March 24, 2020
Tune-In Tuesdays #62: High Shores on “Ready to Fall”
By: burgundy bug
Black and white group photo of High Shores
Source: High Shores | Instagram
A North Carolina pop-rock band with friendship and heart at the core of their work, High Shores has evoked a riptide with the release of their latest single, “Ready to Fall,” and the addition of their newest band member, Carter Harris.
Recently, we spoke to Harris, Kayla Wimert, and Amanda Timothy to learn more about the band’s dynamic and their brand-new feel-good single.
How would you summarize your sound in just three words?
Carter: It might sound kind of odd, but “emo power pop.”
Kayla: I would say “energetic pop-rock.”
Amanda: Fun, energetic, therapeutic.
When did each of you begin playing music?
Carter: I have been playing music since I was like six or seven, so that’s about 20 years ago now.
I started with my family. They’re all musicians, so they got me in at a fairly early age.
Kayla: I started at about the same age [as Carter]. I was obsessed with music from a young age – it was the only thing to get my parents to stop me from crying when I was younger,
My grandpa actually built me my first drumset out of plywood when I was six, and it just went from there.
Amanda: I sang in the talent show in 6th grade [laughs]. Other than that, Kayla and I were in our first band together in 2008.
Could you tell us a little bit about your first band together, Kayla and Amanda?
Kayla: That’s the first time I’d actually met Amanda, we found her on Craigslist. It was like a little pop-rock band, we weren’t really good [laughs], but we did go on a tour.
We were together for about a year and then went separate ways. I continued on with music in different bands, and I think Amanda just stayed out of the game.
Then we just rekindled the whole band love again about a year ago.
Amanda: I met Kayla on Craigslist to try out for the band. I came into it with them already having songs so I had to adjust to their sound. But it was still super fun and it’s when I knew I wanted to perform forever.
When did each of you realize music was more than just a hobby for you?
Kayla: For me, it was at a very young age. When I first got my drums it was something I constantly thought about. I liked to go on my swingset and I think about how cool it would be to do this.
It’s something that’s always been in my blood and something I can’t let go – no matter how many real jobs I get.
Kayla Wimert, High Shores Drummer
Right now I’m a Vet Tech, that’s another passion of mine. So at least I get to do something else I love.
Carter: A lot of it came from my family being musicians. That’s something that had always really interested me growing up.
My grandfather played a lot – a lot of my family played instruments, but he traveled and got to play on Grand Ole Opry for awhile. He played with a lot of larger musicians, started his own bands.
One thing that always really interested me was hearing his stories of his travels and experiences. I really connected with that and felt it was awesome ’cause another thing I love experiencing things.
Even if it’s a bad experience, I grow from it. I think that really connects me with him.
And then [my love for music] really took off when I watched an upperclassman at my middle school talent show play “American Idiot” by Green Day. I was like, “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life, I wanna do that.”
Amanda: I’ve always connected with music. I always felt that fire in my heart to sing. But I was too shy, of course – until 2008, when I finally broke out of my shell.
What are some of your hobbies outside of music?
Carter: Another thing I’m really passionate about is film and acting. I’ve always really been influenced by that as well, to the point where that’s currently what my job is. I’m a video marketing specialist over at a software company.
In my off-time, if it’s not music, I’ll be trying to write a short story or film it with some friends.
Kayla: He actually helped direct our most recent music video, so it’s pretty handy.
I’m pretty simple. If it’s not music, then I really like to fish. I know it’s cheesy, but it’s just my relaxing time. I also like dirt bikes, I like to go fast.
I know those aren’t some typical girl things, but y’know I’m not typical. I just like to do things that I’m not supposed to, I guess.
Amanda: My babies keep my schedule pretty full, so anything with them are my hobbies. I also love to hike and camp!
How have you grown from working together as a band, both personally and musically?
Kayla: With Amanda, we’ve always had that bond because we’ve known each other for about 11 years. Music draws us closer because it’s something we’re both passionate about and I think it makes us better friends.
I mean, with the business side, you get ill with each other because you need to do this and that under a time crunch, you get stressed out.
In the long run, we know who we are and it just makes us stronger with each other. Kinda like a marriage [laughs].
Kayla is my best friend, Carter is becoming my best friend, and we definitely feel like more of a family than just a band.
Amanda Timothy, High Shores Vocalist
Amanda: Personally, I’ve learned to trust my voice more and not tone it back so much, which is amazing.
Carter: Personally, one of the things I’ve really grown on with this band is we’re all in different areas right now. I think my communication has improved tremendously.
Growing up, I’ve been in a couple bands. Y’know, you’re growing up in your hometown and the people you’re in bands with are no more than 10 minutes down the road. Some people I even lived with for a while.
People always give me heck about my lack of responses and stuff, but meeting Kayla and Amanda has really pushed me because I really like what we’re doing. I really think it’s special and it makes me want to respond to things.
I’m very excited about responding and I think it’s helped me personally just be better about communication, connection stuff.
Kayla: That’s so sweet.
Kayla and Carter: [Laughs].
Who are some of your biggest inspirations in the industry?
Carter: Talking more band wise, I’m very influenced by Muse. Green Day is the first band that got me into playing with bands, so there’s tons of love there.
There’s also a band called Pluto and they’re one of those bands I can just listen through every single one of their albums, over and over again. I’ve always found their writing super interesting with their lyrics being very storytelling kind of stuff. I’ve always found myself attached to that type of songwriting.
Another person I’d like to add in there, even though he’s not in a band, is a producer named Butch Walker. He’s worked with a lot of larger bands, I know he’s worked with Taylor Swift.
I grew up in the emo days, so All American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Panic! At the Disco. All of those bands really influenced my writing and how I play a live show.
When I later found out the mastermind behind all these bands was the same guy, I started looking up everything he had his hands in.
I don’t know when he started, but I know he’s heavily influenced a lot of the most recent Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco especially.
For Fall Out Boy, I think he started with them during “Infinity on High.”
[Walker] really influenced a lot of what I try to write, which I always kind of try to portray.
Kayla: My band that I’m gonna start off with is New Found Glory, always been obsessed with them. I have a tattoo of them on my arm. I just love it. People say he’s nasally, but the energy – and they’re still going! They’re like, 40-years-old almost 50-years-old kinda guys and they’ve got 10 albums coming out. I mean, c’mon.
So New Found Glory for sure. I also got really into a female-fronted Australian band that really blows my mind.
I’m gonna have to go with my pop-y side, too. I was obsessed with Aaron Carter when I was younger. I believe the reason I love pop music so much is because of that man.
Amanda: The Used and I Prevail are my current favorite bands. They both inspire me not only with their music but their story and what they go through as artists. Also, Eminem is a lyrical genius.
Tell us a little about your latest single, “Ready to Fall.” What does the single mean to you, as the artists behind it?
Kayla: To me, it means a lot to finally get it out. This song has had its hardships actually getting it out. We had to redo it with three different producers.
The message behind it is just letting things go and forgiving because to me, that’s just what you have to do in this life.
[“Ready to Fall”] is just energetic and different from the single we released before that. It’s very special. I kinda wrote most of it with Amanda, which is very cool.
Amanda: It’s simply being able to forgive before you can move on and love again. Whether you’re moving on from the person who hurt you, or you’re forgiving what they did to you, to move on with them. Forgiveness is key to opening your heart and loving.
Carter: I’m the most recent member and I kinda joined while the song was being finished, so it has a different meaning for me.
[“Ready to Fall”] was the first song I heard from this band that got me into it, so I took a different meaning. I was ready to fall, ready to really jump into it and make this happen.
Carter Harris, High Shores Guitarist
That’s what it’s been for me so far. We made a post about me being the new member and I got a lot of warm welcomes from the fanbase they already had. We’ve gotten a lot of publicity from this release.
It’s just been awesome. I mean, I’ve been a part of this band for about two months now and it’s been so exciting ever since day one.
Could you give us a behind the scenes glimpse of what it was like to write and record “Ready to Fall?”
Kayla: Honestly, it was slightly frustrating. The music came along nicely, we already knew what we wanted to do. We kind of drew influences from the band Walk the Moon for that pop-dance vibe.
We went to one producer and did a verse with him. Then went to the second guy and did the whole song, but it was not hitting it as good as we wanted it to.
And then we went to our producers that we’re using here on out and they KILLED IT! They brought that whole song alive. It was insane to finally hear it like we wanted it.
Amanda: Once we got into the studio with Wes and Zane it just all fell together and it was magical. They always make me feel right at home when recording and always encourage our individual ideas. So the whole process was a blast.
What do you hope listeners take away from “Ready to Fall?”
Amanda: To not be afraid to love. We all get hurt, but not everyone sucks like the last one. Forgiveness is key.
Carter: The song is very much about being able to forgive, forget, and move on from that point.
Personally, there are a lot of songs that I connected with growing up that really helped me through times such as those. So if anything, I would really like for people to be able to listen to it and relate, to know there are people out there who feel the same way as you.
You can always reach out to people and find someone to help, no matter what you’re going through.
Carter Harris, High Shores Guitarist
Kayla: I agree with Carter. I want them to relate, but it’s also a feel-good song. When people play it, I want them to feel good and just have that vibe. Like during the summer, windows down or on the beach, wherever.
I just want it to be a feel-good song for people to escape from whatever junk’s come at them from that moment.
How do you hope to impact your listeners in the long run?
Kayla: We really want everything that we do to be as relatable as possible. Every song that we put out is relatable to someone in some way.
It may not be in the same way that we’ve written it to be, but they can take it another way. Maybe we’ve written a song about a certain person, but [the listener] will hear it and think about a family member.
Either way, it’ll help them relate and feel at least a little bit better when they listen to that song.
Carter: Building off that, almost having something that can be a Rorschach test. They can listen to it and interpret it in their own way.
One of the best things for me is building that community of people who are excited and willing to listen to more and making connections with other bands that can do the same.
Amanda: I want to always have music that connects. So whenever they’re in a certain mood they can always find a song of ours that really connects with their soul and either helps them through hard times or happy. I want them to know they’re never alone.
What’s next for High Shores? Do you have any music, music videos, or show dates in the works?
Carter: Yes. Right now, we’re in the midst of scheduling and recording for our next single.
Do you have any additional comments or final thoughts to share?
Amanda: Thank you everyone for the support so far. It blows my mind and means so much to us. Remember to love and be free.
Kayla: Thank you. We are on all social media and I know a lot of bands say “follow us, @ us” and stuff, but is really does help us to have people to follow us on Spotify because it helps us get out there.
So support us and we’ll continue to try our best to support you.
Carter: Doubling down on what Kayla said, thanks to everyone who listened to “Ready to Fall,” we hope you enjoy it!
Head on over to Spotify to listen to “Ready to Fall.”
Be sure to follow High Shores on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with their latest song releases!
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burgundy bug
https://burgundyzine.com/about/#burgundybugA cynical optimist and mad scientist undercover, burgundy bug is the editor, graphic designer, webmaster, social media manager, and primary photographer for The Burgundy Zine. Entangled in a web of curiosity, burgundy bug’s work embodies a wide variety of topics including: neuroscience, psychology, ecology, biology, cannabis, reviews, fashion, entertainment, and politics. You can learn more about working with burgundy bug by visiting her portfolio website: burgundybug.com
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