shYbeast (I See Stars) asks "Will Your Heart Have Room" on new track
Devin Oliver is no stranger to the alt-electronic scene. After making his debut as the frontman of I See Stars, sharing a stage with countless artists on Warped Tour, as well as Nine Inch Nails and Bring Me The Horizon, Oliver is channeling his energy and emotions into his solo project under the moniker, shYbeast.
Following his cross-country relocation to LA, Oliver exposes his raw struggles and fears into his solo music. Powering through his personal battles, Oliver has teamed up with AltPress to premiere his new single, “Will Your Heart Have Room.”
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What was the writing process like for “Will Your Heart Have Room?” What inspired the track?
DEVIN OLIVER: I wrote this song during my move from Detroit to Los Angeles. It was a tough time for me leaving behind my friends, family and the city I grew up in. [But] the writing process was incredible. I wrote the lyrics and melodies first and wrapped the music around it second. The lyrics are very emotional and tug at your heart, so I really wanted the music to feel uplifting [and to] represent the bittersweet nature of my situation. Although leaving Detroit was tough and living in LA raised a lot of hard questions, I still had a lot to look forward to and embrace.
How has your writing and recording process changed from I See Stars to shYbeast?
I think as an artist, it’s important to express yourself freely as well as allow yourself to be challenged. I See Stars played such an important role in my life for so many reasons; one being that I have always felt very challenged in the writing process. You have four minds colliding at full speed and they are all heavily armed with passion. But when it’s time for the music to make its way out, we do it together and there is so much comfort in that.
With shYbeast it’s very different. At times, I feel very naked with shYbeast. I feel exposed in ways you can never really prepare for. I am challenged by only myself most times which is the most challenging thing I’ve ever experienced as an artist. But I also get to express myself freely. If I am excited about an idea or a lyric, I don’t really need to ask anyone for validation—which feels very liberating. But when the music comes out for the world to listen to, I feel extremely exposed because it is just me. It feels very much like revealing your soul to the entire planet.
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Tell us the significance of this track in your personal and professional life.
I think the production in this song is some of my most proud work, professionally speaking. It’s important to me that I establish myself as a producer.
Personally, this song is very significant. Throughout the song, you can hear [me sharing] the melody with my girlfriend Yasmine [Yousaf] from Krewella. We decided to not make this track a “feature” and keep that information pretty low key and save that for another time. But I’ll share it with AltPress because you’re family.
How do you think fans will relate to the song?
The story behind the song speaks about me and Yasmine moving in together and the questions I tortured myself with. Will her heart have room for me? Will love overcome all the chaos this massive change is going to bring to our lives? I think everyone at some point in their lives takes a leap of faith and it’s paramount for any romantic relationship. You either survive or you grow apart. It was terrifying.
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What are your plans for the remainder of 2020?
I have over a dozen songs written and ready to go [so] I hope to perform at some point this year with shYbeast, even potentially tour. I am pretty busy with the new I See Stars album at the moment so we’ll see.
Oliver released his first single under shYbeast in 2019. You can watch “no 1 else” below.
You can listen to Oliver’s new track “Will You Have Room” below.
