Ausmusic Month starts with a bang as Geelong alt-rockers unveil new music, reimagining a 90's hit.
After jumping up with The Smith Street Band last month for a surging set of heavy hits from their 2022 album Daydreamer, Geelong alt-rock favourites Hold//fire return with a recording of a 90’s staple from Irish rockers, The Cranberries.
Tackling their ’93 soaring serenader ‘Dreams’, the band pairs up with long-time collaborator Erin Cribb to deliver a higher octane version of the classic, marking Hold//fire’s first-ever cover recording and Cribbs first-ever studio recording.
Hold//fire – ‘Dreams’
- When: Out now
- Where: Stream here
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
For fans of Hold//fire, the song choice is a no-brainer, having recently made its way into the band’s live set, seamlessly transforming into one of their own jams over the year.
“The Cranberries have always been part of the musical landscape for us, just like they have been for generations of fans. Their music was always around, and it’s still as iconic as ever, 30 years on. Over the years, we’ve thrown the occasional cover into our live sets, and recently ‘Dreams’ has found its way into the set. It’s such a fun song to play, and audiences have been responding really well to it. And so whilst we’re in the process of writing our next batch of originals, this just felt like a great way to have some fun and put some more music out there,” says the band of the cover choice.
Bridging the between music hangover, ‘Dreams’ takes on its own life in Hold//fires fingers – the Celtic folk whimsy of the original replaced with an Australian grit, elevated builds and a stronger beat-driven backbone.
Accompanying the single release is an original music video made up of footage from the studio recording session. Captured in black and white, the minimalism of the clip only lifts the intense sonic delivery.
The track is a welcome addition to Hold//fire’s growing catalogue which has seen them release two stellar albums in recent years, starting with The Space in Between in 2019 and doubling with the aforementioned Daydreamer. It also closes out a significant year for the band who have kicked goals on the live music front having joined the festival lineup of Wanderer Festival, and adding huge names to their resumes support slot section including Pennywise, The Butterfly Effect, British India, and the more recent, The Smith Street Band.
Keep up to date with all things Hold//fire here, and have a listen to their courageous cover of The Cranberries, ‘Dreams’ featuring Erin Cribb here.
