Matt Alves
Pop songwriter Ames has written for artists like Kelly Clarkson, AKON, and Rita Ora. Her solo releases though, are majestic bops that pull from the realities of her queer life. Today, The FADER, is premiering "Hold On," a mid-tempo track about the strength of persistence and love.
In an email to The FADER, Ames explained where the song came from. "I wrote “Hold On” as a letter to my younger self, an encouragement to hold on through the difficult times I had growing up gay in a fundamentalist Christian home," she said. "I wanted to use literal images of rituals that bull riders perform “warming the resin and pulling it right” before they’re about to experience a rough ride. In the choruses I describe the love I’ve now found (my fiancé) and the realization that it was all worth it in the end. If only I knew then, what I know now."
Listen below.