Country, pop, rock, R&B, disco, hip hop and alternative. Quite the eclectic mix but all equal ingredients into the trio that is Holiday State.
Videos by American Songwriter
Still in the early stages of building their career, this trio of brothers, Brandon, Brett and Bryan DeLaura from Rancho Santa Minga, California have taken a single-by-single approach and so far, it’s worked. Between landing on key playlists like Spotify New Music Nashville and opening for acts ranging from Logan Mize to O-Town, their previous singles have amassed more than 140,000 streams. Pretty impressive for an act that still has yet to find the right record label to call home.
Now releasing their newest single “Where I Wanna Be,” produced by Tyler Cain (Big & Rich, Darius Rucker, Billy Currington), the guys are hoping Nashville and country radio will take notice. With all three brothers sharing vocal duties out in front of the studio tendencies of today, their sound is akin to Sam Hunt, Kane Brown or even Niko Moon. In fact, “Where I Wanna Be” is custom made to fit the glove that is current country radio.
“We always try to write songs that are relatable and catchy, and this one is really personal to us,” the band explains. “It’s about real-life memories and events that we’ve experienced individually and brought all three of our stories together.
“We wrote “Where I Wanna Be” prior to the pandemic, as a homage to the most important people in our lives, and it took on a whole new meaning, due to Covid. We hope it’ll give people listening an escape, to put themselves in a place where they ‘wanna be’ during these crazy times. It really took on a new universal meaning, considering everyone in the world is unable to really see their loved ones or be where they want to right now.
“Everyone can relate to the feeling that it doesn’t matter where we are, but as long as we’re together, we can get through this. Being reminded of the importance of being next to those we love is probably the only good thing that has come out of the Pandemic. It’s been the ultimate reminder not to take things for granted and to live in the moment.”
It’s always amazing how time and events can morph the meaning or feeling a song has even when the song doesn’t change at all. Another thing that can change a song is taking it from its original form, be it on a yellow pad and acoustic guitar or piano, and letting it blossom in the studio. Cain is a bonafide pro, one of the best Music City has to offer, so for the guys to lasso him onto the project was a definite plus.
“He’s a very talented and creative guy, with tons of experience and knowledge, so working with him is always a pleasure. He somehow managed to make this song kind of old school country but fresh and current at the same time. After hearing the first cut, we definitely wanted to add some vocal samples to create a cool electronic touch to the song, and a catchy melodic guitar lick that would attract the listener right away, so we worked together with Tyler to make all the pieces fit, and we’re really happy with the outcome.”
If you’ve never been in the studio during the creation of a song, let me paint a picture for you. Put one world class chef in a kitchen who has a very distinct idea of how he wants something to turn out. Now add another chef and his opinion. Then another. Now go ahead and add one more. And just for kicks and grins, make three of the four of them brothers. At face value, I would sign up in a heartbeat for a pay-per-view of that studio control room just to see the brotherly fisticuffs. Alas, according to the guys, that’s not them.
“Being siblings, people always ask if we argue and fight through the process, but with us it’s different. We’ve always gotten along well, and that’s how it’s been since childhood. We understand each other’s personalities and know when to stop pushing each other’s buttons. We know one another’s past and present, highs and lows, so when we write about a particular experience or topic, it’s easy for us to feed off of each other because we probably went through it together.
“We know our strengths and weaknesses so where one of us lacks, the other makes up for. Brett is very conceptual and has great ideas to write about. Bryan is very melodic based and brings those super catchy melodies to life and Brandon is the more lyrical one and adds that R&B feel to our sound. The best part is that since we all grew up favoring different genres, it helps us bring a different flare and approach when attacking a new record.”
While the pandemic has loosened the wheels on a lot of acts momentum, veteran superstars and up-and-comers alike, it may actually have worked in Holiday State’s favor. Forcing the world to stop and look around, it’s given many powers-that-be the chance to discover new artists because quite frankly, their own calendars weren’t so jammed with things to do for their current rosters. So, if things go right, the guys are hopeful about the possibilities that might lie ahead. Though 2020 may have taught us how fickle New Year’s resolutions can be, the guys have a few things on their 2021 To Do list they’re hoping they can knock out once we flip the calendar off this God-awful year.
“We’d love to get back to playing live shows and touring. We really enjoy meeting and getting to know our fans, so getting back out there to grow our fanbase is something we’re looking forward to.
“An overseas trip to perform has always been a goal of ours, and we can all agree that we would love to play some major festivals. The ultimate goal is to get under a label, work with more songwriters and producers, and possibly a collaboration with other artists on a couple songs. We’d also like to get our music on the radio and get started on our first full length album.”
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.