Q&A: Glassio Navigates Emotional Waves Through "Will You Still Come Back Tomorrow?"
GLASSIO HAS CARVED A NICHE IN NEW YORK CITY’S indie-electronic scene over the past seven years. Known for infusing melodic sweetness into dance beats, Glassio's latest 4 track single, "Will You Still Come Back Tomorrow?" unfolds as a journey through the complex stages of bidding farewell.
Glassio reveals the creative process behind the track, from its original mix to a harmonic version featuring Rodes Rollins, and an ambient interpretation. Influenced by Brian Wilson and The Flaming Lips, Glassio's music is a collage that seamlessly blends diverse elements, creating a unique sonic tapestry.
As Glassio continues to evolve, he shares insights into his upcoming music and visual intentions for the future.
LUNA: The new single "Will You Still Come Back Tomorrow?" is described as an episodic journey through the stages of a long goodbye. Can you take us through the creative process of translating these emotional stages into the music?
GLASSIO: So the first version was the original mix (track 1 of 4). That was going to be it; however, when I reached out to Rodes Rollins about potentially singing on the track, she went away with it and created a really rich harmonic version which I felt deserved its own space entirely. I went back and forth between which version to release and eventually decided, "let's make it a double single."
At some point, I started visualizing this release going even further, with a stretched-out ambient version that sampled elements from the first 2 versions of the song. Once I had finished the ambient mix, I remember saying to myself, " wow, ok this is the point where our protagonist in the song is coming to terms with the fact that life moves on after loss, and the world goes spinning on." I wanted that ambient mix to replicate the little reminders we make to ourselves that our troubles are effectively tiny in the grand scheme of things. It only felt natural to come out of that wall-of-sound-inspired ambient track with a very stripped down and listless version of the song. It felt so fulfilling listening to the 4 of them back to back and following that progression in our character coming to terms with the fact that something in their life had ended.
LUNA: You've been recognized for your ability to blend influences from Brit-Pop to Brian Wilson to The Flaming Lips. How do these diverse inspirations shape your sound, and how did they play a role in the creation of this particular release?
GLASSIO: I like finding common threads between artists from different generations. You can hear Brian Wilson's influence practically everywhere. I was an obsessive fan of his as a teenager (and still am). His approach to recording changed everything in the music industry. I think I naturally take what I know from how he viewed the spirituality of recording music and tap into aesthetics that feel newer and modern to me...like the way the flaming lips use synthesizers, or the way they over compress drums on their recordings. I think referencing bands from different eras while you're in the recording studio is a producer's way of playing different notes on an instrument, and this has all been made easier by playlisting technology.
We end up becoming collage artists based on our musical taste and our ability to effortlessly digest diverse genres that would have had no business being on the same CD compilation 20 years ago. With "Will You Still Come Back Tomorrow," I remember actively trying to channel synth sounds that I'd hear on a Flaming Lips or Magnetic Fields record whilst thinking about Blur and the energy of "Tender" when coming up with the melody itself. The ending of the song was very much inspired by the ending of "God Only Knows."
LUNA: Your music often incorporates a melodic sweetness to brooding dance beats. How does this fusion contribute to the storytelling aspect of your songs?
GLASSIO: I think that dichotomy of sweet, lullaby-like melodies with darker, subterranean dance beats offers a good platform for storylines that deal with duality, and ambivalence. I don't actively think of these things while I'm writing, but looking back on what I've made, I can see a lot of that as a common thread --even with regards to the album artwork I end up making for the releases. There are often two characters in frame for most of the releases' artworks. Songs about duality and finding one's true inner voice and setting oneself free are storylines I feel like I gravitate towards often, and I like using that sonic fusion as a method of getting those ideas across.
LUNA: How does the collaborative process influence your music?
GLASSIO: Lately I've been writing and thinking about the voices of other artists on a song I'm working on, and that sometimes impacts where things go structurally. I'm pretty melodically driven so when I bring a song to another artist, the melody and structure is usually there, and we end up working on harmonies together, and maybe switching out lyrics in different places.
LUNA: Who are some dream collaborations for you?
GLASSIO: Some dream collaborations would be Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, Brian Eno, maybe something with Underworld. A collaboration with Laurie Anderson would probably kill me on the spot- I'd probably pass out from intimidation and stress in the first 5 minutes of meeting. That would be a complete dream collaboration.
LUNA: How has your music evolved since the debut EP Poptimism, and what thematic threads or sonic elements have remained consistent throughout your artistic development?
GLASSIO: Poptimism was really a direct, coming-out-of-the-gate response to French Touch and Top 40 music. It was entirely fueled by those landscapes. Things eventually started to become House and R&B-inspired for a few years after. In the past year/year and a half I've been mostly interested in more 70s and 90s inspired pop/rock and finding ways to incorporate those worlds into my electronic productions. I have definitely gone down more of a Dream-Pop route and taken a short break from Dance-inspired music in recent years. That being said, that might be changing in the New Year based on what I've been working on.
LUNA: What can we expect on the visual side of upcoming music?
GLASSIO: I'm honestly not too sure yet! I haven't quite gotten to that stage with new music. I often make the visuals but I think I might hand that off to others for some newer releases next year!
LUNA: What intentions do you have for the end of 2023 and beginning of the new year?
GLASSIO: Well, I'm reaching 1 year of sobriety come January 1st which is a big milestone, and something I have never been able to achieve before. My goals and intentions are to continue down that path and to continue filling my life with music and finding the drive to continue creating, and spreading love into the world with songs that make people happy. I want to make more uplifting music in the New Year.
