Hailing from New York City, singer-songwriter and award-winning recording artist Brandon Anderson returns with a moving and inspirational single entitled "Shadows."
Anderson has been named a Critics Pick by Time Out NY, while also getting listed as #8 on the Advocate's Hot Sheet. A finalist in the Ultimate Singer/Songwriter Contest, Brandon Anderson has also landed features on NPR's Lake Effect, The Advocate, Queerty, The Shepherd Express, and many more. Having crossed the country twice on different tours, there's no saying what he will do next.
Now, Brandon Anderson is taking the industry by the horns once again as he releases the bold and motivational single, "Shadows." The song is the second single off Anderson's forthcoming soon-to-be-titled album releasing late spring. "Shadows" discusses that voice in your head that might seem like a guiding friend, but it's nothing more than lingering doubt, fear, and lies that keep us from reaching our highest potential.
Listening to "Shadows," the song soothingly opens with distant synths in the background while short drum breaks and a plucky guitar-like synth bursts through our speakers. As Brandon Anderson makes his way in, he begins singing of wanting to set himself free from the trials and tribulations his mind makes up.
The song's instrumentation is incredibly modern and dynamic, and we love the incorporation of electronic elements merged with warm basslines and airy drum arrangements. Brandon Anderson always impresses us with his lyrical mastery, and this song is nothing short of an emotional and cathartic masterpiece that helps us see through the shadows cast by the negative voices in our minds.
Give yourself a boost of motivation with help from Brandon Anderson's new single, "Shadows," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome back to BuzzMusic, Brandon Anderson. We always appreciate featuring your empowering music, especially the new single "Shadows." What experience or moment inspired you to write a song about seeing through the negativity stepping into the light?
Thank you! It's great speaking with you again! "Shadows" is actually an old song that originally found itself on my Guitars & Grievances album. I wrote it while I was on tour for the first time and had a lot of time away from my daily life. I had just started a relationship before leaving for the tour and, like had been the case every time before, I was having this constant barrage of doubt - voices in my head telling me it wasn't right, I wasn't good enough, something was wrong. It was a similar voice that also held me back in my career. At the time, I didn't know what the voices or shadows were, but in writing the song, I acknowledged that they were there. Fast forward ten years and the pandemic created another pause in daily life. In the reflections that inspired this whole new album, I had a realization about this ten-year-old song. I was playing through my albums while in quarantine and as I played Shadows I was suddenly just struck like lightning. I finally knew what the voices and shadows were that had been planting all these doubts in my head. It was quite the epiphany, so I knew I had to re-record the song and it became the jumping-off place for the entire album. Naming something is really the first step in defeating it, in changing old dynamics. Do you feel that "Shadows" is a solid representation of society's current state? Did you want this song to help remind listeners that it's only darkest before dawn?
"Shadows" is about a universal problem that we all face to varying degrees - the voices of doubt that hold us back from reaching our full potential or having meaningful and deep relationships - and I think that the root cause is certainly embedded in the society we live in. There is a lot of "should be's" in our society, and I think social media has only amplified some of this messaging and made it impossible to escape. And if you are not in the straight white majority, there is an added level of shadows that obfuscate paths and limit what you are allowed to think is possible for yourself, what you are worthy of. I think being able to recognize that the voices in your head are not yours, that they were placed there by someone else, by tradition, by prejudice, is the first step in overcoming them. For the longest time, I thought the shadows were being cast by me, but once I realized the truth it was much easier to ignore them and chart my own path towards the light. I hope Shadows will remind listeners to question the voices that make them doubt their potential, their ability to love and be loved. What was your songwriting process like for "Shadows?" Do you have any particular methods that help express your thoughts and emotions freely?
I've always just strived to be honest and I find that is easiest when I am out of my comfort zone when my defenses are down. When I am too comfortable, I have a lot of protective walls that can sometimes shield me from the truth. For Shadows, I was on tour with people I had just met and was away from everything I knew. It was an incredible experience but also lonely at times and I think that vulnerability translated into the songs I was writing, including Shadows. With each new album, I feel like they come from a place of uncertainty and questioning and the music is the way that I navigate it. In truth, I am not the best at expressing my emotions to friends and family in daily life. I feel like I have to be strong, solid, stable, but music is the one place I feel I can express myself fully, which is what keeps me writing. What should we expect from your upcoming album this spring? How does "Shadows" fit into the project's theme and concept?
A journey! I am just finishing the mixes and masters of the final few tracks and I am very excited about how it's all turning out. "Shadows" is the first track on the album. It's the realization, the spark that ignites the journey that the album goes on. It really is about moving from darkness and doubt to the light of acceptance and joy. I wanted to create an album after the pandemic that was about moving from all the darkness we were living through and finding the light on the other side. After all, you can't have shadows without light. What's next for you?
Right now I am focused on finishing this album so I can hopefully play out and tour this summer! (Fingers crossed) My song Pixelated Love was also just nominated for Best Indie Vid by Queerty for their 10th Anniversary awards, The Queerties. You can vote for my song every day until Feb 22nd!
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