On Tuesday (May 19), Douglas Robinson joined Loudwire Nights to celebrate the debut album of his new band, Held. Listen to the full conversation in the player near the end of this article.

“We’re not doing this for any other reason than it’s all we love, it’s all we know,” Robinson shared with Loudwire Nights host Chuck Armstrong.

Held. is comprised of Robinson, his fellow bandmate from the Sleeping, Salvatore Mignano, and Coheed and Cambria drummer Josh Eppard. Their debut album, Grey, combines a heavy aggressiveness and even heavier lyrics, making a massive and strong statement for the band’s first-ever release.

“The only goal I ever step into any recording or any musical mindset [with] is to outdo myself,” Robinson admitted.

“It’s not the sole reason I make music, but when I’m driven to make something and create something, it has to be better than anything I’ve ever done for myself. I can’t let anything feel like a safe bet.”

For Robinson, one of the most significant moments in the development of Held. was when he decided to pick up the guitar for the band, an instrument he hadn’t played in a long, long time.

“I hated playing guitar,” he said.

“I really did. I would play every day in my room. I’d pick up a guitar for maybe five minutes and I would be like, ‘I suck. I never want to play it again.’ And I would put it away. Next day, I would do the same thing, for years. And something just compelled me to be like, ‘What?’ I’ll do it. And I started playing and we started coming up with ideas. I was writing a bunch and I started realizing, I love playing guitar.”

As he played with Eppard and Mignano, Robinson stepped up his game with the guitar, doing his best to match his new bandmates.

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“It just blossomed into all of us working our asses off,” Robinson said.

“Me locking myself in my bedroom, just writing and writing and trying to be what I needed to be to be in this band, to match Josh and Sal’s amazing musicianship.”

What Else Did Held.’s Douglas Robinson Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• Releasing an album at 42: “There is something to be said about being more self-aware… I’m happily married. I have a dog and a cat that are my children. And there is something beautiful about having so much anxiety leaving them for times to go record or go travel or whatever the case is for music. When you’re in it, you realize how important it is to savor the moment because you’re not only doing it now for yourself; you’re doing it for others in your circle.”
• The formation of Held.: “We’ve all been in the same circle for many years… Many of the Coheed records were made there. Just kind of by proxy, we were always intertwined with one another.”
• Feeling proud of Grey: “The minute this record was done, I’m like, man, record two; there’s no such thing as sophomore slump for me… Everything on this record is exactly what I wanted it to be.”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below or the Video at the Top of the Page

Douglas Robinson joined Loudwire Nights on Tuesday, May 19; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.