Dave Cavalier continues to plow away at his ecstatic and carnal iteration of rock-n-roll with the release of his latest single “The Hold.” The new song is some of the first music that Cavalier has released since 2019 and the onset of the pandemic: something that the artist attributes as giving him a chance at sobriety, fatherhood, and the prospect of a new album. Under a shuddering canopy of dark sonics “The Hold” is an enveloping and intimate look at Cavalier’s attempts to overcome substance abuse for the sake of his family and himself. It’s a battle worthy of his raucous music — though at first, he took issue with dealing with it publicly, so as to avoid being seen as just another rock cliche.

Amidst clashing riffs and thunderous drums Cavalier tries to weather a hurricane of a storm, howling away against the song’s surging crescendos. Like plenty of the songs in his discography “The Hold” is clamorous as hell and rightfully so, burning bright and hot — true to Cavalier’s rock ethos. If you were looking for another sign that Cavalier is one of the inexhaustible and talented voices in rock-n-roll right now: this is it.

In 2015 Cavalier made his debut appearance to the world with his Howl EP, a rollicking and demented run-through of his insatiable and highly-combustible energies. From the anxious, devil-may-care attitudes of the opening track “Danger On the Dance Floor,” to the guitar-blitzing and anthemic “Piece of Your Love,” the EP is an inflammatory introduction into Cavalier’s larger than life sound. Since then he’s released a string of singles that include 2019’s “Rumors,” a song that heralded a further evolution in Cavalier’s frenetic rock.

“The Hold” serves as fans’ first listen of what will be his debut album Civilianaire which Cavalier created during the height of the pandemic as he prepared for fatherhood and fought for sobriety. Without a doubt, Civilianaire is going to be a roaring, fireball-of-emotion of an album that will once more bring the kind of impassioned rock Cavalier has dedicated himself to making.

“‘The Hold’ can just as easily be about a deteriorating relationship somebody reluctantly just can’t shake, but for me personally, it was a pretty literal depiction of my difficulty overcoming substance abuse. As I prepared for the birth of my first child in 2021, I knew I needed to evolve to become the father and husband I’d always hoped to be. “The Hold” is about the tension in between: knowing you need to be better but struggling to find your way in the process and being fearful of if you’ll ever get to the other side. There’s confusion, anger, persistence, failure and revival. At its core, it’s a battle and that chaos is what I hoped to capture with this track, which became the cornerstone of an album that, as a whole, chronicled my journey into the next chapter of my life.”

Listen to Dave Cavalier’s new single “The Hold”

Dave Cavalier will be playing The Peppermint Club in Los Angeles on March 5. His new album Civilianaire is out March 18, pre-save it here. Visit Dave Cavalier’s website, Twitter, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.

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