Holden McRae sat at a piano when he was three years old and discovered that it suited him. His youth would see him branch out to guitar and vocals before eventually finding his niche as a singer-songwriter at the University of Southern California’s (USC) prestigious Thornton School of Music. As he contemplates life after graduation in December, the 21-year-old Los Angeles native finds himself looking back at the many moments and people that have helped get him to this point.
Holden’s most notable inspiration is his older sister, Jensen. Five years his senior, he wanted nothing more than to copy everything she did. Naturally, as she became more entranced by the musical world, so did he. He followed her to Thornton, from which Jensen graduated in 2019. “She’s basically the reason why I started it [writing songs] initially and why I’m pursuing it now,” he said.
Holden is majoring in popular music performance at USC. While he is now comfortable with his craft, songwriting didn’t come as naturally to him as playing the piano or guitar. “It was always kind of daunting to me. I would kind of shy away from it. I mostly stuck to covers and the classical stuff, but the more I saw her [Jensen] do it, the more I wanted to do it myself,” he recalled.
His approach to songwriting reflects his passionate and easygoing manner. He has a casual intensity about his lanky frame that shifts to quiet fervor when speaking about music. His favorite artists blend storytelling and emotion, melody and rhythm. Creators like Phoebe Bridgers, Drake, The Japanese House, Justin Bieber, Holly Humberstone, Ryan Beatty and, of course, his sister do an excellent job of striking this balance.
With his songs, Holden attempts to differentiate himself through his lyrics and melody. “Especially in pop music, the same four chords are recycled, so something is going to sound like something else. To me, the best songwriters have a way of saying the same thing differently. I’m a sucker for a metaphor,” he said.
His four released tracks, “Pretender,” “Alix,” “to forgive” and “Enemies,” are lyric-heavy love songs that straddle the line between upbeat pop and indie rock. In his approach to writing, he looks for inspiration in stories, concepts and phrases before fleshing out the melody. One of his unreleased songs, written in collaboration with his friend Jordy, found its roots in a favorite saying of Jordy’s grandfather: “Fish can’t see water.” There are times when the reverse happens and a melody will pop into Holden’s head, at which point he’ll find the words to match. It’s a fluid process that allows him to find nuance almost anywhere. Like on the basketball court or in the kitchen.
When Holden isn’t in a recording studio, he can typically be found dribbling a basketball or pulling something delicious out of an oven. An avid home cook since he was eight years old, he likes to weave his love of food with his music. For his final project later this year, he plans to curate a five-course meal where each dish is paired with an original composition. While he’s still fleshing out the details, he knows a smoky element will accompany his song, “Like Fire.” “My favorite memories are all related to food and music, and I feel like those two things have a really unique ability to bring people together,” he said.
Jensen is constantly impressed by his work ethic, coachability, sensitivity and is in awe of his talent. When asked what she likes about Holden’s music, she wrote “his lyrics are the best part. I love how he embraces so many genres. In the last couple years, he’s gotten so deep into the indie folk pop world after a lifetime of loving R&B and pop and hip-hop, and I love watching him fuse genres or bounce effortlessly between them.”
The duo is embarking on their first professional collaboration this November during The Fever Dream Tour. Jensen, who previously toured with American indie pop band MUNA in 2022, is headlining the shows and has enlisted her brother as her opening act and keys player. They will be playing in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Minneapolis and Chicago.
Holden intends to capitalize on the exposure from the tour after it wraps in December. “I’m hoping to get my team together, play more shows, have this tour lead to another one and another opening slot. I just want to work as hard as possible in terms of playing shows and putting out music. It’s all about being proactive, diving in and making as much music as possible,” he said.