Held. have spent the rollout of their debut album, GREY, proving they are far more than a side project. Built around the chemistry between vocalist/guitarist Douglas Robinson and bassist Salvatore Mignano from the Sleeping and Coheed and Cambria drummer Josh Eppard, GREY captures the feeling of three longtime musicians rediscovering the excitement of starting over.
Across its 10 tracks, GREY pulls from ’90s post-hardcore, alternative rock, post-metal, and atmospheric experimentalism while still sounding uniquely its own. Some songs were born from years-old voice memos finally finding a home, while others came together spontaneously during marathon sessions at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, New York or in cramped basement rehearsals running on pure adrenaline. The album also marks a major creative shift for Robinson, whose role as guitarist helped shape the band’s sonic identity from the ground up, leading to songs that balance massive hooks with chaotic, emotionally charged instrumentation.
Read more: “I’ve always thought of us as underdogs”: the oral history of Coheed and Cambria
Lyrically, GREY explores themes of self-doubt, emotional isolation, identity, and perseverance that run throughout the record, but so does the energy of pushing forward despite the weight of it all. That same spirit carries into the album’s collaborations, including Frank Iero, Graham Sayle of High Vis, and Suzanne Real, each of whom helped expand its emotional and sonic scope. At every turn, Held. embraced risk — whether that meant rebuilding songs from scratch in the studio, chasing unconventional arrangements, or allowing tracks to evolve naturally instead of forcing perfection.
To celebrate the release of GREY, the members of Held. take us inside the making of the album, track by track, touching on the memories and creative breakthroughs that turned a loose idea between friends into an ambitious project.
“DEFENDING THE EARTH”
This song came together really fast. I remember we had studio time booked, but honestly didn’t have much of a plan or even fully know what we wanted to sound like as a band yet. We just knew we wanted to make a record. This was the first song Doug and I started working on in an Airbnb the night before heading into the studio. The idea of Doug being the guitar player in the band was still brand new at that point. I had these riffs, and we just kept bouncing ideas off each other and building it that night. We also definitely lied to Josh and told him we had all these completed songs ready to go. In reality, we just wanted our favorite drummer to get down with us on this record. We figured once we got in a room together, things would start flowing naturally, and they did! When I hear this track now, I can really feel that excitement of a brand-new band figuring itself out. —Sal Mignano
“NEW YOU ANTHEM” (feat. Frank Iero)
I particularly remember showing everyone the demo of this song and not everyone being sold on it. I would usually send our demos off to Sal, and he’d add in his bass ideas before we’d send it to Josh, and then to Jon Markson for us all to start dissecting in the studio together. The “NEW YOU” demo was a last-minute one heading into our first studio session for the record. It had no bass on it, no drums, maybe even no click, and it was just the guitar and vocal idea. Those who know me know that I cannot stand recording demos by myself on a computer. It is the worst. I want to just jam in a room with my band and fire from the heart, but sadly, that isn’t always a readily available option. Just know that if you ever receive a demo from me, the odds are that it will always sound like absolute shit — but in my head, I can basically see the song finished being played in front of thousands of people.
Yet until we cross that finish line, people have to deal with my determination until everyone sees the vision, too. I can easily compromise when I am not entirely sold on a song myself, but when I feel its potential deep down… I can not give it up. I am happy we stuck it out with “NEW YOU ANTHEM.” It’s not only (our first released track) a monstrous single, but our friend Frank Iero contributed vocals on it. The very first Held. guest, and he did such an incredible job with it. Before this band, I was always pretty anti-guests on my own records. I have no idea why — maybe I just felt like the songs were our babies. With “NEW YOU ANTHEM,” it was my first time ever having a guest be a part of one of my projects, and I’m beyond grateful that we did, and that it was Frank. Frank delivered so perfectly and completely changed my perspective on having guests on a record. Last but not least, that guitar riff in the song is so fun to play. —Douglas Robinson
“CONSTANT TENSION”
This song was one of the first we officially put together in the studio. I had skeletons of these parts saved as voice memos on my phone for years, but they never fit with any other project. I have hundreds of ideas saved, and this one had been sitting there since 2021. For me, this was the moment we realized, “Holy shit, we’re actually a band, not just a few dudes recording songs.” I remember looking at Doug and thinking, “This is really good.” There’s something special about hearing your band truly recorded for the first time. It feels real in a completely different way. This was also the first song people really reacted to when we shared demos of our first three tracks. It’s the song that made Kyle, our A&R, want to sign us. We owe a lot to this one. We really wanted to capture a ’90s vibe and atmosphere with this track. We used a lot of chorus and layered textures to help get us there. The laid-back opening flows perfectly within the record and gives the song that sense of release. —Sal Mignano
“KNIFEPOINT” (feat. Graham Sayle of High Vis)
This song was written about pushing forward. It’s about forming a tougher exterior to keep away from the realization of how difficult the outside world can be. It’s hard enough to have to deal with your own thoughts. I tried my best to channel a fighting spirit and attitude in the vocal delivery, because, in my opinion, you need that same energy to keep going. That’s a big reason Graham Sayle from High Vis is on the track. We wanted someone with a ton of attitude and heart who could convey the same energy that we are all giving on the track. Graham is the perfect fit for “KNIFEPOINT.” His voice cuts through the track like a knife in the best way possible. I am also extremely proud of the guitar work throughout the song, especially in the chorus. That guitar line was written very spontaneously, but I feel like it carries a ton of my influences in just that one beginning part of the chorus. To add to that, Josh and Sal do not let up on this track, weaving in and out of one another and coming together at the perfect moments. Josh even rerecorded the drums for this one because he wanted to fully match the energy of myself and Sal. “KNIFEPOINT” is definitely a track on that record that showcases all elements of Held., individually and as a unit. —Douglas Robinson
“WAVES OF FIRE”
This track is the “no bullshit,” high-energy ripper of the record. I wanted to create something that just goes hard from the first note. At the time, I was listening to Seemless by Into Another, and the opening track, “Mutate Me,” has this fast-rolling bassline that immediately grabbed me. I remember thinking, “Shit, that’s awesome.” It has so much energy and movement. That definitely influenced this track when I was putting together the raw riff demos. I sent it over to Doug, and he started experimenting with guitar ideas. The song really found its identity once the full band locked in together in the studio. Josh’s drumming keeps the whole thing driving forward. He has such a unique style that the way he approaches parts is completely his own. Doug’s vocals really hit on this track, too. They’re totally in your face. I honestly feel like it has some of the most infectious vocal hooks on the entire album. —Sal Mignano
“GREY”
“GREY” is a real badge of honor for me. I fought for this song… This song came about the very first time we played together, and while everyone came with a loose idea of what this was going to be, we didn’t really know. You never know until you do it, so… After years of being friends, Doug and Sal linked up with Mike and Chris from Applehead Studios in Woodstock, New York, and we got in a room together. That first time playing together birthed at least two songs on the album (there was a third realized thing that I don’t think we kept, but it was still dope), but anyway, “GREY” was my first inclination that this was maybe going to be something. Credit to Chris Bittner (head engineer at Applehead Studios) for sitting with us and just being a part of that initial energy. I love this song. I loved what it said. I loved that filter-y sweeping Q-bass Pink Floyd shit Sal does. And I loved Doug’s vocals.
In the original demo, Doug isn’t singing in the mic, and it’s ever so faint, but I knew it was something great… I knew that because this faint, barely audible vocal line was trapped in my head for months! At one point, Doug wanted to either change it or move on from this song entirely, and my answer left not a lot of room for discourse. It was “no.” “GREY” embodied everything I wanted this band to be. Everything I wanted to say… From the ambitious arrangement to the off-kilter playing, this wasn’t going to be your run-of-the-mill “dudes from bands are doing another band.” “GREY” felt important. It felt creative, and I think from Doug’s standpoint, he was in too deep. And fair enough… The guy is writing all the time and felt a certain type of way about it, but that’s not the thing I take from this… What I take from this is that he not only let the band guide him, but he trusted us enough to let this song really unfurl. “GREY” is now the title track. You’re welcome. —Josh Eppard
“I AND I AGAINST YOU ALL”
I have no idea or memory where the chorus riff came from. I think I was in the middle of demoing some ideas, and I just kept thinking to myself, “I want to make a riff that sounds like a metal riff but not in a typical metal way.” I wanted a heavy, singular guitar line in the chorus, but I would never want it to sound like an obvious attempt. I am thankful for Sal and Josh in the band, because they have the ability to take a riff idea like that and give it a real groove and bounce in a way that makes the idea even more our own, while still letting the riff live and breathe with its original intention. It’s a very fun chorus to play.
Speaking of fun, my favorite part of this song, and possibly one of our favorite parts as a band, is the bridge. The front half of the bridge is this chaotic explosion of sound, especially Sal and Josh going at it on their instruments, before the second half goes straight into this driving groove. It’s not only so fun to play… but it’s just one of those moments that pulls you into another dimension when you are playing it. I have a minimal vocal part in that bridge, but once people start knowing the words, I am going to back up from the microphone completely because all I want to do in that part is headbang until my head rips off of my neck. “I AND I AGAINST YOU ALL” is the first track on side B of the vinyl. It’s sort of the intro to the second half of the record, which gets even crazier than the first half. I have a feeling this song is going to be a lot of people;s favorite. It’s definitely been pointed out by multiple people in our camp. —Douglas Robinson
“THROUGH THE CRACKS”
“THROUGH THE CRACKS” was one of the songs that was worked on in the most hilarious but productive writing sessions of my career. Me, Doug, and Sal in Sal’s finished basement, me playing his 4-year-old’s electronic drum set that didn’t stand a chance from me hitting it. Little practice amps and yet still, we worked on enough shit that had us excited to keep Held. alive and pushing forward. This was prerecord deal, preproducer, and pretty much preeverything sans Michael Dubin, who was connected and involved from essentially the beginning. In our first get together, we’d played at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, an unbelievable space that is a throwback to the days of giant beautiful wooden live rooms (built by my father Jimmy Eppard!), and not for nothing, but the studio where Coheed has done like five to six albums. That was our initial step in, but this was the total opposite. Through the cracks had me excited even in this wildly down-to-earth setting.
Doug and Sal have been in bands together since the dawn of time, it feels like. I remember thinking, “OK, if I’m gonna do something else, another band, I’m gonna push boundaries,” and “THROUGH THE CRACKS” was my litmus test in a way. It was essentially, “Are these guys gonna let me play some wild shit?” And ya know what, they were down! Doug and Sal lean into the creativity of making music and balk at the notion that the drums are just there to keep a beat, far from the spotlight. That’s not pointed in any way, either… I’m lucky enough to be in two bands where I get to flex my off-the-beaten-path creative muscle… lucky I am. Within the guts of “THROUGH THE CRACKS,” it was clear from the jump that this was going to be a force. The chorus? That bridge!? This was the kind of music that felt immediately like I knew how to be a part of this. It’s not always easy to let your influences shine through, and “TTC” feels like exactly what we set out to do from its infant stage… a ripper of a song with a foot in the here and now and a foot in the music that spoke to us from the ’90s. One of my favorites on the album. —Josh Eppard
“BROKEN SPACESUIT \\ DECAY & SAND //”
“BROKEN SPACESUIT \\ DECAY & SAND //” is a challenging song. The days of bands spending six months in a studio messing around and finding what works are long gone… at least for me they are! One of the triumphs of GREY was leaning on all our years of experience and all the lessons we’d gathered throughout years of making records and being musicians. All of that is alive in “BROKEN.” The nuance and clarity of what it would become was recorded in real time… at least that was my experience with the song. Surely Doug and Sal had a vision, or at least Doug did, but for me it was essentially:
Doug: Here’s this riff I have, and then I think it goes here and then here.
Me: OK, let’s record it.
There’s an interesting energy captured when you track something in real time. It’s bedrock becoming visible quite literally as you’re recording it. The parts coming to you almost not as your own ideas, but this special moment where you receive the ideas from the song itself. You merge with this piece of art, and it informs you where to go. I can tell I’m really sounding like I grew up in Woodstock here, but… I did. And there’s something to this… when I show people “BROKEN SPACESUIT,” I tell them, “This is one of my best moments in music, in my career.” It’s hard to fully articulate how proud I am of this song and the playing on it.
The lush atmosphere of the verses, building and building into one of my absolute favorite chorus lead-ins ever. Then of course, that chorus that never ends, and I never want it to. Doug brought in his friend Suzanne Real, who contributed to the vocals and added to the dark beauty of the ending, which became even more haunting and really emphasized this Pink Floyd/Deftones/Thrice energy. It was risky, and credit to Jon Markson for not only letting me go there but encouraging me along the way. We captured something here… the total opposite of months of prep and leaning on rehearsal. This was immediate. This was right here, right now… long before a song gets beaten into the ground with preparation, and getting it at the exact moment it grew its wings. I’ll remember this song in the next realm. —Josh Eppard
“EMPTINESS: A SIDE EFFECT”
Continuing off the guest vocalists thing I mentioned earlier: Once Frank and Graham (and Suzanne) put their vocals down on this record, I started obsessing over guest ideas. This last song would have had two people that I wanted as guests, but it didn’t work out as planned. Sadly, one was due to timing (that one forever will remain secret), and the second idea never even landed in the other person’s orbit… I will tell you why: For context, I am a massive fan of Cult of Luna. They are an amazing post-metal band from Sweden. My close friend Brandon Swanson got me into them many, many years ago, and I have been obsessed ever since. Anyway, in the last 45-ish seconds of this song (and of the record), you can hear me screaming in a way that’s layered behind the music and the other vocals going on. These vocals were the very last part of the very last session of the record, and it was just me and our producer Jon Markson finishing up.
I had this vision that I was absolutely hellbent on, where Cult of Luna’s vocalist Johannes Persson would be the one to finish out the record. I am a firm believer in manifesting and giving my all to making things align. I knew I had friends in Johannes’ circle, and I knew I could get the track to him if I just nudged a couple of people. When Jon and I were in the studio, I mentioned the idea and that I wanted to lay down vocal references for Johannes. I didn’t want him to not have anything to go off of in fear that he would turn it down. So, I faced the wall of the studio and just screamed the lines into a handheld microphone until I couldn’t scream anymore. It was the very last tracking of the entire record, and after we finished, I went home, celebrated, and waited for Jon to send the rough track so that I could take my chance at getting it to Johannes.
The day Jon sent the track, he called me up and basically said, “Dude, I know Cult of Luna is awesome, and I know you love them, but you just sound so insane on this. I think you should just keep it as is.” It was obviously comforting to hear, but it wasn’t about me. So, I considered it but continued with the original intentions. Shortly after that phone call, I sent the rough to the rest of the band and our team and, one by one, got a call from everyone in the band/team basically saying the same exact thing. In the end, it felt like the right thing to do was to listen to everyone. A happy accident sort of thing. If you ever read this, Johannes… have a listen to this track. Last thing: “I am the side effect of every side effect you ignore.” A lyric I wrote from pure feeling and very little thought, but now I am being told it’s impacting people in a very strong way. You just really never know what will connect with people. —Douglas Robinson
