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Apr 22, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Sophie Harris

Atlanta-based rock band glimmers debuted back in 2020 with their first EP Cluttered Hearts, taking unabashed inspiration from 2000s pop punk favorites like All Time Low and Paramore. This year the band has quickly built up to their follow-up EP, Worlds Apart, releasing each new single as a step in the EP’s narrative. As vocalist Maggie Schneider describes, the new EP is “a concept record, from the very first song to the last. Each of the songs follow the progression of a relationship, as well as the stages of heartbreak: love, loss, denial, bargaining, hope, and acceptance.”

Accompanying each track the band has also shared a series of music videos, directed by Deanna Elise, putting the EP’s story to film. The full EP releases tomorrow but the band have shared one last single and video for “Stay,” premiering early with Under the Radar.

“Stay” is the EP’s gut-wrenching closer, a spotlit piano ballad driven by Schneider’s plaintive vocal performance and a resonant cello accompaniment. It’s a stark ending to the record but bears no shortage of the glossy melodies and earnest lyricism the rest of the EP puts on full display. The track acts as one final plea for reconciliation, a look back on what has been, and a heartfelt offer to mend broken hearts, with Schneider singing “Just live in the moment like we only have today/Please stay.” The track ends on an ambiguous note, offering no hard answers to the future. In the band’s world, much like with real relationships, there are no easy resolutions, but you can’t help but take a bit of hope in the impassioned closing moments of “Stay.”

Schneider describes the track saying, “We wanted to end the EP on a simple but super emotional note, similarly to “I’ll Never Love Again” in the movie A Star is Born. It’s about fighting for the spark that’s still there and living in the moment. My favorite part of this song is the live cello that we tracked on it. Casey Buice did a fantastic job with this. We wanted to end the song on a cliffhanger to make listeners wonder if the couple gets back together or not.”

Check out the song and video below and pre-save the Worlds Apart EP, out April 23rd on Common Ground Collective.

Under the Radar also caught up with the band over email to talk about “Stay” and Worlds Apart. Read Maggie Schnieder’s thoughts below.

1. You all got your start as a backing band with Maggie. What led you all to make the jump to writing your own music together?

After playing a bunch of shows in this same lineup, it didn’t feel like a solo project anymore. Everybody brought something important and special to the table. When the pandemic first began in March 2020, I hopped on a Zoom call with everyone to talk about making the transition. We all agreed that the project felt more like a family than a backing band, and since the guys were already collaborating on my music with me, it was the perfect fit. I’m so happy we made that decision!

2. You’ve described the EP as a concept record. How did you land on the idea for a concept record and what drew you to the idea of watching a relationship progress?

I’m a musical theatre kid, and I’ve always been a fan of concept records like The Black Parade and Fall Out Boy’s Save Rock and Roll. I was watching The Youngblood Chronicles at the time, and thought it would be really cool to have each of these songs create a larger story about a relationship. I called our great friend and videographer Deanna Elise, and we wrote this story together. I’m a big fan of 80s and 90s rom coms like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, so we wanted to recreate those feelings with a more modern lens.

3. Do you see Worlds Apart as an extension of the themes on Cluttered Heart or as two distinct projects?

I definitely see Worlds Apart as an extension of Cluttered Heart. The funny thing is, we wrote and recorded most of these songs in the same sessions! They were meant to be packaged as a full-length originally, but we decided to split the songs up and have them tell their own stories. Both projects show how I’ve grown up as a person.

4. “Stay” is such a beautiful note to end the EP on. Why did you want to go for a more stripped-back approach to the closer?

Thank you so much! When we were first recording this song, I knew that I wanted it to be my Lady Gaga moment. A Star Is Born is one of my favorite movies ever, and the closing track (“I’ll Never Love Again”) makes me cry everytime. I wanted “Stay” to have that same emotional effect. We wanted to end the EP with just vocals, piano and cello. Casey Buice played cello live in the studio, which is one of my favorite parts about the EP.

5. “Stay” also feels like a hopeful ending to the EP’s narrative, even if it leaves things ambiguous. Was providing that resolution important to you when writing the EP?

Absolutely! We wanted listeners to decide for themselves whether our couple gets back together or not. In my head, though, I see them working things out. I think this is why “Stay” feels more hopeful. Either way, we wanted to show how one person can bring a lot of life into your life.

6. What was your inspiration behind the music video series? How did the visual narrative come about and what were your influences?

Our videographer Deanna is amazing and directed/edited each of the videos all on her own. No crew, no assistants, nothing. We were both super inspired by John Hughes movies, as well as Troye Sivan’s music video short film. The visual narrative is also inspired by my relationships and things I’ve been through, so we took inspiration from both movies and real life.

7. In the end, why did you all decide to leave it ambiguous whether the couple gets back together?

Relationships are complicated. You never know what’s going to happen, but that’s what makes them exciting.