When Zach Vinson woke up on Friday, January 20, 2017 he, like many of us, faced a startling new reality in which the forward momentum towards equality, a stable planet, a balanced economy, an open immigrant policy and balanced thinking were gone. Say what you will about the Trump presidency, there’s no arguing that we live in a more chaotic time now than we did prior to that.
“Hold My Son” is the latest single from Vinson’s forthcoming album, And Yet (due April 26th), and serves as a direct response to the realizations on that morning. As a white male, Vinson is aware that his place in the world is a privileged one, reflected in the lines “Show me what you give for power, and I’ll show you exactly where you lost the plot.” Vinson isn’t out for dominance, he’s striving for using his place in the world to bring up others.
Based on the prior single, “Better Man,” there will be plenty of rockin’ numbers on the forthcoming album but this track is a particularly sombre number, which is fitting given the tone of its inspiration. Vinson’s vocals are tender and sincere with just the right balance of optimism; a crack in the darkness that we could all hold on to.