HOL1D4Y Examines Machine Independence on “AUTONOMATIC”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hl2Zd7Lao0

Scott Holiday turns his attention toward artificial intelligence and technological autonomy on “AUTONOMATIC”, the new single from his solo project HOL1D4Y. Known as the founder and lead guitarist of Rival Sons, Holiday uses the project to explore musical and conceptual territory outside the established identity of his longtime band. The single precedes the September 25, 2026 release of HOL1D4Y’s debut album, TOPOLOGY.

The title combines “autonomy” and “automatic,” creating a word for the possibility that an intelligent machine might develop an intrinsic desire for independence. Holiday frames that idea as a potential consequence of rapid technological development. Machines currently assist with practical work, creative processes and social interaction, but the song looks beyond those familiar uses toward systems capable of making decisions for themselves.

That subject gives “AUTONOMATIC” a distinct place within the emerging HOL1D4Y catalog. Its premise does not depend on distant science fiction so much as a recognizable contemporary uncertainty. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in everyday life, the division between a responsive tool and an independent entity becomes harder to define. Holiday approaches that tension through a fuzz-drenched musical setting that connects futuristic questions with the tactile character of his guitar work.

Photo credit: Rick Horn

A new official music video, produced and directed by Aaron Eisenberg of Sound + Vision Co. and Holiday, expands the single’s ideas visually. Imagery plays a central role throughout the HOL1D4Y project, with each album track set to receive some form of visual accompaniment. Holiday’s interest in psychedelic colors, textures, people and places reflects his intention to let sound and image operate together.

The album behind the single emerged from a disciplined daily writing practice. Holiday entered his home studio each morning and recorded an idea, sometimes no longer than 45 seconds, before returning the following day to begin again. Those fragments gradually revealed shared interests in atmosphere, psychedelic experimentation, unusual rhythms and textures that differed from his previous work.

Longtime collaborator and Rival Sons drummer Michael Miley supplied improvised drum recordings from his own studio. Holiday cut and rearranged those performances, transforming them into the rhythmic foundations of the developing songs. Jesse Nason contributes synthesizer to the project, while Holiday handles guitar, bass and vocals. The record marks the first time Holiday has sung lead on his own recordings.

TOPOLOGY will be released by Sacred Tongue Recordings and distributed by Thirty Tigers. The nine-track, 46-minute album will be available digitally, on CD and as a double seaglass-colored vinyl edition. Physical copies can also be ordered through the HOL1D4Y webstore, where qualifying pre-orders include a signed photo while supplies last.