Experiencing a vivid dream is something of a rarity…we don’t get to live that super-real-super-colorful dream that often…and maybe that is what makes it such an awesome experience…
But sometimes we come across something that can instantly transport us to that rare state of lucid dreaming…that is what happened to me in the first couple of minutes when listening to Hidden Pillars’ latest single “Shattered”.
If you’re thinking that dreams are all just synth pads and ambient sounds…then no, that is not that kind of dream… the one I’m talking about is a very melodic dream, with dreamy vocals, dreamy chords, smooth energy and a bit of magic.
Coming from Townsville, Australia, Hidden Pillars are apparently taking the world by storm.
Let’s get to know the brains and soul of Hidden Pillars…
Jayden Bauers on Drums
Matt Magnani on Guitar and Vocals
Nick Stewart on Bass
“Shattered” was produced by ‘Rock Auteur’ Adib Parker (Cheekbone).
Hidden Pillars have a wide range of musical genres that they play, from indie to math to alternative rock, there is nothing off the board, if it sounds good, they do it…and if they do it, it sounds good. As easy as this.
They have a very fresh and raw approach to their music, whether from sounds, vocal performance, beats, rhythm, they have their soulprint in each track…that’s not something you see everyday. As I was saying, this is a ‘rarity’.
So how about we get to know more about their latest single “Shattered” and jump into it heads first? Let’s do that!
“Shattered” starts out with a simple and catchy clean guitar rhythm…an intro to the ‘dreaminess’ to come…
The vocals come in so smoothly you’ll feel like slipping into a dream without noticing…
Vocals continue to spread their wings…bit by bit…harmonizing, layering…being lush.
That mood builds up till it hits a point of no return, a place where we have to go deeper into the dream, but go stronger too…that’s where the drums, wide guitars and awesome bass line explodes and engulfs us…
The whole track continues to build up constantly, maybe there’s a time or two where the music calms down, only to take you back up and to tell their story…
Speaking of story, “Shattered” talks about…well, how about I share with you an awesome paragraph from Hidden Pillars themselves, describing their drive behind “Shattered”…and what it all means:
“We wanted to mimic the gradually building intensity of a relationship with the instrumentation behind the lyrics. Starting off soft and somber with the initial thoughts after meeting someone, slowly adding more layers and sounds as that person starts growing into your life, delving into them on a deeper level, and a silence, building tension, before feelings are shared and you commit yourself to them, unprepared and unknowing, waiting for their response.”
…no one could have put this better than the minds behind this creation.
Back to the music, the dreamy nature of the intro to “Shattered” is not gone by the end, no, actually as the song gets more emotional, more powerful, it still has some kind of halo around it that keeps it and keeps you with it in that dream-like state…
The song is almost 4 minutes long, yet, the first time I heard it I felt it was more like two and a half minutes long maybe…and I think this is a testament to how well the song is written and structured, it is like a story or a movie, with ups and down perfectly separated, perfectly arranged and told so we can get that experience.
When listening to “Shattered” I got the feeling that I’m listening to something on par with ‘Muse’, the vocals are awesome and unique…the buildup and drive is tight and they have that kind of energy that floats around their songs.
Hidden Pillars, you guys made our day, we wish you all the luck in the world…and some more.
We’ll be on the lookout for more brilliant music from you.
Cheers!
