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Track-by-Track: Goldview Discuss Their Upbeat EP ‘Chapters of An Open Heart’

Goldview delivers a succinct track-by-track rundown of ‘Chapters of An Open Heart,’ wherein they discuss in depth the origins, meanings and development of these three memorable songs.

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Goldview, photo by Joshua Lizak

Things are certainly looking golden with Goldview at the helm of Alt-Pop. Released last month, the three-track Chapters of An Open Heart EP veers in and out of and between pop and punk, with the lyrical content focused on the inner workings of personal relationships and how that affects us on a personal level. These themes fit in line with the band’s overall point of view, that of the underdog and navigating life’s many struggles and challenges while chasing your dreams.

Originally formed in 2015, Goldview is led by brothers Huynh, guitarist Newton and bassist Nathan, along with lead singer Trevor Schmidt. They underwent various lineup changes and changes, of course, before they settled on the name Goldview in 2018 and their general intentions of what they wanted to sound like.

They are heavily influenced by artists as diverse as Green Day, Taylor Swift, and CHVRCHES, and have opened for artists such as No Pressure, Youth Fountain, Young Culture, Lil Lotus, and Crooked Teeth. They have released several singles, working alongside some superb producers, including Ace Enders from The Early November, Nik Bruzzese from Man Overboard, and Sam Pura (State Champs, The Story So Far).

Joining us today for a succinct track-by-track rundown of Chapters of An Open Heart is Goldview, wherein they discuss in depth the origins, meanings and development of these three memorable tracks.

Goldview ‘Chapters of an Open Heart’ EP album artwork

Goldview ‘Chapters of an Open Heart’ EP album artwork

1. “Believe”

“‘Believe’ is a song that has two main meanings. When we make music, we hope that anyone that listens to it could relate to it in their own way. The idea of ‘Believe’ reflects a relationship that ends up with a positive result. There are many types of relationships, but this song is about a relationship that works out in the end. ‘Believe’ could also connect to anyone that is hoping to achieve a dream or goal. This song is definitely intertwined with the idea of inspiration.

“This song was influenced by the Disney film, Frozen 2. When we were in the studio, it was February of 2020. We had seen Frozen 2 in theaters and were huge fans of it. The movie came out at the end of 2019, so we saw it a few times before hitting the studio in February 2020. Some of the vocal ideas were inspired by the ‘uh ohs’ from ‘Into The Unknown.’

“In the film, they got lost in a forest with fog. That imagery and scene influenced this song. Instrumentally, we wanted more synthesizers in our music. We wanted to make synth music, but still had instruments. We do not mind taking influence from Pop music or even making Pop music. We wanted to innovate and learn as much as we could. This song bridges between Pop and Rock. Perhaps Alternative. Our vision was to make an inspiring and innovative song that could connect to people.”

2. “Chemical”

“‘Chemical’ is a song about a toxic or dysfunctional relationship. That could be a romantic relationship, friendship, or anything. Life is not perfect. In life, people struggle and encounter tough situations. Relationships are complex and complicated. As people, we are constantly learning. Children and adults all learn. As adults, it seems that adults often deal and learn with issues regarding relationships. In a toxic or dysfunctional relationship, it seems difficult and many times, you may want to end it. However, ending the relationship seems like the most difficult thing to do.

“We wanted to write a song that explored the ideas of this type of relationship. The chorus of this song is very catchy. In the studio, we wrote the song with Ace Enders. Ace was very proud of this song and was amazed by how great it turned out. You never really know what comes out of a studio. Everyone works hard, but sometimes, some songs come out unexpectedly greater than what you imagined. The chorus of this song definitely created excitement in the studio. The guitars in this song have dynamic and a lot of layers to it. We feel that it represents the emotions of the song quite well. We incorporated synthesizers in this song as well. The verses have a lot of synthesizers. We are very happy with the innovative and creative side of this song.”

3. “Brave”

“‘Brave’ is a song about a relationship that embarks on courage and working towards something great. It is not necessarily a relationship that works out in the end, nor a great one. However, it explored a relationship that may potentially work out. In a difficult relationship, it may require courage. This song is definitely in the major key, and feels happy. However, the lyrical aspect is more on the dark side. We wrote about feeling doubt and the darker aspects of a relationship. In spite of that, hard work and courage may lead to a potential great relationship.

“We utilized synthesizers in this song. The introduction of the song includes some of our favourite synthesizer song parts that we have been a part of. For many listeners, the introduction of the song may even sound like a synth-pop song. Our goal is to be creative and make something innovative. This song was inspired by songs with synthesizers. In the studio, we discussed taking influence from bigger artists, such as Taylor Swift or Coldplay. We included group vocals in the bridge of this song that reminds us of boy bands, such as NSYNC or One Direction. This song is a fun one.”

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