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- March 24, 2021
Nashville-based indie singer and multi-instrumentalist, Will Mikkelson, has just released his second song if his Apricus project. Will began his career in music as a producer and mixing engineer then felt compelled to return to his roots as a songwriter to process personal tragedy and life events. His first song, “You Don’t Know,” was a stunning sonic debut so it’s exciting to hear his next track.
“Hold A Space” deals with grief, but not in the sense that grief is usually talked about. This song explores grief as something that should be welcomed and that we should hold space for because accepting what is happening in our lives, no matter how difficult, leads to a much more positive outcome than resistance. Resistance can lead to cynicism and hardness while acceptance can lead to reconstruction and hope, which are the last steps of the grieving process.
The song starts off with a somber-sounding piano introduction and flowing vocals. As we near the one-minute mark, the song begins to brighten with lighter tones and ascending strings still over the piano melody. The beautifully quaint instrumental is paired with Will’s elegantly charming vocal performance, which just expands with emotion and life as his lyrics remind us of the message behind the words. The song reaches a peak about three quarters of the way through as a harmonious swell occurs both in the instrumental and vocal production. From here, the song takes an upwards trajectory before falling into a quick hush.
Grief is a difficult process and everyone deals with it differently. It can be so easy to let that sadness and pain swallow you and it can be so easy to want to push back against it all. But this song serves as a reminder that we still have to hold a space for grief because if we don’t, we’ll only be swallowed up even more.
