Following a neon-lit performance at Soho House in Manhattan, Brooklyn-based artist SHEARE has released his sophomore EP, Music for Photo Booths. While maintaining his signature style (think: Mick Jagger meets David Bowie) and evocative vocals, SHEARE has taken a sonic departure from his raw heartache-laced debut EP TURBULENCE. Music for Photo Booths offers a brighter, more hopeful sound though SHEARE himself will jokingly admit, he’s still somewhat of a skeptic. “I still think I’m very cynical and in constant turmoil,” he says laughing. “But I also think that comes from my Instagram and the heightened character of myself I’ve become on social media.”
For the past few months, SHEARE has been teasing his new collection of music with graphic visuals and video sneak-peaks. Now, in a DuJour exclusive, he’s finally releasing the video for the song “Tidal Wave” from the Photo Booths EP.
With retro-style Polaroid pictures and dreamy filters, the aesthetic of the EP is immediately seductive, as is the backstory. “I played a show about a year ago and met a girl by the photobooth in the basement of the hotel I was playing at. I made her a mix of Spotify called ‘Music for Photo Booths’ and I just kept the title even though I lost the relationship,” SHEARE explains. He adds that the EP in it’s entirety is about evoking a feeling of young love and though the title was inspired by an isolated moment, the songs are an amalgamation of a lot of different people.
One song, “you + i,” proves SHEARE has a more optimistic attitude on love compared to one year ago. “The song is a love letter to my future person. The whole line, ‘I keep saving up for a time when you’re the only one,’ is how I feel all the time,” he admits. The young artist says he consistently goes into relationships whole-heartedly, despite the repercussions. “I always joke that the thing about wearing your heart on your sleeve is that it’s easier to get stained,” he says. “No one really wants to have a clean shirt.”
“Tidal Wave,” by contrast, focuses on a young, suburban romance that’s stifled by boredom. “It’s a bittersweet song especially with the line, ‘I remember brighter days. Your love is like a tidal wave.’ I think people come into your life and can have an impactful feeling on you even after they’re gone.”
This more mature voice imbues SHEARE’s music and his personal style, defined by glitzy suits paired with his iconic hat. “There’s something very cool about having this retro, 1960s vibe and the aesthetic of the music video for ‘Tidal Wave’ definitely has that,” he says. See for yourself below with the official video for “Tidal Wave.” SHEARE’s EP Music for Photo Booths is available now.
