Coming in from Australia, the upbeat Pop Artist, Producer, and Singer/Songwriter Shoulders of Giants releases a thrilling sweet-escape through his recent hit, "Glow Sticks," off his latest album, 'The Modesty of Science.'
Shoulders of Giants (a.k.a. Mike Brislee) has spent years creating tracks with his amateur producer hat. Knowing that he could do more with his sound and talent, Shoulders of Giants decided to team up with legendary producer Wayne Connolly (The Paper Kites, Cloud Control, and Boy & Bear) to expand the producer side of himself.
Through his latest hit, "Glow Sticks," Shoulders of Giants goes on to tell a passionate story while reminiscing on past experiences with loved ones abound. The song's instrumentals offer this bright and anthemic Pop atmosphere through each melodic aspect and use of organic/electronic sonic elements.
"Glow Sticks" opens with nothing but pulsing claps and Shoulders of Giants' vocals singing of this being our last chance to say goodbye. As the instrumentals breakdown to offer a mid-tempo beat with warm piano melodies and airy drum patterns, Shoulders of Giants powers through to fuel the song with the utmost energy through his uplifting vocal delivery. While singing lyrics of not wanting to be apart from his loved ones and wondering how this year managed to fly by, we can't help but place ourselves as the main character in this reminiscent tune and remember the days that didn't seem so glum. Ending the song with the addition of a bright string section, Shoulders of Giants has truly transported us onto a new plane with this exhilarating hit.
Through the reminiscent and sweet aspects of his single, "Glow Sticks," Shoulders of Giants proves himself to be a passionate artist who continuously delivers highly conceptual pieces for listeners to lose themselves in.
What sort of lyrical concept did you initially want to capture with your song, "Glow Sticks?" How did you arrange your lyrics to offer this reminiscent aspect?
The lyrical concept for Glow Sticks came about in the way that most of my songs seem to, which is fairly counter-intuitive. A first line will arrive seemingly out of nowhere, then the hard work of figuring out what the song is supposed to be about takes place! I knew I wanted a big chorus that could be shouted like an anthem, and the image of end-of-year festivities kept whirring around in my head. The song is actually about a group of people celebrating being freed from a cult, the realization that things will get better, and the desire to have an earth-shattering party to celebrate. It was a challenging song to tackle lyrically!
The instrumentals within your hit "Glow Sticks" are utterly exhilarating and uplifting. Why did you choose to capture this positive tone with your instrumentals even though your lyrics speak on saddened themes of missing the past?
I think that bright, happy-sounding instrumentals can have a nostalgic aspect to them. I find that most of the songs that move me are actually misleadingly positive. The kinds of songs that make you cry tears of joy, or that a large group of people can sing together and feel a connection.
Within your track, "Glow Sticks," you offer this upbeat and optimistic tone through your vocal delivery. Is this a typical sound for you, to capture more of a hopeful and cheerful tone with your vocals?
If I have a songwriting trick that I keep coming back to, it’s to keep the music and vocals sounding positive and upbeat, but with lyrics are actually quite dark. I think I always have to have a built-in juxtaposition in the songs I write. If I ever wrote a song with lyrics that were genuinely happy, I’d have to make sure that the music and vocal delivery were as dark as possible. It’s probably just to keep me interested, but I’m also very conscious of not wanting to waste people’s time, particularly in an oversaturated musical world, so anything I can build into a song to make it more interesting or make it stand out is incredibly important to me.
Might we hear more reminiscent songs like "Glow Sticks" through your album "The Modesty of Science?" Or do you capture a broader theme within the project?
There are a few different themes on The Modesty Of Science, but they all exist within a fairly focused and consistent main theme, that being objective truth. Observable, testable, and repeatable truth. But beyond just the lyrical themes, a musical theme I tried to emphasize on this album was the shamelessness of 80s pop anthems. The music from that decade was big. Big riffs, big drum sounds, big choruses, big production. The songs were fun. Nothing held back.
What has been your biggest inspiration while creating new music this year?
The biggest inspiration for me creating music this year has been the challenge I set myself after I released my last album. I wanted to make an album that put the last album to shame. I almost didn’t want people to be able to tell that it’s the same artist, by I guess as soon as I start singing, it sounds like me!