Photo credit: Rick Horn
The possibility that machines might eventually want independence sits behind “AUTONOMATIC”, Scott Holiday’s second single under the HOL1D4Y name. Its subject arrives at a point when artificial intelligence is increasingly involved in work, creativity and social communication. Holiday follows that development to a speculative next stage, considering what autonomy could mean to an entity capable of thinking and deciding for itself.
“Autonomatic” is Holiday’s combination of two words, “autonomy” and “automatic.” The newly constructed term captures the single’s central tension: an automatic system developing a built-in drive to become self-governing. That concept gives the song a philosophical dimension without separating it from present-day technological conversations.
The music places the idea inside a fuzz-drenched framework associated with Holiday’s guitar identity, while the wider album incorporates vintage synthesizers, deeply pocketed drums and arrangements built around movement and texture. Those elements belong to a project shaped by psychedelic experimentation and progressive music, but also informed by modern alternative production and experimental pop.
HOL1D4Y features Holiday on guitar, bass and vocals, Jesse Nason on synthesizer and Rival Sons drummer Michael Miley on drums. Miley’s contributions began as improvised recordings made in his own studio. Holiday edited and rearranged the performances rather than treating them as fixed takes, allowing the drums to become raw material for compositions that were still changing shape.
The “AUTONOMATIC” music video was produced and directed by Holiday with Aaron Eisenberg of Sound + Vision Co. It continues the project’s commitment to placing visual material alongside the songs. Psychedelic imagery, color and texture are intended to deepen the emotional associations created by the music rather than serve as disconnected decoration.
“AUTONOMATIC” follows “VERIDREAM”, the first song released from the forthcoming album. Together, the two singles introduce a record that began through daily studio experimentation and later expanded to include Holiday’s first lead vocal performances on his own recordings. The material ultimately became distinct enough to require a name separate from Rival Sons.
TOPOLOGY will be released on Friday, September 25, 2026 through Sacred Tongue Recordings, with distribution by Thirty Tigers. Its nine tracks span 46 minutes and will be available on CD and double seaglass-colored vinyl. Additional ordering options are available through the HOL1D4Y website and the project’s Bandcamp page.