Do you believe in fairy tales? Naomi Wild certainly does, and the story behind her and ODESZA‘s hit collaboration “Higher Ground” will have you believing too.
It starts with the electronic duo feeling stumped after a successful tour, crunched under the weight of label expectations for a new album without a shred of musical direction. They did what many artists have done and escaped their problems while seeking inspiration in the wilderness. ODESZA set up a studio near Lake Chelan in its native Washington state. Creativity came slow, and a few days passed without much composition – although they did watch Angels in the Outfield.
“We were trying a bunch of new things, seeing what worked,” ODESZA’s Clayton Knight says, “but I don’t think we were really happy with any of it.”
Meanwhile, in California, Wild wrestled her own bout of writer’s block. The aspiring singer thought back to a time of inspiration, the moment she saw ODESZA perform during a Do Lab curated event.
“I just remember being like ‘wow I wish I could go up there,'” she says. “‘I wish I was part of something like that.'” She sent the recording to her manager and asked if there was any way he could get her vocal to the Seattle duo. Incredibly, it reached them, and it sparked the flame that became “Higher Ground” and the foundation for the full, Grammy-nominated album A Moment Apart.
It’s a real tear-jerker of a video clip, one that is sure to get you off your butt and reaching for your dreams. Catch the magic feeling below.