thinking silly Expresses Himself On New Track & The Origin Behind His Name
Intro:
thinking silly is a 20-year-old unsigned alternative musician hailing from Northamptonshire, England. His newest release, “small town syndrome,” explores the complexities that come with being in a long-distance relationship. Having previously played in bands such as “Stereo Ghosts” and “clearcut,” thinking silly’s ear for music is undeniable. This song itself was one that was created in a single day off the strength of hard work & passion. Before reading our brief conversation, make sure you listen to thinking silly today below.
Me: What was the creative process like while making this new record? How'd you get inspired?
thinking silly: The song came from a voice note of a pre-chorus melody idea that I had recorded a few weeks before working on this project. That specific melody never made its way into the song, but it inspired the chord progression and vocal lines, which I drafted on the GarageBand app. The recording process itself was very much a collaborative effort with the artist Margot Taylor, whom I have been working with since 2019. Margot was also in the band ‘Stereo Ghosts’. We made the song at her home setup. The session started around 6pm and ended at 2am. We felt really excited about what we had created, and were confident that it could be my return as ‘thinking silly’.
Great story! Did you draw inspiration from any specific genres or artists for this comeback release?
The chorus of the song ‘Kickstarts’ by Example was a big reference point. We wanted to achieve that kind of tone and energy. We listened to the song ‘Sex’ by EDEN, because we felt that combination of pop and EDM could be another useful inspiration.
Additionally, how would you describe your overall current style of music? Has it evolved over time?
I’m struggling to put a specific label on it at the moment, but if I had to do so, I would suggest “alternative indie pop”. Previously, thinking silly had very much revolved around forms of rap and hip hop music. Stereo Ghosts was, in a lot of ways, a pop punk project and clearcut was intended to be shoegaze.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from this specific project?
It would be great for the song to resonate with someone who feels at least partially ‘stuck’ in a ‘small town’ environment, I know that a lot of the time recognizing other people are in a similar predicament to you helps ease the ‘weight’ of the issue, so that would definitely be really fulfilling. And I hope that anyone who looks at the lyrics can recognize that despite being set in the second person, the song is about me and my tendencies, not the actions of somebody else.
Excellent! From there, what was the most challenging part of the recording process?
The verse vocals took a lot of work. I struggle to replicate the delivery of some of those lines, I think my voice was somewhat strained but that it added to the tone we were looking for. I also think I had to be prepared to be very vulnerable around Margot, because the song is a very honest depiction of how I felt during a rough period.
Where does your stage name originate from? Has it ever changed in the past?
I was very, very young when I thought of the name, potentially 13 or 14. I debated changing it to ‘silly’ at one point, but the older I get, the more I feel as though ‘thinking silly’ resonates with me incredibly well. I also like the fact that people I knew when I was younger may be able to at least vaguely remember the name.
It’s a great name that does standout amongst the crowd! Additionally, do you have any upcoming releases or plans that you're comfortable sharing with the readers?
I’d love to have another 2 songs out before the end of this year, potentially a 6 track EP if things were to go really well.
That’s exciting! And finally, in your own words, why should a new listener check out this song today?
If you’re guilty of bottling up and denying your feelings until they inevitably become too much to bare and also enjoy dancing, the song may well be for you.
