In and of itself, chemistry may be quiet, but you see, hear, and feel its impact.
Such close chemistry drives the interplay of In Color. The Nashville band—Holden Clontz, Matthew Hastings, Val Hoyt, and Miles Laderman—lean on a silent bond sealed by years of friendship and a collective passion for pushing boundaries. They bring dimension to alternative pop, threading unshakable melodies through multi-layered soundscapes.
After buzzing with millions of streams independently, the group simply transfix and invigorate on their 2025 debut EP, Snow Day [Big Loud Rock].
“To us, there’s definitely an unspoken vision for what In Color is,” observes Holden. “We don’t talk about it a lot. It comes from being friends for so long and listening to the same music. We’re all different in our own ways, but it works so well.”
“It’s a special thing, because we trust each other’s instincts,” agrees Val. “We enjoy writing together. So, we’re able to authentically create and put out music that feels like we’re putting ourselves on the line.”
Though the members’ paths had crosses over the years, you can trace the band’s genesis back to a particularly brutal snowstorm in early 2024. Val and Miles first met at an Atlanta middle school, attended the same high school, made their way to Belmont University, and lived together for a handful of years in Nashville. Holden had moved to Music City at 19-years-old and linked up with Matt through his roommate, hitting it off and “becoming best friends.” By way of this friend group, Matt eventually moved in with Val. Not to mention, the guys had separately played in various bands or released solo music.
However, it took a blizzard to unlock the potential among them. “The four of us were hanging out every day,” says Matt. “Val and I lived together. Once the snow started, everybody just decided to stay over at our place. Musically, we had been doing different things, but getting snowed in was the catalyst we needed. A few days later, Val sent everyone a text, and it was a picture of all of us. He was like, ‘We would look really cool as a band’. That’s all it took!”
“We all secretly wanted to be a part of something bigger,” notes Holden. “We had lived life as friends, so why not do this?”
For the next year, the band operated “in private,” as they like to say. Under the radar, the guys got together, jammed, wrote songs, and tightened up a collective approach. They drew on inspirations as diverse as Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Switchfoot, The Beatles, U2, and Michael Jackson, cultivating a signature style. With the sound dialed in, the group started to record.
“When you listen to the music, it’s multi-faceted,” says Miles. “We don’t abide by any confines of genre. We look and feel like a ‘rock band’, but it’s not traditional.”
