Holy Pinto Releases WEDDING SEASON LP, Shares "us, against the world" Video
The new single premiered via Magnet, following early singles "Us, Forever" and "Billboard," with photography by Brandon Tasker.
Holy Pinto, the indie-pop project of British songwriter Aymen Saleh, has released his new album, Wedding Season, described as a meticulous, years-long labor of love and ambitious concept album. Alongside the album, Saleh shares focus track 'us, against the world,' a soft, piano-driven song that gradually builds into a theatrical burst, capturing the nostalgia and longing that can accompany looking back on the early days of a relationship.
The single premiered via Magnet, following early singles 'Us, Forever' and 'Billboard.'
'I found a lot of Elliott Smith's piano songs deeply moving growing up, especially the way he'd use waltz (aka. 3/4) time to give them this dreamlike quality. After recording this track, I realised I'd subconsciously written something of that spirit,' Saleh explains.
'The song is about nostalgia for the beginning of something - a partnership, a relationship, an idea - when there's this boundless excitement, resilience and belief in what it could become. As those things unfurl, they don't necessarily become any less meaningful, but they become coloured by experience.. real moments of joy, love and connection, but also hurt, obstacles and periods of detachment. Sometimes you find yourself nostalgic for that early moment when it all felt easy, free and full of possibility.'
Saleh has been praised for his warm, conversational songwriting and gift for pop storytelling, with NPR describing his sound as 'Sweetly jangling, good-natured Britpop.' Drawing inspiration from Death Cab for Cutie and Ben Folds, Saleh balances the melodic and sensitive with the humorous and observational. However, Wedding Season does not play like a neatly assembled set of influences. It sounds like one songwriter following his own thoughts farther than usual and refusing to stop when the songs get messier, stranger, or more revealing than expected.
Saleh spent years tinkering with arrangements on Wedding Season, reworking songs and chasing sounds that could not have been captured by simply plugging in a band and playing them straight. Parts of the album began in Washington, D.C., in the basement of Bartees Strange, who produced tracks 'us, married' and plays guitar on 'death is in the air' and 'us, against the world.' Much of the album was written and recorded in Saleh's apartment above a Brady Street bar in Milwaukee, interspersed with DIY sessions in spaces including a rural Wisconsin boat warehouse, a southern Illinois cathedral and an industrial piano repair shop.
The resulting album is a deeply personal and carefully assembled work that reflects Saleh's years of experimentation, revision, and attention to detail. Wedding Season brings together intimate songwriting, theatrical arrangements, and a wide range of recorded environments, creating a richly textured portrait of an artist working through ideas of love, partnership, and experience.
'us, against the world,' and Wedding Season are out September 14th.
Tracklist
1. Dandelion i
2. Us, Forever
3. Us, Married
4. NOLY
6. Death Is In The Air
7. She Loves You
8. One Tattoo
9. Reunited
10. Pharmacy
11. Special
12. Complaint Dept.
13. Us, Against The World
14. Mr. Writer
15. Monster
16. We're All Doomed Forever
17. Billboard
18. Dandelion ii
About Holy Pinto
Holy Pinto is the indie-pop project led by British songwriter Aymen Saleh. It began in his hometown of Canterbury, England, and is now based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Starting out in the UK with a raw, youthful punk sound, Holy Pinto gradually evolved into colorful, genre-defying indie-pop. After falling in love with life on the road - through a mix of carefree independence and serendipitous moments - Saleh eventually made Milwaukee home.
Holy Pinto released the debut album 'congratulations' in 2016, earning acclaim from outlets like The A.V Club and launching an extensive run of international touring. That momentum carried into 2019's coming-of-age follow-up, Adult, released shortly after Saleh settled stateside.
A shorter record titled 'Milwaukee' followed in 2020, documenting the relocation to his new adopted hometown, drawing praise from local press and national outlets including NPR, who named Holy Pinto to their coveted SXSW 'Austin 100' list.
Holy Pinto then teamed up with Bartees Strange in 2021 for the single 'us, married.' Produced by Strange, the track marked a clear expansion in sonic scope, also shaped by Saleh's pandemic-era collaborations across pop, hip-hop, and afrobeat.
That collaboration marked the beginning of a deeply self-explorative journey toward 'Wedding Season' - a meticulous, years-long labour of love and ambitious concept album set for release in fall 2026.
Photo Credit: Brandon Tasker
Photo Credit: Brandon Tasker
