Scott Holiday’s emergence as a lead vocalist did not begin with a plan to reposition an established career. It followed the development of songs that no longer felt complete as instrumentals. The founder and lead guitarist of Rival Sons had spent decades writing, recording, producing and engineering, but HOL1D4Y offered the first project that required his own voice at the center.
That expanded role can be heard on “AUTONOMATIC”, the new single from the forthcoming album TOPOLOGY. Holiday performs guitar, bass and vocals, while Jesse Nason supplies synthesizer and Michael Miley contributes drums. The trio’s division of labor gives Holiday room to guide the music’s songwriting, sonic construction and overall presentation.
“AUTONOMATIC” considers how the relationship between people and machines may change as artificial intelligence advances. Its title merges “autonomy” with “automatic,” creating a term for technology that possesses an intrinsic desire for self-determination. The song’s concern is therefore not limited to what machines can accomplish, but extends to what a highly intelligent system might eventually want.
The subject fits a record created with unusual independence. Holiday wrote and self-produced TOPOLOGY in his home studio, beginning with a rule that called for one new idea every day. Completion was not required. A short guitar fragment could satisfy the day’s work, allowing the collection to grow without forcing each piece prematurely into a finished form.
As those sketches accumulated, common traits became apparent. They favored psychedelic atmospheres, textural detail and rhythms that moved differently from Holiday’s previous catalog. Miley’s improvised drum recordings were edited into fresh configurations, while Nason’s synthesizers joined Holiday’s cinematic and fuzz-soaked guitar parts. The developing pieces eventually established a musical identity that stood apart from Rival Sons.
Visual work has been treated as another part of that identity. The new “AUTONOMATIC” video was produced and directed by Holiday and Aaron Eisenberg of Sound + Vision Co. It follows the earlier clip for “VERIDREAM”, with additional visual elements planned for every song on the album.
Sacred Tongue Recordings will release TOPOLOGY on September 25, 2026, with Thirty Tigers handling distribution. The 46-minute album will appear as a nine-track CD and double seaglass-colored vinyl set. Pre-orders are open through the HOL1D4Y webstore and Bandcamp, with signed photos included with eligible physical webstore orders while supplies remain.
