ODESZA are currently wrapping up an American leg of their tour, but that hasn’t stopped them from sharing some new content. In this case, they’ve revealed how they made their track “Higher Ground” off their last album A Moment Apart.
The video documentary chronicles how “Higher Ground” came to be, including how vocalist Naomi Wild got involved. ODESZA members Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight describe how they retreated to Lake Chelan in Washington to brainstorm. Unfortunately, their initial efforts proved to be fruitless without many concrete ideas.
The doc then switches over to Naomi Wild, who lived in Los Angeles while coming up with the lyrics to what would become “Higher Ground.” She said the inspiration for the track came from attending ODESZA’s Do LaB set at Coachella in 2014. Then, she asked her manager to find a way to send the lyrics over to ODESZA.
Switching back to ODESZA, the doc brings it all together and shows how the production to “Higher Ground” formed. Just as all hope seemed dashed, the two heard Wild’s acapella and got hooked. They skipped dinner and worked to create the dreamy production for “Higher Ground.” The doc finishes with footage from ODESZA’s Coachella set this year, including Wild’s live appearance during their “Higher Ground” performance.
It’s an inspiring story, and proves that even the worst writer’s block can lead to something magical. Watch the making of doc to ODESZA’s “Higher Ground” below:
Cover Photo: Julian Bajsel