Holding On To Good is one of the first songs ever written in the Windover House in Durham, North Carolina in early 2009.
Eric was playing the keyboard in the living room one evening, which had been turned into the rehearsal space for the band. Ian came downstairs hearing the pulsing piano that Eric was playing. He immediately started singing:
“Baby I’m not waiting I’m just holding onto good, it’s still early it’s still more than I should.”
The song then came quickly and Ian and Eric found that they were being inspired by their sister’s recent move from California to North Carolina, which involved breaking up with a first love and starting over.
The band had their first gig ever on October 10, 2009 on Duke University’s Campus in Durham, NC for an event called Joe College Day. The band rehearsed for weeks for the debut and decided to perform Holding On To Good. This marked the first public performance of the song ever.
The response to the song was positive and when the band began recording their first EP, The Delta Rae EP, they decided it should be the song to end the 5 song collection.
One of the best stories of how Holding on to Good made it onto the band’s debut album, Carry The Fire has to do with the man who signed them at Warner, Seymour Stein. Seymour had signed many incredible Artist like The Smiths, The Ramones, The Talking Heads, Madonna and Seal. Warner had offered Delta Rae a development deal, but Delta Rae respectfully passed on the offer and instead launched their first successful Kickstarter. With the funds from the Kickstarter the band started to record with Producer and friend, Alex Wong.
But Seymour was still very interested in the band and it prompted him to fly down to Durham and sit in on a band rehearsal.
The band was nervous and Seymour sat on the couch behind the band as they rehearsed Holding on to Good over and over before recording it for the album. After hours of playing the song a dozen times in a row, trying to perfect the piano riff in the first verse as well as the epic build at the end. Seymour, who had been completely silent, interrupted and told them “I have to just tell you all. I love this song!” Within the year the band had signed with Seymour and Warner and Holding on to Good became the first song on the debut album.
The band’s manager, Adam Schlossman, filmed part of this career-changing rehearsal.