Odesza is one of the few acts I will quite literally drop anything at a moments notice to go see live. As I am writing this I was just talking to my friend about my regret of not planning a trip up to Red Rocks for their upcoming show. The guys are not only incredibly talented but palpably authentic. I remember the first time seeing them. They were playing a small side stage at the ill-fated Hudson Music Project. It was right before the release of In Return and one of my first assignments for EDM Sauce.
Their music moved me, and I immediately reached out to their PR to set up an interview. I was fortunate enough to get a phone interview with them and we talked for almost 90 minutes. I barely asked any of the questions I had planned. It was like talking to two guys I had known forever. We went off on tangents including quantum physics to the Nazi escape plan after the end of WWII. It was quite literally one of the experiences which showed me that I wanted to continue to work as a journalist in the dance music industry.
Shortly after they released In Return and launched into superstardom. A year prior I saw them in a small, sweaty side tent, and they were now headlining Coachella. Odesza has an allure about them that not many artists can match in this day and age.
How Higher Ground Came To Be
Their last release, A Moment Apart, was nothing short of a masterpiece. Racking up several Grammy nominations Odesza continued to enjoy commercial success. Many of the songs from the LP were lyrically driven crossover tracks. The clear standout, in my opinion, was ‘Higher Ground' featuring immaculate vocals by Naomi Wild.
The story behind the track is nothing short of inspiration. The way coincidences lined up is near miraculous. It is a story that inspires and encourages artists everywhere. ‘Higher Ground' started as an acapella recorded on a voice memo, and is now being performed all over the world. Check out how it came to be below.
