Brandon Sheer goes by the stage name SHEARE. He grew up in Lower Manhattan and is based out of Brooklyn as of late. At first glance, you think he’s your typical hipster with cool sunglasses and a funky jacket. At second glance you realize you’re probably right. Until he delves into his fashion inspiration.
“My mom is the coolest human being the world. She’s so cool but also self-deprecating, so she’s the perfect balance. She used to take me to vintage shops, flea markets and museums as a kid. I think she’s a lot of the reason why I put clothes on in the morning and they aren’t sweat pants,” Sheer says of his surprising fashion icon.
Sheer continues to describe his love of New York City and how he can’t help but be inspired by the street style that exists here. “Even in my younger, more insecure days, I would wear whatever I felt comfortable in,” he says. “There are no boundaries here. It’s okay to blur into a weird hybrid of gender roles. That’s what I love about fashion.”
SHEARE
After we chat about the influences that Mick Jagger, Bowie and Prince have had on Sheer’s androgynous fashion style, we dive into his musical style. He decides that he’s on the indie spectrum of pop music. “I’ve recently realized that I can’t second-guess my music,” he admits. “If you do what you do and don’t waver and you’re a decent person, everything will be okay,” he says of relieving himself of any doubts about his sound. “Also, don’t be a garbage-fire of a human being,” he adds.
His new EP Turbulence will be released on May 12, and if you’ve ever gone through a break-up, you will relate to this one. Sheer reveals that the songs included on the EP were written on the heels of a brutal break-up. “I had been distracting myself from the break-up for a while and after the holidays, it became really evident that I needed to write,” he says. “Post-holiday blues are not just a thing you see in the movies, they are real.”
Turbulence
“I wrote the song “Levitate” first and I knew that this darker sound was going to echo throughout the EP.” Sheer’s dark and brooding EP may seem surprising his fans (he’s been described as “capri-sun pop” in the past). To those fans, he says, “I have an older brother who I grew up listening to Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine and Nirvana with. Not exactly what my music sounds like.”
