California-based recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and producer Galaxy Shores releases his shimmering self-titled debut EP, 'Galaxy Shores.'
Just beginning his solo career in the summer of 2020, Galaxy Shores grew up on his father's classic rock while discovering electronic music in high school, and later, psychedelic rock in college. All of these sounds play a key role in Galaxy Shores' music. As he continues to sharpen his craft broaden his cosmic horizons, introduce yourself to the blossoming artist through his debut EP, 'Galaxy Shores.'
The project opens with the introductory track, "Free Fall," blessing our speakers with vibrant and spacious synths that open like a new day. As a groovy electric guitar riff begins dancing through our speakers, so do bright sci-fi effects that up the song's anticipation. As Galaxy Shores drops the drums, we're moved into this transcendent composition that chills us from head to toe. Once he makes his vocal appearance, Shores sings of the treacherous sensations that come with loving someone from a distance. We can clearly hear Galaxy Shores' genre influences shine through this intro track.
Upping the energy and groove is track number two, "I Guess It's Time," which kicks off with a steady drumbeat then into the cosmos with blistering electric guitars and vibrant synths that rain down from above. All of which leads us into a reflective keyboard melody and Galaxy Shores' soft and unique vocal stylings that sing of parting ways with someone special. We long the emotional density of this track, especially through Shores' deeply passionate and cathartic performance, perfectly enhanced by the heavily dynamic, melodic, yet scorching sonic atmosphere.
Moving onto the third track, "Live Without," this song opens on a more atmospheric and relaxed note with soft background pads and voicemail automation, leading us into the heartfelt and psychedelic-infused instrumental. Listening to Galaxy Shores' passionate lyrics, he expands on wanting to call just to hear someone's voice, although he's still coming to terms with the relationship's demise. This song delivers a perpetual state of longing for someone's presence, as the chilling instrumentals paired with the rich sonics perfectly reflect those sentiments.
Landing on the project's halfway point, we're met with the soul-soothing introduction of "Launch Sequence-Re Entry," opening with shimmering effects and distant pads that lift us above this stratosphere. As the sizzling synths begin to expand and ooze in anticipation, Galaxy Shores drops us into a cinematic psychedelic-rock/electronic soundscape that's just as refreshing as it is captivating. Throughout the entire project, Galaxy Shores offers heavy Tame Impala vibes but with his own emphasis on space and the cosmos above.
Drifting into the project's second half with the fifth track, "Another Day," Galaxy Shores opens this song with his layered harmonies that sing of wasting his days repeating the same old cycles that don't do him any good. So far, the entire EP has been incredibly personal, and we truly appreciate how Galaxy Shores wasted no time and got straight to the point with a take-it-or-leave-it kind of attitude. This song is incredibly spacious and soothing, and so is Galaxy Shores' emotional performance as he makes it through another cyclical day.
Livening the EP is the sixth track, "Sphallolalia," which begins with a crashing alt-rock instrumental offering the brightest vibes we could ask for. Alongside Galaxy Shores' lush synths and melodic vocals, he sings another heartfelt tale regarding those lingering emotions for someone he must move on from. This is another deeply emotional piece that shatters your ideas of love to the core. Galaxy Shores perfectly portrays those back-and-forth thoughts that creep up when deciding whether or not to leave a relationship, but we get the feeling that the next song will be the outro, and not just of the EP.
Closing the project is the final track, "What Once Was And Still Could Be," Galaxy Shores takes us through a dreamy and chilling sonic atmosphere that opens the song in a brilliant and cinematic manner. As Galaxy Shores begins singing of his lover moving on too fast for comfort, he continues to ponder what was and what still could be. He makes perfect use of electronic music's vast sounds through this piece while portraying those turbulent emotions he just can't find words for. This was, by far, the most dynamic song on the project, and while Shores gives it his all to let someone go, his instrumentals keep the project's spirit high.
Introduce yourself to the soon-to-be star and blossoming recording artist Galaxy Shores through his highly conceptual 7-track debut EP, 'Galaxy Shores,' now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Galaxy Shores. Congratulations on releasing your conceptual and dynamic debut EP, 'Galaxy Shores.' What experiences inspired you to create this emotional yet transcendent project?
First off, thank you so much! I'm so glad you guys liked the music. It still doesn't feel entirely real that it's actually out, it was so many solitary hours of tinkering so it feels amazing hearing that people connect with the songs and enjoy them. During the initial quarantine period of summer 2020, my brother and I were talking about all the fun stuff we wanted to do with our lives, but it just felt like every day ended up being wasted. We came to the conclusion that if we didn't make something of ourselves during a time when we had nothing to do and nowhere to go, we'd absolutely regret it. When I made up my mind and finally decided to give music a shot, the first thing I asked myself was what I would write about. There was no single experience that led to the making of the EP. Instead, the songs serve almost as sonic journal entries, some dealing with emotions I was feeling at the time, and others dealing with themes I've felt before in my life and finally had the chance to write about. I've always had a very active imagination, and it was the first time in my life that I actually got to express my thoughts in a creative way. Music was a way for me to occupy my time during the endless solitary hours, and it quickly became something I latched on to as a passion.
Did you have any artistic influences in mind when creating the EP 'Galaxy Shores?'
As much as I wanted to form my own sound, I definitely was drawing from influences as well. From a young age my dad brought me up on classic rock, so I was surrounded by the likes of Boston, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Queen, and many others as I grew up. When I got into high school I discovered electronic music and fell in love with all the wild sounds, effects, and the overall scale and progression that every song seemed to have. College introduced me to lots more "indie" type music but also was my first time hearing modern psychedelic rock, mainly in the form of Tame Impala. I became obsessed with modern psych, enjoying the fact that it often had lots of synths as well as guitars and other analog instruments; it felt like the perfect blend of everything I'd grown up listening to. I was super inspired after learning more about Kevin Parker, and the way he is able to record everything himself, and it gave me encouragement that it was possible to have a musical project be self-contained, at least in a studio setting.
What was your experience writing the vulnerable and deeply emotional lyrics for the EP 'Galaxy Shores?' Was this a challenging process?
When I initially decided that I was gonna try and make music, my first question to myself was "what am I even going to write about?" It was the first time I'd ever been in a position to write music of my own, so it was simultaneously super exciting and overwhelming. I'm not much of a journaling type person, so I decided to start putting my thoughts down as lyrics. Sometimes I'd write something based on what I was feeling at that time, such as a feeling of isolation or feeling stuck during quarantine, and other times I would write based on thoughts or experiences I'd been carrying around for a while, and just never had the chance to articulate. It sometimes felt weird knowing people would hear me being vulnerable, but it actually was extremely therapeutic to turn my thoughts into songs, and also it's sometimes easier to write a little deeper if you can bury the vocals a little. In a way, most of the songs serve as sonic journal entries, but I didn't really want them to be only lyric-focused. Every sound in each song is just as much an extension of what I'm feeling as the lyrics are, so I wanted it to be an all-encompassing experience. So, if you want to listen to the lyrics you can, but if you want to tune them out and just enjoy the melodies and instrumentals then you can do that too.
Do you have a favorite song off the 'Galaxy Shores' EP? Why do you gravitate to that song in particular?
My favorite song on the EP has to be "Live Without." I had little bits of lyrics written for about a year, but the entire recording process for the song happened in a 7-day span. It stuck with me cause it was the first time I heard something in my head and was able to get it actually sounding the way I wanted. It just came together in such a way where I feel like all the melodies complement each other well, the structure has a flow to it, and the lyrics fit right in where I want them in the mix. Also, the drums took me like 7 hours to record, so I was pretty proud when I finally felt like I got the groove right. To me, the finished product has a smooth but melancholy feel to it, which is really what I was trying to capture, so it was nice hearing the song back and feeling the same emotions that inspired it.
What impact do you hope to make on your audience when listening to the 'Galaxy Shores' EP? How do you hope listeners will react?
Music has brought me so much joy in my life, and I just want to give that joy to others. It has helped me through many seasons of life, both good and bad, and all I can hope for is that it helps other people as well. I love songs that make me feel like I'm somewhere else; songs with layers and ear candy I can hone in on with repeated listens, and I hope to make music that has that same effect. If someone listens to the EP and gets lost in the sounds, melodies, or if they feel like they are not alone when they hear the lyrics, then I feel like I've done something right. I want people to feel a sense of escape, where you can take a night drive, hit the beach, or just close your eyes and live in your own world for a bit. God has blessed me with the gift of being able to create, He's put me in an extremely unique opportunity where I get to express myself musically, and I just want to make the most of it if I can. I feel blessed making the songs, and all I want is for the music to end up blessing whoever listens.
