Melodic house skipper Hayden James will return with ‘LIFTED’ his sophomore album on April 8th out on tastemaker label Future Classic.

It comes just a short skip post his debut LP ‘Between Us’ in 2019 that featured a smorgasbord of feel-good electronic beats. Meanwhile, it’s been almost 10 years since his breakout hit “Permission to Love” from way back in 2013.

The new album really leans into something we’re all hanging for in the dance and electronic space… some much-needed positivity! Hayden explains;

“LIFTED” was born out of the yearning for some light and positivity after a tough last few years for everyone. As I started writing the album, I kept coming back to the idea of creating something energetic and live and super uplifting that could bring people together again. I began working on the album late 2020 and used all the time off I had from touring to make something special because I knew the return to live music would be epic, a major vibe. The result is a huge emotional, energetic dance record, with elements of piano-house, melodic house and a positive tone and feel that can be found across all tracks. When I write an album, everything has a place and a purpose, and it’s all part of the bigger story. I’m so happy with the journey of this album.”

The album is set to be filled to the brim with collaborators including Boo Seeka, Elderbrook, Cassian and more. Better still comes a new single dubbed “Hold Tight” that drops today and will fill that void quick smart.

On the track, Haydens explains;

“This is a big summertime piano house record that took a while to perfect but once it was done I knew it would fit the vibe of the album perfectly. I also really love the meaning of the song, which is about two people who are drifting away at moments but come back to realize what’s important. I like people to figure out songs themselves, I don’t like to go ‘this is what this song is specifically about’, because there’s so many different meanings that people take away, so many different lessons from different songs. But this one, it feels like such a strong call to hang in there, and get back to what you love doing or back to that person you love and just hold tight.“

Dive into “Hold Tight” below.