Freshly Pressed – Arih SK’s New ‘Hold It Together’ Album

Following the recent singles “Hold It Together,” “Reluctant Heart,” and “You Be Good,”  Arih SK has just released his new album, Hold It Together,  which includes these songs and a new focus track single, “Miss You Like I Should”. We caught up with Arih to chat about the new ten-track LP, where he finds his inspiration, and his most memorable moment as a musician thus far.

From The Strait: Tell us about the new album, Hold it Together, as well as the accompanying single, “Miss You Like I Should”.

Arih SK: The album name comes from the first song, Hold It Together. At the beginning, there is a sample of my youngest daughter talking and singing. I think she was around two then and now she’s five. Every time I hear it, I’m hit by the passage of time. Every year it hits harder. So much has changed. It feels sad and beautiful all at once. There are nature sounds throughout the song, and at the end there is a recording of a toy lullaby that she would fall asleep to. So to me, the song feels a bit like a day and a night that starts and ends with family. You hold things together for your family and then your family holds you together. The last song on the album, Let’s Let Time, is about giving in to the flow of time and letting go because we change over time and nothing can last forever.

Miss You Like I Should is a song about loss and guilt. Loss is sad. But there’s a special kind of sadness when you have lost someone important and enough time has passed that you don’t feel it every day. In those moments of forgetting, the grief is gone, but when you realize that you forgot, there is a feeling of guilt, and I find myself asking why I don’t miss you like I should?

From The Strait:  If you had to pick, what would be your personal favourite song on the album?

Arih SK: My two favourites (I’m cheating, I know) are Hold it Together and You be Good and it’s because they include recordings of my two daughters.

From The Strait: Where do you usually find inspiration for your music?

Arih SK: My inspiration often comes from my family or from things I read or see. The song, Reluctant Heart, was inspired by a line in a Jane Austen novel I was reading. You Be Good was written in a few hours after I read all about Alex the Parrot (a grey parrot who could tell between different colours and shapes, could count, and he was the first non-human animal to have ever asked a question). Loss is a central theme in this album: Nearer was written for my dad, Loose Thread was written for my very good friend, Jordan Rutledge, and Lawnchairs was written for my friend and mentor, Thom Lepp.

From The Strait: If you could play any music venue anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Arih SK: I love playing to a small audience, in the living room, or in the backyard. It’s where these songs were written and there is something special about singing directly to someone. That is why I got so excited when I saw the new Cinema Lounge at the Niagara Artists Centre in St. Catharines. There is a small stage and a room full of vintage couches and armchairs and it felt like the perfect venue for my music. I’ll be releasing my CD there on Saturday, January 6, with special guest Edwin Conroy Jr.

From The Strait: How do you gauge personal success in music, and what would you say is your most memorable moment thus far?

Arih SK: Something that happened recently really made an impression on me. I got a message out of the blue. Someone reached out to tell me that they had recently lost a close family member and they heard my music on Spotify and it really helped them. I was moved and I certainly won’t forget it.

From The Strait: What bands and artists have you been listening to most these days?

Arih SK: Matt Mays, The Carpenters, The Wallflowers, Odds, Amanda Lyn Parker

From The Strait: What do you do when you have an overload of songs written – how do you choose which ones make the cut?

Arih SK: I think time is a good test. There are some songs that I can listen to over and over and I still like them. That’s a good sign. The other test is to ask other people what they think. I’m sometimes a little apprehensive to share a very personal song, but with the right people, the feedback is much more rewarding.

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Check out Arih SK’s new album Hold It Together, including new focus single “Miss You Like I Should”.

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