Holding Absence

Biography

Holding Absence are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff, formed in 2015. As of 2026, none of the founding members remain in the band. The group consists of lead vocalist Lucas Woodland, guitarist Scott Carey, and bassist Benjamin Elliott.
The band released an initial collection of singles in 2017, as well as a split EP with Loathe in 2018, before finally releasing their debut record, Holding Absence, in 2019. They are signed with Sumerian Records.
The band took their name from the title of the song "Holding Your Absence" by Hammock.

Formation, singles and the This Is as One EP (2015–2018)

Following their departure from their previous band Oceans Apart, bassist James Evans and guitarist Giorgio Cantarutti sought to form a melodic hardcore band. The pair hired vocalist Zac Vernon, whom Evans performed alongside in a pop-punk band, as well as second guitarist Feisal El-Khazragi. Holding Absence formed in 2015. Vernon appeared on only their first recorded and released tracks. Their debut single, "Immerse", was released on 21 June 2015, with their second single, "Luna", following soon after. In 2016, Zac left the band and formed Parting Gift, leaving the door open to Lucas Woodland of defunct outfit, Falling With Style.
Upon Woodland joining the band in 2016, Holding Absence released "Permanent", their debut single under this iteration. The band would soon go on to follow up the release of "Permanent" with their contrasting single "Dream of Me", gaining the attention of US-based record label SharpTone Records. In 2017, the band signed with the label, who put out a physical release of the double-A side single Permanent/Dream of Me. The following few months were spent touring the UK alongside several bands, including Blood Youth and We are the Ocean, before eventually performing at the prestigious Download Festival in Donington. Soon after Download, the band released their third single "Penance×Penance16 June 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Penance6:41", a six-minute track about "the journey towards happiness". Before the year was out, the band toured the UK again supporting Young Guns, and soon after released their fourth single "Heaven Knows×Heaven Knows29 September 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Heaven Knows3:58".
In December 2017, Holding Absence announced a surprise split EP with label mates Loathe, as well as releasing their fifth single "Saint Cecilia". This Is as One was released in March 2018, accompanied by a unique co-headline tour with the two bands. According to Woodland, "the split came about both at a stage in our careers where we could have benefited from releasing music, but also we wanted to do something a little different". This tour was Holding Absence's first foray into European territory and on the UK leg the bands opted to hand-pick the support acts for each date, including artists such as Sleep Token, Modern Error and Parting Gift.

Line-up changes and the release of Holding Absence (2018–2019)

Soon after returning from the This Is as One tour, founding member and guitarist Feisal El-Khazragi left the band, it was later announced that he had joined Loathe on bass duties.
A new-look Holding Absence (including future guitarists Scott Carey and Chris Smitheram) made their first live appearances at Slam Dunk Festival, before jetting off to Europe again, this time to support Being As An Ocean. The band went on to win the Cardiff Music Award for "Best Breakthrough Band", as well as being nominated at the Heavy Music awards for the "Best UK Breakthrough Band". After finishing the summer by playing sporadic UK festivals Holding Absence went on to close the year off with their biggest tour yet supporting fellow UK post-hardcore band As It Is, alongside Trash Boat and Courage My Love.
In support of this tour, Holding Absence released "Like a Shadow", the first single off the, at the time, unannounced debut album. After the uncertainty with the band's line-up earlier in the year, "Like a Shadow" was seen as a reintroduction to the band and their new line-up.
Later in the year, Holding Absence announced their debut, self-titled record would be released on 8 March 2019. They released 3 more singles before the album release, "Perish×Perish2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Perish5:28", "You Are Everything×You Are Everything2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1You Are Everything4:42" and "Monochrome×Monochrome2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Monochrome3:38".
Woodland mentions in several interviews how hard the song-writing process was. In regards to El-Khazragi's leaving the band he said that the "line-up change happened not just mid-album, but mid-recording" and how the band "were left having to write and record another half of the album" without him. The record was also recorded in two parts, which caused the band further complications while trying to get it finished. Woodland believes that the changes benefitted the record in the end, as tracks like "Wilt", "Monochrome" and "Like A Shadow" wouldn't have existed if the band remained in its original form.
Holding Absence was finally released via Sharptone Records on 8 March and was instantly received well critically and commercially. Kerrang! gave it 4 out of 5 Ks, stating that the album was a "brilliantly told tale of love and life, and a superb example of how to stretch the limits of what Post-Hardcore can achieve". As well as giving the album a 9/10, Dead Press! expressed, though a long-time coming, Holding Absence "prove[d] that art cannot be rushed, relinquishing a stellar debut that bares the human soul, emotion, and conviction in abundance" Loudwire named it one of the 50 best rock albums of 2019.
In aid of the record release, Holding Absence started touring, playing some of their biggest UK shows to date, joined by Luke Rainsford and The Nightmares. Holding Absence spent the remainder of the year touring Europe with Being As An Ocean and Counterparts in the summer, before returning again alongside Sleeping With Sirens in the winter.

Singles, The Greatest Mistake of My Life and The Lost & the Longing EP (2020–2022)

On 27 March 2020, the band released a new single entitled "Gravity×Gravity27 March 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Gravity4:22". On 17 April 2020, the band followed up with the release another new single "Birdcage×Birdcage17 April 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Birdcage3:23", in conjunction with the release of a 7" picture disc including both "Gravity" and "Birdcage".
On 21 October 2020, the band announced their second full-length album, The Greatest Mistake of My Life×The Greatest Mistake of My Life16 April 2021 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1awake1:152Celebration Song4:263Curse Me With Your Kiss5:304Afterlife3:475Drugs and Love4:556In Circles4:467nomoreroses3:548Beyond Belief4:169Die Alone (In Your Lover’s Arms)5:3010phantoms1:3811Mourning Song7:0012The Greatest Mistake of My Life1:2713An Apology Note4:51, and released its first single "Beyond Belief". With the release of the second single "Afterlife×Afterlife15 January 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Afterlife (Single Edit)3:462Afterlife3:473Beyond Belief4:16" on 15 January 2021, Holding Absence announced the departure of bassist James Joseph on amicable terms. On 19 March 2021, the third and final single from the album, "In Circles" was released. The Greatest Mistake of My Life was released on 16 April 2021. It was elected by Loudwire as the 7th best rock/metal album of 2021, and the 5th best rock/metal album of 2021 by Kerrang.
On 8 June 2022, the band released a new single "Aching Longing×Aching Longing8 June 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Aching Longing4:24", and announced a split EP with Alpha Wolf entitled The Lost & the Longing×The Lost & The Longing15 August 2022 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks160cm of Steel3:312Hotel Underground2:463Aching Longing4:244Coffin3:51, set to be released on 15 August 2022 via SharpTone and Greyscale Records. On 3 August 2022, the band released their second single "Coffin×Coffin3 August 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Coffin3:512Hotel Underground2:463Aching Longing4:24" from the EP.

The Noble Art of Self Destruction (2023–2025)

On 1 April 2023, in Leipzig, Germany on tour with Electric Callboy, the band debuted the first single "A Crooked Melody×A Crooked Melody6 April 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1A Crooked Melody3:56" live off of their at the time unannounced new album, with the single being released soon thereafter on 6 April. On 17 May, the band posted a teaser on social media which consisted of the previous albums' artwork be slowly torn off to reveal the corner of the new album cover.
On 19 May, the second single "False Dawn" was released, along with the band announcing their third album The Noble Art of Self Destruction×The Noble Art of Self Destruction25 August 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Head Prison Blues4:342A Crooked Melody3:533False Dawn3:484Scissors4:395Honey Moon3:096Death Nonetheless4:247Her Wings2:588These New Dreams4:199Liminal4:1810The Angel in the Marble5:58, to be released on 25 August 2023 via SharpTone Records. On 23 June, the third single "Honey Moon" was released. On 21 July, a fourth single "Scissors×Scissors21 July 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Scissors4:392Honey Moon (single edit)3:143False Dawn (single edit)3:574A Crooked Melody3:54" was released.
Vocalist and lyricist Lucas Woodland explained the meaning behind the album cover on social media mentioning it to be a completion of a trilogy, embracing oneself and it being like an art project. In an interview with Rock Sound, he went into further depth behind the album title and artwork, mentioning how be was inspired by the Japanese art style of kintsugi of infusing glue with gold in how hardships in life can make you learn and grow as a person, and how you can learn from self-destruction no matter hard it may be and find something beautiful within it.
On 28 October 2024, it was announced that long-time drummer Ashley Green had parted ways with the band "for the foreseeable future", with the reason seemingly being related to touring.
On 20 June 2025, Woodland was featured on the song "Bite My Tongue×Bite My Tongue20 June 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Bite My Tongue3:29" by American independent rock band Halocene.

Modern Life Is Lonely (2026–present)

On 20 March 2026, the band once again appeared to be teasing at new music on their social media.
On 2 April 2026, the band released a new single "Whisper of a Dream×Whisper of a Dream2 April 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Whisper of a Dream4:26", their first new music in 3 years after the completion of their three-album trilogy and their first after signing with a new label, Sumerian Records. On the track, vocalist Lucas Woodland commented:

"Whisper of a Dream is our first song back in what feels like forever. After releasing our third record, The Noble Art of Self-Destruction, it felt essential to step away for a while – to take stock and rediscover who we are as a band. [...] It represents everything Holding Absence has always been, while introducing new elements to our sound and opening the door to what comes next. [...] Lyrically and conceptually, the song draws heavily from cyberpunk media. Contemplation, sentience and dreaming in an ever-evolving world. The music video also introduces our robot mascot "Y4-BB0", a character you'll be seeing more of in the coming years."
On 14 May 2026, the band released another new single "Reflection×Reflection14 May 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Reflection3:442Whisper of a Dream4:24", along with the artwork and tracklisting of the band's new album being revealed with the band announcing that their new album Modern Life Is Lonely×Modern Life Is Lonely18 September 2026 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 11 tracks1Reanimate4:272Reflection3:443Heaven3:454Modern Life Is Lonely4:435Take Me With You4:156shells_like_us.int1:567Whisper of a Dream4:248Lucid Love3:319Scorched Earth4:5710lullaby.int1:2111Kyoto Snow5:32 would be released on 28 August 2026 via Sumerian Records, their first with the label.
On 18 June, the band released the third single, "Lucid Love", described by Woodland as a more experimental track and their "most extreme foray" into hyperpop. On 8 August, the band announced that they had delayed the album's release to 18 September. Upon the album's release, the band also released "Heaven" as a single, alongside a music video.

Musical style

Critics have categorised Holding Absence's music as post-hardcore, dreamcore, post-rock, alternative rock and emo. They were a forefront band in the 2010s dreamcore movement, which was based around the YouTube channel Dreambound, where bands merged screamo and melodic hardcore with post-rock and shoegaze. In a 2017 interview bassist James Joseph called their sound "melodic hardcore with post-hardcore elements, combined with post-rock atmospheric".
The band have cited influences including Landscapes, Being as an Ocean, Hundredth, Counterparts, Code Orange, Devin Townsend, Funeral for a Friend, the Blackout, Skindred, Kids in Glass Houses, Bullet for My Valentine, Lower Than Atlantis, Don Broco, the Dillinger Escape Plan, the Chariot, Hammock, Caspian, Alexisonfire, My Bloody Valentine, Thrice, Underoath, Biffy Clyro, 30 Seconds To Mars, the Wombats, Stick to Your Guns, Radiohead, Fall Out Boy, Architects, the 1975, Purity Ring, Gracie Fields, Gallows, My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park, the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and Deftones. In 2018, Woodland and Loathe vocalist Kadeem France said that their bands mutually "inspire each other".
They have been cited as an influence by Casey, Caskets, Currents, Delaire the Liar, Dream State, Graphic Nature, Heriot, Lastelle and Lotus Eater.