Premiere: Sanjay Maroo Heads to California’s Joshua Tree for Life-Affirming ‘Holding On’ Video
The veteran composer-producer, singer, drummer and lyricist who has been releasing music since the mid-Nineties, channels somber rock on his first song of the year
Sanjay Maroo in a still from his music video "Holding On." Photo: Christopher Pearson
As someone who’s been in the music industry for about 30 years, Sanjay Maroo is the right voice of wisdom, hope and passion, as heard in his latest single “Holding On.” His first release of the year, the music video sees Maroo out in California’s Joshua Tree National Park as he ruminates on life and passes on his learnings through shimmering pop-rock.
Maroo enlists Los Angeles-based director of photography Christopher Pearson for the video, who brings a weathered but wise focus to the artist in “Holding On,” which – as the title suggests – is about persevering through the days for better times. Pearson, who has worked with everyone from Switchfoot to Paramore and in Hollywood as a cinematographer, follows Maroo through Joshua Tree’s airy, desert-like landscape on a sunny day, interspersed with shots of the artist indoors in a house.
Maroo says in a statement about his new release, “Till you don’t taste the bitterness of difficulties and defeat, you will never know the sweet joys of victory. Nothing worthwhile in life comes easily. So hang in there and keep ‘Holding On.’ There will be a new tomorrow and a brighter one.” The song also brings in guitarist Arjun Thakur for a solo.
“Holding On” follows Maroo’s continued commitment to writing Hindi and English songs as he’s done right from his time in rock bands like Les Boys and Indus Creed (then called Rock Machine) in the Eighties to his breakout album Tu Hi Tu in the late Nineties. More recently, Maroo launched his single “Altered Reality” in 2017 and had a Hindi song called “Kal Ka Bharosa?” out last year.
In a statement about his journey so far as an artist, Maroo says he’s had “faith and dreams” but also “pain and fear.” He adds, “I’ve experienced both sides, in ample measure. When you passionately pursue a dream and things work out, you’re on top of the world. Your efforts are rewarded and the world recognizes success. But there are many more who don’t get the response they expected and are left to deal with the pain of rejection and the fear of losing again. Failure has few friends. Along the way, many give up. But some keep Holding On. I dedicate this song to all those who believe and will not give up.”
Watch the video for “Holding On” below. Stream the song on Spotify, Apple Music.
