. With help from Alex Day, also known as Nerimon, the series gains a large audience. His subscriber count rises quickly, his videos are featured on YouTube’s global and UK pages as well as in other countries, and the videos attract more than 350,000 views in total. One featured video reaches more than 200,000 views in a week. He then works on another series, The Not, My Living Room Series.

Later work

By September 2008, Holden returns to New York to finish more tracks for his debut album, A Word In Edgeways. While there, he plays several shows in Manhattan and private showcases for major labels.

2011 single

In 2011, he writes The Lost Boy for Serious Request, a 3FM campaign in the Netherlands that raises money for silent disasters and people affected by war. The song becomes widely requested, reaches number one on iTunes in the Netherlands, and is the second-highest requested track in the campaign.