Shamir on Returning to Pop and the Grunge Glamour of “On My Own”
by Ethan Ayer
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Shamir doesn’t mind living on his own. Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, the “On My Own” artist made his debut in 2015 with the quirky electropop of Ratchet, a coming of age album of sorts that cemented his unique brand of hard bass and high vocals.
In the years following, he traded that synthesized production for a more DIY approach, choosing to self-release albums that explored other genres — like this year’s lo-fi indie rock confessional Cataclysm. With this upcoming project, Shamir seems to be returning to the “accessible” nature of Ratchet, but with the life lessons he learned from his experimental (yet equally enjoyable) years in between. The new project is the second album he plans to release this year and the lead single, “On My Own,” is a scorching self-reclamation.
Despite being an isolation anthem, the song sounds communal, with Shamir layering his countertenor to create a choir of himself, professing, “I don't mind to live all on my own / And I never did / And I don't care to feel like I belong / But you always did.” As distorted electric guitars warble around him, it sounds as much of a fierce declaration as it does a reminder to oneself that self-love is always the best love, mixing grunge lyrics with melodic glamor in the production and vocals. Over email, Shamir describes the process of making the song and what fans can expect from the new album.
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You recorded the video for “On My Own” in your own house using all your own materials and “secondhand” clothing. What do you hope to accomplish with your visuals and how do they play a part in your music?
I'm doing all the visuals for this record including the press pictures and covers, and I think what I’m going for is a very grungy glam thing. I use an old 13mm Lens and edit with this specific grain I’ve fallen in love with.
In some of your recent albums, Revelations, Resolutions, and Cataclysm, there has been a motif of a butterfly in the visuals and on the covers. Seeing as this album has been described as your “most accessible album since 2015’s debut Ratchet” it seems as if that chrysalis has fallen away and you’ve evolved accordingly. How does this album relate to your previous works and that butterfly motif?
The butterfly has been a constant motif my whole post-Ratchet career because it's always been a symbol of guidance on the road to finding and establishing my true self. I think this album, although more accessible than the previous, fits in with the other records perfectly. I deal with a lot of the same and similar themes — I just tightened and cleaned up the sound a bit.
You’ve talked previously about your reasoning behind taking a left turn stylistically from Ratchet to a more “stripped-down indie rock sound”. What made you want to go back to that more “accessible” pop sound for “On My Own” and this album?
I think I wanted to push myself to make that “stripped-down indie rock sound” sound as big as possible. “On My Own” is still very minimal for pop standards, which I'm proud about, because I think it emphasizes the songwriting.
Expanding on that, how did this song and album first start to take shape?
Very casually. I knew I had a batch of songs I was happy with, but no plans were made until Kyle Pulley reached out to me. I was a fan of a lot of the stuff he worked on and I felt like it would be a cool but unique fit — and I loved that he was Philly based.
From what I understand, “On My Own” was originally written about the solace of being an introvert after a breakup, then morphing into an accidental quarantine anthem. How has quarantine affected yourself and your art?
I think it's kinda given me more mental space to be even more creative than I typically am. I’ve used the extra time to experiment creatively in a way I wouldn't do previously as a way to save time.
“The butterfly has been a constant motif … because it's always been a symbol of guidance on the road to finding and establishing my true self.”
Although you’re releasing this upcoming album, you’ve also been working with other artists, such as your appearance in the Netflix documentary I'm With The Band: Nasty Cherry. How has that experience writing for other artists’ projects compared to writing for your own, including working with other artists through the label you launched in 2019 (Accidental Popster Records)?
When I work with other artists, I basically pretend I'm writing as them, that's why it's hard for me to write with an artist I'm not close to or can't connect with on a deep level. I think it's a disservice to the artist to not work with them on a deeply empathetic level.
Besides being your “most accessible” album since Ratchet, what can we expect from the upcoming album?
A lot of variety! Every song is basically a different genre.
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