FITZROY HOLT 

Black Country Singer-Songwriter Delivers Decade-Spanning Retrospective via Gary Powell's

25 Hour Convenience Store

Out 24th April 2026

+ May Tour & Summer Festival Appearances

Black Country singer-songwriter Fitzroy Holt releases his debut album 'Around The Wrekin', out 24th April 2026 via Gary Powell's (The Libertines) 25 Hour Convenience Store label. A decade-spanning retrospective that circles through childhood, heritage, addiction, and love, the album shifts between stripped-down storytelling and walls of distortion—an unflinching portrait of an artist finding his voice whilst never losing sight of where he came from.

The Album: A Retrospective in Motion

"It's hard to speak on something while you're still inside it. Harder still to look back on something that's already passed when time is still sharp and unkind, untouched by nostalgia. Still, I'll try," Holt reflects.

"This album is a retrospective of a decade in motion. From the wreckage of my first band to the person I was last year. It's a jukebox of fragmented triumphs, failures, and half-cocked experiments, spinning endlessly. Each track is a moment I couldn't quite let go of. It feels like a milestone, something I've been reaching for without knowing its shape and at the same time, it's only the first marker on a much longer road.

This is an offering to my home, the Black Country. A cryptic map of where I stand within it and where I don't. It's my childhood dream, flickering stubbornly on. It's my adult nightmare, staring back at me in clearer light. It's a piece of me, unpolished, uneven, warts and all. I hope you find something of yourself in it. Played back to front, as intended."

The album's title takes its name from a Midlands phrase meaning "the long way round"—a fitting description for a record written across more than a decade of artistic evolution, from teenage sketches to recent work written during the intensity of touring.

The Journey to 'Around The Wrekin'

The path to the album unfolded through a series of singles that showcased Holt's remarkable range. Title track "Around The Wrekin" (October 2025) introduced his explosive sound—garage rock driven by distorted guitars and relentless rhythm sections, blending the visceral energy of early 2000s rock with contemporary edge.

"S.I.G.H (Sometimes I Get High)" (February 2026) cut closer to the bone than anything he'd released before—an unflinching exploration of self-medication and anxiety that showcased his ability to find beauty in uncomfortable truths. "It explores my relationship with the act of self-medicating, which is something I've done since I was young," Holt explained. "At its core, S.I.G.H is about being real and saying something out loud without judgement."

Most recently, "Last Bastard" (March 2026) arrived as a blues-fired broadside confronting race, identity, and self-righteousness. Written during the BLM movement and its aftermath, the track channels the blues tradition of holding a mirror to social injustice with unapologetic directness. "I wrote this when I was a kid. Fuck me… was I spot on?" Holt reflects.

A Sound Rooted in the Black Country

Raised in Dudley in the heart of the Black Country, Holt grew up surrounded by folklore, industry, and outsider spirit—a backdrop that runs through every note of his music. Drawing from the same well of bluesy, scuzzy rock that fuels acts like The Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Kills, and Rival Sons, Holt delivers a sound where folk storytelling collides with grit, noise, and melody. His music can be tender one moment and explosive the next, carrying the scars of lived experience with restless energy that never sits still.

Years of playing any room that would have him, from cramped pubs to late-night bars, shaped him into a performer whose shows balance hushed confessions with storms of noise, each carrying the same unpredictability that has become his trademark.

Recognition and Accolades

Holt has shared stages with Jake Bugg, The K's, Madison McFerrin, and Pete Doherty, and joined The Libertines for UK and European tour dates—experiences that sharpened his energy and fed directly into the raw power of 'Around The Wrekin'. His compelling sound and live performances have earned recognition from BBC Introducing Radio alongside features in Hunger Magazine and Clash Magazine.

What's Next

Following the album release, Holt will take 'Around The Wrekin' nationwide with a tour in May 2026, with festival appearances planned throughout the summer. The tour promises to carry the same volatility that has already earned him a loyal following: unpredictable, raw, and unforgettable.

With 'Around The Wrekin', Fitzroy Holt steps into a new chapter with the confidence of an artist who has put in the years and found his voice. The album is a beginning that already feels like a landmark, charged with the promise of what comes next.

Album: 'Around The Wrekin'

Release Date: 24th April 2026

Label: 25 Hour Convenience Store (Gary Powell - The Libertines)

Tour: May 2026 + Summer Festival Appearances

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 https://www.instagram.com/fitz_holt