Holdfast. Looks Back on a Big Year

The members of Holdfast., the Denver alt-rock trio comprising brothers Tommy and Mikey Maddocks and their cousin Charlie, are taking a moment to look back on a big year, one filled with touring and new music, just before they finish 2023 with a special hometown Ugly Sweater Holiday Show.

Charlie, the band’s lead singer and guitarist, mentions how new EP Break Outta the Mold unexpectedly found an audience in northwest Europe since being released in September.

“Break Outta the Mold is trending in the Netherlands, so we’re trying to get out there,” he says.

It wouldn’t be their first trip across the pond: Holdfast. supported Red Rum Club on its 2022 U.K. run. The group started this year on the road, promoting the 2022 album Movies before heading home and working on new material at the Blasting Room in Fort Collins (more on that later).

“We’ve been doing a little bit of everything all at once,” Charlie explains.

But this next show, set for the Bluebird Theater on Thursday, December 21, officially caps off 2023 and is a way for Holdfast. to show its appreciation for all the local love. Volores, a recent Holdfast. tourmate, and Sophie Gray are also on the bill.

Tommy, the band’s drummer, encourages everyone to dress the part, too.

“Wear the ugliest [sweater] you can find — or just a Christmas sweater,” he says, adding that the band hopes this will mark the start of a new tradition.

“The goal is to have a yearly show as we start to travel more and spend more time away from home. We want to have something our home fans and base can rely on, like a big party at the end of the year that we’ll always throw,” he continues. “It’s a great way to reconnect with all our family, friends and fans. We've got such a great loyal community down in Denver that it’s been really fun becoming friends with all of these people. This is our way of putting on a party for them and making it a fun night for everyone.”

The show is also a benefit for Fort Collins nonprofit Realities for Children, a nonprofit founded in 1995 that supports and funds the unmet needs of Larimer County children who have been abused, neglected or are at risk. Donations of personal hygiene products, including diapers, are welcomed.

Since starting Holdfast. in 2011, the Maddocks boys have taken a methodical approach to the band, steadily creating an eclectic catalogue of rock and indie music that now includes two full-lengths, while visiting more and more places on tour. The last one, a West Coast run earlier this month with Volores, took them to Hermosa Beach, the old stamping grounds of Descendents, including founding drummer and Blasting Room creator Bill Stevenson.

“It was a little surreal seeing all the pictures and stuff of them,” Charlie says.

The trio is comfortable playing theater venues at this point, but when Holdfast. got tapped to open for one of Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy’s Red Rocks shows in May, the act was center stage at one of the biggest venues in the country.

“We found out like 48 hours before that this was going to happen. I think it was even less,” Tommy recalls.

“It was like the day before,” Charlie adds, explaining that Kennedy wanted local openers for the two-night run. “It was kind of up in the air on whether we’d get one of the two nights that he was playing. We heard the day before. On top of that, we also heard it had to be acoustic and not full electric like we usually do, so we had to brainstorm really fast on how to actually pull off the show.”

With little time to prepare, Holdfast. just went out and did its thing, improvising a set of acoustic singles, including some that Charlie performed solo.

“There was no decision-making. Eyes were glazed over, like, ‘Okay, this, this and this. Done.’ No time to overthink,” Mikey, the band’s bassist, shares. “It’s much bigger looking up than it is looking down.”

But the bang-bang nature of the band’s biggest gig was probably for the best, as Charlie sees it.

“I think we did it pretty well,” he says. “Over the last ten years, it’s been slow and steady — like, we’re going to play the 250-capacity venues, and then maybe we’ll play a 500-capacity venue here or there. But jumping up to Red Rocks like that is kind of unnatural. I’m glad we only had a day to think about it versus a month.”

“It was definitely a special moment,” Tommy adds.

Headlining Red Rocks one day is on the band’s bucket list, but for now, Holdfast. is busy working with Blasting Room producer and engineer Chris Beeble on its next album. While there’s no official release date or title to share right now, Charlie explains that the new material “feels like we actually have something to say.”

“I think the first album [2021’s Stay and Fight], I felt like we were still kids, and I wasn’t able to say anything mature,” he continues. “I think we’re reaching a point in our lives where we’ve been through some things and we’re maturing individually, so it’s allowed our music to also mature. If the three of us are centered on the message of a song, then the rest will come.”

Holdfast., 7 p.m. Thursday, December 21, Bluebird Theater, 3317 East Colfax Avenue. Tickets are $20.