glimmers give an unfiltered look at the uncertainty of love in “By The Lips”
glimmers have shared an emotional new single “By The Lips” with fans ahead of the release of their five-track sophomore EP, Worlds Apart.
The song chronicles the intimate parts of a relationship as well as the delicacy it takes to navigate love and everything that comes with it.
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Starring the band’s vocalist Maggie Schneider and Jacob Adkins, the visual shows a couple’s journey through their complex relationship. After reuniting post-breakup, the couple begins to fall deeper and deeper in love again but with a looming uncertainty.
The act of love is visualized in many different ways throughout the video, from romantic gestures such as giving someone flowers to seemingly mundane tasks such as doing the dishes. In fact, at times it feels like listeners are getting an unfiltered view into the everyday normalcy of a couple.
The song will appear on Worlds Apart, which chronologically follows the life and death of a relationship. From the epic highs of falling in love to the devastating lows of loss, each song reflects on a different emotion surrounding this concept.
As the fourth song on the EP, “By The Lips” focuses on the intimacies of falling in love for a second time after already breaking up. glimmers are heavily influenced by various iconic pop-punk bands and took inspiration from powerful ballads by groups such as Mayday Parade when crafting the emotion behind “By The Lips.”
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The band have already released three tracks off Worlds Apart—“Purple Tux,” “Fallin’” and “Not Good At Goodbyes”—as well as an acoustic version of the latter.
On “Purple Tux,” the couple reminisces about the past, while “Fallin’” takes a hard look at heartbreak. “Not Good At Goodbyes,” which features Nick Pena of lostbody, is an all-encompassing declaration of love, with the good and bad aspects included.
In line with the thematic elements of the EP, glimmers have also shared music videos for each song. Once all five songs are released, the videos put together will create a short film inspired by ’90s and ’00s romance movies.
You can watch the video as well as get an exclusive glimpse into Schneider’s creative process for both “By The Lips” and Worlds Apart below.
Ahead of Worlds Apart, you have been releasing singles that each chronicle a different stage in a couple’s relationship. How does “By The Lips” fit into that narrative as the newest single?
“By The Lips” is our fourth episode of this story. At this point, our couple has reunited for the first time since their breakup. The song is about those intense feelings you feel for somebody, especially right after the relationship has ended. As the song builds, the couple becomes more intimate, but there’s still some uncertainty of whether it’ll work out.
Walk us through the creative process of making this intimate song and how you were able to visualize the story you wanted to portray in the video.
This is definitely the darkest-sounding song on the EP. I wrote this with Alex Crain, and we wanted it to be a huge rock ballad with a dynamic shift at the end. Our videographer Deanna Elise wanted to reflect this throughout the video, which is why she chose to incorporate neon lights and a pretty intimate setting. It shifts between dreamlike scenes and the reality of the couple reforming their bond.
This story of the ups and downs of a relationship is something many people can relate to. What do you hope listeners take away from the message of not only “By The Lips” but the EP as a whole?
We hope that our listeners connect emotionally to our EP. These songs are like the soundtrack of my life and represent what I’ve learned from my relationships. I hope that these songs comfort and inspire others to express their emotions through whatever they love to do.
You cite Mayday Parade, All Time Low and Julia Michaels as some of your inspirations. How is their influence present in “By The Lips”?
Musically, this song is inspired heavily by a lot of our pop/punk and emo influences. I’m a big fan of how dynamic Mayday Parade’s ballads are, and we were definitely influenced by them in the studio. Lyrically, we always strive to be as honest as possible. Julia Michaels and Alex Gaskarth write such vulnerable words, and this song is definitely confessional.
From the release of your first EP, Cluttered Heart, last year to now, how have glimmers changed as a band, and what should fans expect from you looking forward?
I think our songwriting has matured a lot since Cluttered Heart. We’ve gotten so much closer as friends and as bandmates, which I think shines through the songs. You should expect a lot more music, laughs and surprises soon.
