Music Interview: Glassio

Glassio, who consists of Sam R. and Charles Pinel, is an indie-pop duo from New York City. The duo is known to bring different flavors of sound and vibrant tune to the music scene. Their chill tone layered music is known to blend vocals and beats from a multitude of different genres that leave you utterly impressed and awed. You could literally listen to the same song over and over again and catch a different note, beat or harmony every time. Their music is truly a feast for the ears. I got the opportunity to chat with the guys to learn more about their music, what it was like to write their new single “Daydream,” and what the next steps are for this eccentric duo.

TYF: Can you tell us how Glassio was formed?
Charlie: Sam and I both attended NYU Tisch and lived in the same dorm room freshman year of college. We met through mutual friends in and out of the program and eventually collaborated on some songs for school which lead to us becoming bandmates.

TYF: What made you guys want to become songwriters?
Sam: Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, and Paul Simon were my major influences for wanting to write songs. I would listen to them obsessively growing up.
Charlie: Initially, I was drawn to learning guitar in 6th grade because I was watching MTV 2 and getting into alternative rock bands like The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, and The White Stripes. The energy and connection I felt with the music pushed me to be in bands and write with friends.

TYF: Speaking of inspirations, you guys are based in New York City, does the city inspire your music in any way?
Sam: I don’t think so. Well, it does and it doesn’t. That’s not to say I don’t respect the city’s rich musical history — it’s mind-blowing. I personally always had the tendency to be overwhelmed by my peers. I know I’m very competitive and that can be a good and a bad thing at the same time. I often feel most creative feeling isolated artistically from others. That’s when I come up with what I’m most proud of. There is such a fear of missing out in New York; I don’t know how some people are able to go to 2-3 gigs a night and still make music. I’m out of commission when I’m in music making mode. It’s like I don’t exist anymore.

TYF: How would you describe your sound?
Sam: Indie-pop for the soul.
Charlie: Mighty and mindful.

TYF: I love listening to your music and the many layers your sound has. How do you guys plan out how you want a song to sound like?
Sam: Thank you very much. Some of it is pre-determined. Most of the time, however, we end up taking unexpected turns on the spot. Happy accidents have been and I think will always be very important to us. They guide us, musically. It’s a bit like interior design. Sometimes you might have a vision entirely for a room and it works, but other times its one piece of furniture at a time. Both methods are equally as exciting – one is just more instant and the other more stretched out.

TYF: I feel like as a writer, you can catch yourself in a constant state of editing and perfecting. With that said, how do you know a track is complete?
Charlie: It varies. We bounce between writing, arranging and producing when we work on a track. Incrementally, we figure out the overall arrangement of the song as the heart of the track gets consolidated.

TYF: You guys just released your single, “Daydream” – can you describe the sound in 5 words?
Sam: 5 words come to mind – whirlwind, magnetic, landscape, spacious, melancholy.

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TYF: The track features singer/songwriter NAKAYA, what was it like collaborating with NAKAYA? 
Charlie: It was a treat. We spent the afternoon recording her vocals and trying out different ideas at our place. It all came together quite naturally.

TYF: Why did you guys specifically choose to add NAKAYA’s R&B vocals to your indie pop-infused sound?
Sam: We’ve always been big fans of R&B. The song came out that way when we were writing it. I remember we were both deep in a Maxwell phase this time last year — stuff from that period. We recorded a demo with my vocals on and something wasn’t sitting well. The lyrics were also very profound and it didn’t feel right singing it from my perspective/background. We’ve always respected Nakaya – I think she’s massively talented and thought this track would be perfect for her voice. It was an instinct really.

TF: You guys released an official audio video of the track that has a stagnant image of you two and changing images in the background. How did you guys choose which images in the background to show?
Sam: Yeah! I spent 2 hours one evening putting that together in Photoshop. It’s a mix of a lot of moments that feel global and some that are very personal. For instance, one is a park near where Charlie grew up, another is the hospital I was born in, one is a picture of the court my parents divorced in.

TYF: Will you guys release an official music video for “Daydream”?
Charlie: We had a few ideas for a video but no guarantees as of now!

TYF: Does your writing process differ when you guys are collaborating with an artist verses when the track just involves you two?
Charlie: When working together, our process is pretty consistent. And very informed by where we stand taste-wise with our personal listening. Our collaborative process changes from song to song and really depends on the qualities of the person we’re working with and where their ideas transport us musically.

TYF: Are there any songs or artists that you’re currently listening to that inspire your music?
Sam: I’m in a complete Trevor Horn phase lately: The Art of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood. I grew up on that stuff but I’m re-visiting it through watching several documentaries on him/ZTT and it’s a completely different experience. Have also been loving the new Four Tet album. I think it’s amazing.
Charlie: I recently discovered this Common track produced by J Dilla called “The Light”. It got me to check out his album Like Water For Chocolate. Really great stuff.

TYF: What is next for Glassio?
Sam: I honestly have no idea. Things change for us so often – almost every month, which is great because we feel like we’re not limiting ourselves and that is really a blessing. We are writing a lot of new material at the moment and we’re excited to see where that goes.

For more information on Glassio, click here.