Track-by-Track: Shapes Share Their Thoughts on New Album ‘Planet Android’

There is much current debate over the positives and negatives that come with the evolution of technology, and Shapes provide their own point of view on the issue with their new album, Planet Android. Released earlier this month, the album looks at humanity’s growing dependence on technology and its increasing disconnect from nature. It’s quite a bold statement to be making for a band on their debut album, but Shapes is not intent on pulling any punches. The narrative of the album presents an alternate universe that acts as a metaphor to examine the dangerous path that humanity is currently following. The ultimate conclusion of this narrative is that if we continue down this path, there will be serious and negative consequences for all involved.

Based in Toronto, Shapes is composed of a group of four lifelong friends. They share a deep musical connection that becomes clearer the more you immerse yourself in their music. They view their music more like an experience rather than just something you engage with passively. Musically, they combine psychedelic rock, funk, jazz, and blues. Their approach to writing and recording is rather fluid. There is no grand playbook that they work out of. They believe in music flowing freely and improvisation and sonic exploration playing an important role in songwriting.

We are joined today by Shapes for an exclusive Track-by-Track rundown of Planet Android, sharing with us the interesting context behind this album.

1. “Nature Girl”

“The story of Planet Android begins by introducing the hero of the story, ‘Nature Girl.’ She is the only living survivor of a planet that was completely destroyed and is now left alone to travel the universe in search of a new home. The lyrics of the song are a reflection of her loneliness as she drifts through deep space, contemplating her existence. She represents anyone who feels alone or lost in the world and is searching for a place of their own.

“As the first song on the album, ‘Nature Girl’ sets the tone by inviting the listener to imagine themselves floating alone in space, searching for a place to call home. The guitar and keyboards weave around each other in a swirl of psychedelic textures that resemble the incredible beauty Nature Girl is seeing on her journey through the cosmos.

“The song quickly transforms from a dream-like state into a rush of chords and rhythm, signalling a sense of hope as she finally detects signs of life. Once again, the song returns to the dream-like theme, where Nature Girl decides that she is tired of being alone and makes the fateful decision to head towards Planet Android and face the adventure that awaits her.

“The song now shifts into full funk mode, reflecting Nature Girl’s willingness to face her fears and seek out a new home. Both the keys and guitar launch into quick and fiery solos that demonstrate the true strength of Shapes as a band and provide a sneak peek into the improvisational magic that defines them.”

2. “The Baron’s Memoirs”

“The second song on the album introduces the villain of the story, named the Baron. This song serves as his origin story and depicts his arrival on Planet Android and the unfortunate events that would follow. He represents some of the worst qualities in humanity, including the need to colonize and exploit native land and people. The lyrics of the song describe the Baron’s mindset upon finding this beautiful planet and seeing it as an opportunity to exploit it for his own gain. Like many modern societies, he disregards the harmonious balance of nature in favour of industrial and capitalist ideals, which ultimately leads to their destruction.

“The opening guitar riff sets a dark and mischievous tone that conveys the Baron’s evil intentions perfectly. The story is laid out in detail through long spoken word verses that describe the Baron’s story, combined with layers of humorous sound effects that help draw the listener in deeper. As the song transitions between spoken verse and dark, jazzy interludes, it finally settles into another funk-driven jam featuring a searing guitar tone that resembles the Baron’s maniacal personality. In the last verse, the opening theme is reintroduced, describing the all too familiar story of colonial exploitation, as the Baron takes over the planet and quickly transforms it to serve his imperialist agenda.”

3. “Planet Android”

“The song ‘Planet Android’ reveals what the planet has become since the Baron has taken over and implemented his policies. In its current state, Planet Android now resembles a dystopian hellscape where nature has been completely replaced by machinery and synthetic material. The people of the planet are completely brainwashed and linked into a neural network that prohibits any original thinking. The Baron controls the entire planet with the help of his minions, known as the Hoarders, who comb the planet searching for any free-thinking individuals that might cause a problem. There have been rumours stirring about a hidden place that still exists on the planet called the Last Oasis. Talk of an ancient mystical being named Future Boy circulates among rebel merchants who peddle in prohibited information and knowledge.

“As fate would have it, Nature Girl and her chance arrival at Planet Android serve as the catalyst that begins the turn of the tide. After quickly realizing that the Baron is truly evil and his only goal is to rule the planet for his own personal gain, Nature Girl is introduced to a group of rebels who protect the secret location of the Last Oasis and Future Boy.

“The title track throws you straight into the vacuum: a planet hollowed out by mechanized order and the Baron’s absolute control. Cold synths and industrial percussion sketch an environment where even thought is regulated—citizens wired into a neural network, stripped of curiosity. The song functions as a manifesto and map, establishing the stakes with bleak clarity. Musically, the track favours hard-edged textures that make the world feel simultaneously vast and claustrophobic.

“This track also introduces the incredibly tight horn section featuring members of one of Toronto’s top local acts, Big Smoke Brass. Conrad Glutch is featured on saxophone, layering his signature sound on top of the groove. Matt Smith and Zach Smith, both very prominent names in the Toronto jazz scene, are featured on this track as well.

“The telepathic connection between drummer Ben Weigensberg and bassist Phil Albert demonstrates the deep bond and understanding they have developed over years of playing together.”

Shapes ‘Planet Android’ album artwork

4. “Rebel Merchant”

“‘Rebel Merchant’ is a song that describes a coded conversation between Nature Girl and a character that deals in restricted information that exists outside the Baron’s neural network. Throughout the song, there are ‘coded lines’ that describe how the Baron uses mind control to rule the citizens of Planet Android’s minds. He offers advice to Nature Girl and tells her to ‘seek him out and save your doubt, the future holds the key,’ referring to Future Boy.

“Where Planet Android broadcasts the dystopia, ‘Rebel Merchant’ pulls you into the underground. This is a coded, conspiratorial conversation: furtive melodies, sly rhythmic shifts, and lyric lines that read like encrypted instructions. The Rebel Merchant character trades in forbidden knowledge and exposes the mechanics of the Baron’s mind control, ultimately pointing Nature Girl toward a single hope, Future Boy.”

5. “The Last Oasis”

“An instrumental song that depicts the beauty of the Last Oasis and the importance of keeping it a secret from the Baron. The music describes a sacred place that is under constant threat of being discovered and destroyed.

“The instrumental interplay feels like stumbling into a secret painting: warm, slow-moving textures conjure water, wind, and foliage—the opposite of the album’s metallic surfaces. This is sanctuary music: delicate harmonies and spacious production create a place both breathtaking and fragile. Because the Last Oasis must remain hidden, the track is intentionally both intimate and triumphant, an aural vow to protect something precious. Its main theme also provides the emotional center of the album, the thing worth fighting for.

“This track once again features the incredible Big Smoke Brass horn section, adding in layers of rich textures that elevate the song to a place of elegance.”

6. “Future Boy”

“Another instrumental song that represents the special bond between Future Boy and the nature that surrounds him. The legend of Future Boy tells of an ancient being who is thousands of years old, but takes on the physical appearance of a young boy. It is said that he was given the gift of vitality from the ancient trees that he protects and cares for as if they were his family. Unlike the rest of the planet, Future Boy exists in perfect harmony with nature and represents the magic that exists when humans treat the natural environment with the respect and reverence that it deserves.

“Where ‘The Last Oasis’ is the refuge, ‘Future Boy’ is its human heart. This song frames the legend of an ageless guardian who carries the vitality of the ancient trees. The track reads as a character study without words: lively yet reverent, youthful in spirit while ancient in origin. It’s the record’s moral core and its most hopeful moment.”

7. “Hoarders”

“‘Hoarders’ is the last song with lyrics on the album, and describes the events that unfold that ultimately lead to the showdown between good and evil. The Baron tricked Nature Girl and used her as bait to help his minions locate the Last Oasis and Future Boy once and for all. It sets the stage for the final song called the showdown, where Nature Girl and Future Boy battle against the Baron and his Hoarders.

“‘Hoarders’ pulls the listener out of the dream and reintroduces danger. Harsh rhythms and an accusatory vocal tone bring the dark elements of the story back into the picture: here, the Baron’s enforcers scour the landscape, and using Nature Girl as bait, propel the plot back towards the inevitable conflict. The urgency of the arrangement mirrors the hunt, and the lyrics carry the weight of betrayal. As the last sung track, ‘Hoarders’ tightens the tension and converts the album’s atmosphere of rumour and protection into something immediate and combustible.”

8. “The Showdown”

“The finale of the album plays like a short film: martial drums and blaring horns evoke a battlefield, then a quick shift to funk and brighter harmonic colours suggests that hope breaks through the darkness. The arrangement once again features a powerful horn section whose syncopated notes convey the clashes of battle and war cries. The next section of the song depicts the climax of the battle as the soaring sax lines emulate two powerful forces coming to a head. The dark cascading melody is meant to invoke a sense of fear and peril as the evil forces make their final push to destroy The Last Oasis once and for all.

“The tune comes to a momentary pause, suggesting a cloud of uncertainty as the dust settles. Within the pause, a thunderous bass line is introduced that conveys both a sense of hope and newfound strength. In a cathartic final groove, the music reflects the true power of love and nature as both Nature Girl’s and Future Boy’s true powers are fully realized. With this newfound strength and power, the protagonists of the story are able to sever the Baron’s control over the citizens of Planet Android, allowing them to finally think for themselves once again.

“It is left up to the listeners’ interpretation to decide whether good or evil has prevailed, however a short musical interlude that reintroduces the main theme from the Last Oasis appears at the very end of the album, alluding to the fact that good has prevailed after all.”

Tour Dates:

May 1 – Dharma Bums – New Hope, PA
May 14 – Funk ’n Waffles – Syracuse, NY
May 22 – The Bug Jar – Rochester, NY
May 23 – The Gem – Spring City, PA