It Was Only Supposed to Be Three Songs: Hold On Fire Drops Debut EP "Half Alive"

Some bands spend years plotting their arrival. Hold On Fire started with a text message sent in the middle of a video game.

"I just, mid play, heard a name that I thought sounded cool for a band," guitarist Jon told me when he and Joe sat down with me for an interview on Radio Garden State. "And I immediately texted Joe and was like, let's start a band.

"I think you even said, let's start a metal band," Joe added.

It did not stay a metal band. And it definitely did not stay the three-song side project it was supposed to be. This week the Montclair-based five piece released their debut EP, "Half Alive," a collection of soaring, heart-on-your-sleeve emo and post-hardcore that sounds like it could have been beamed in straight from 2004 while still feeling completely current. The record was produced by Fred Mascherino of Taking Back Sunday and The Color Fred alongside Stephen Angello at Diver Down Studios, and it features a guest vocal from Dan Marsala of Story of the Year.

Not bad for a band that, by their own admission, booked their first show before they had a singer or any songs.