Ken Holt, the multi-talented musician and storyteller behind Shades of Light, brings a rich tapestry of experience and emotion to his work. From his uplifting single “Shine,” to his reflections on life as a military family kid, his music is infused with themes of hope, longing, and joy. Drawing on decades of experience touring with legends like The Who and ZZ Top, Holt weaves diverse musical influences—from gospel and bluegrass to rock and pop—into a sound that’s uniquely his. In this interview, Holt shares the stories behind his latest album, his approach to songwriting, and how his faith, community, and love for connection have shaped his artistry.
“Shine” has such an uplifting and nostalgic vibe. Can you tell us the story behind the single and what inspired you to write it?
“Shine” was written to be positive and uplifting. We’ve all been in a place where we feel or literally are “flat on our back and can’t do one thing.” Shine says, that’s not the last word; there is hope of a “light” showing up, and in some way, shining into the darkness we are feeling and experiencing. Coming from a church background, images of a light shining in the darkness are common and were a natural game-changing metaphor for me to use.
Your upcoming album, “Shades of Light,” weaves together themes of longing, joy, and hope. How do these themes reflect your personal journey, both as an artist and an individual?
As one reviewer wrote, “Shades of Light” weaves together themes of “longing, joy and hope.” My own life experience has never been straight and even, but rather more akin to a roller coaster ride with extreme highs and lows, curves and dips, cruising and crawling. I think if we disregard cheesy selfies, most of us have days when we want to throw in the towel, and other times when our best voice, musical or otherwise, is clear and directed. Welcome to life and mine as well.
Growing up in a military family and living in seven different states must have given you a unique perspective on life. How do those experiences influence your songwriting and the stories you tell in your music?
Growing up in a military family gave me an appreciation for a diverse collection of people. “Red and yellow, black and white” outwardly, yet everyone looking for the same building blocks, love, acceptance, respect, opportunity. The guy working in a gas station outside of Birmingham needs to provide for himself and his family just like the guy pushing tourists into waves on the beach in Honolulu. The challenge for me as a songwriter is to find a way to express what these guys have in common, while enjoying the differences that make them unique.
You’ve mentioned your diverse musical influences, from gospel and bluegrass to rock and pop. How did these shape the sound of “Shades of Light,” and how do you balance those styles in your music?
I balance my diverse musical influences by not trying to balance my diverse musical influences. In other words, my goal is to let each song speak for itself. If the song calls for a mandolin line, that’s what it gets. If a Car’s-like guitar part would work on the 2nd half of the bridge, that’s what it gets. If guitar harmonies would boost the outro, that’s what it gets. Lately I’ve been strumming on acoustic guitar a lot. Why? I’ve been writing a few “cowboy chords” country songs that call for that. Shades of Light was written over the last few years, which is the reason some of those differing influences are noticeable; and also, the reason that Shades fits nicely in the Americana genre.
Your career spans decades, including touring with iconic acts like The Who and ZZ Top. How does your experience as a bassist in The Blend inform the music you’re creating now with The Promise?
How do the Blend years influence the present? If The Promise had a drummer I would say, “make it danceable and you can get away with anything.” The Blend played original music from Day 1 simply by adding a 4 on the floor thump. Soon enough people were requesting Blend songs. They were fun. They were danceable. The Promise is an acoustic duo. So, make the choruses singable, easy to remember, relatable. Keep the chord structures simple, which is how I play anyway. And, very important, have fun. If the band is having fun, the crowd probably will too.
Faith and community have played significant roles in your life, especially through your work as a pastor and youth minister. How do these aspects of your life intersect with the music you create and share?
Like most of us, I am a product of where I come from; my values, my spiritual perspectives; all come based upon what I have integrated and what I have rejected since I was a child. I see now that God, in cahoots with my parents, was laying the foundation for faith-based music. Which means to me that compassion, empathy, forgiveness, love, other-centeredness, pain, struggle, fresh starts etc., find their way into my lyric. If I want to be honest, then the stories I know the most about come from my own life experiences. Not autobiographical, just faith-based observations of life in the real world.
You’ve embraced both digital and vinyl releases for your upcoming album. What excites you about bringing your music to life in these formats, and what can fans expect from the release?
“Shades of Light” is being released both in a digital and vinyl format. Digital because most of our listening to music is done on laptops and phones. Plus, as one of my songs says, “stream me like you’ve never streamed before.” And Vinyl because more and more music fans are buying vinyl at concerts, festivals, and shows. Plus, for me personally, vinyl is my first choice when I buy music. I like to hold it in my hands, read the inner sleeve lyric sheet and look at the pics. Shades of Light vinyl has that very inner sleeve for lyrics, while digital has a PDF file for downloading the lyric sheet. In addition, I will also have available in February a two Terabyte USB Thumb drive Edition. Altogether, 11 songs of Americana music; all available on the website: https://kenholtmusic.com
