A local musician’s band could make it to the silver screen if
they garner enough votes to beat out the competition.
A local musician’s band could make it to the silver screen if they garner enough votes to beat out the competition.
Born and raised in Gilroy, Kyle Christensen plays bass for The Holdup, a band that blends reggae, hip hop, pop and rock to create a sound that caught the ear of Universal Pictures for their new movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Starring Michael Cera, the film is scheduled to debut in August.
Out of thousands of entries, The Holdup currently holds third place on the movie’s leader boards, which are driven by fan votes. The voting stops May 28 and the top 100 bands will advance to Round 2, explained Clev Stiles, The Holdup’s DJ and band manager. From there, Universal Pictures will choose eight bands to battle it out. The number one band gets its own music video and a spot on the movie’s soundtrack, Stiles said.
Known more for their reggae vibe, the band is moving into new territory with “Confidence,” the song they submitted to Universal. Christensen described it as “light indie rock with a poppy kind of feel.” The song is the title track for their latest album.
“It’s about a guy who has confidence in what he’s doing,” Stiles said. “So it goes along with the theme of the movie.”
The song was not written especially for the movie but it was “perfect timing,” he said.
The band’s debut album, “Stay Gold,” can be purchased online at Amazon or iTunes or at shows. Christensen said he’s hoping to book a show at Gilroy’s Gaslighter Theater. The band is looking forward to upcoming shows in Southern California along with performances at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View and The Catalyst in Santa Cruz.
Hopefully, they’ll be featured in “Scott Pilgrim” and it’ll take off from there, Christensen said.
“Vote once a day,” he said. “That’s all it takes.”
Listen to The Holdup’s song and cast your vote at indierockvstheworld.sonicbids.com.
