AVATARI brings “Hold On” to the screen with a music video inspired by the song’s origin in Joshua Tree and its journey through pain and healing. The video follows three stories unfolding in Los Angeles: a grieving father, a mother finding her way through early sobriety, and a young woman struggling with homelessness and addiction. Each character faces the weight of loss and uncertainty, but the thread connecting them is the idea that even in the hardest moments, it’s worth holding on. As AVATARI sings, “When the night has come and the light has gone/baby hold on/When it’s cold outside no place to hide/even in the darkest night/on the other side is always a sunrise.”
Directed by Abigail Welkom—AVATARI’s wife—the project was filmed across several Los Angeles locations, from a foggy mountaintop at sunrise to a working horse ranch. Edited by Ken Davis, the video leans on natural light, handheld camera work, and performances that feel lived-in and real.
The cast features Sean Faris (Pretty Little Liars, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries), Caroline Anna-Kaye Green (The Last of Us: Immunity), and Leslie Stevens (Justified, The Young and the Restless), alongside Faris’ son Phoenix in his on-screen debut.
At the heart of “Hold On” is a melody as moving as its story, carried by AVATARI’s stirring vocal performance. His voice perfectly delivers the message contained within the lyrics. The music itself is a highlight, with instrumentation that builds with precision as each element weaves into a seamless and unforgettable whole. “Hold On” is the most heartbreaking rock ballad you will listen to this year, heck, maybe this decade.
AVATARI explains, “I wrote ‘Hold On’ in Joshua Tree while trying to quiet the noise in my own life—as a husband, a father, and someone in recovery. The words that kept coming back were ‘just hold on.’ This song is a prayer and a promise.” That same promise carries through the film, where brief moments of connection show how people can find strength in one another.
“Hold On” transforms a deeply personal story into one with universal resonance. Rooted in honesty, the video brings the lyrics to life through characters whose struggles and emotions feel achingly familiar.
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Photography Abigail Welkom – Welkom Studios
