“I just want to be a mirror,” Roy English told American Songwriter.
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English — who is better known by his stage name, Jagwar Twin — has long embraced this philosophy. His debut record “Subject to Flooding” is an exploration in the power of pop music. See, English is all about instilling an uplifting message in his creative output; he wants his art to be a unifying force in such turbulent times. This is further evidenced by his new song, “Shine” which has a palpably uplifting and persevering spirit to it.
“I wrote ‘Shine’ a couple of years ago when the collective thought was ‘this couldn’t possibly get any worse!’” English said. “I was hanging out watching ‘Troy’ with Brad Pitt. A lot of war and killing people in that movie, so I wanted to write a chorus that felt happy, like the sun rising. I wrote the chorus there on my voice memos. My thought was that even in dark times, there is always light if you want to find it. There’s love in every moment if you know where to look.”
While “Shine” served as the closing track on “Subject to Flooding,” English is now working on a new video for the song. Aiming to “bring togetherness in this disconnected time,” the video will feature Jagwar Twin fans singing along to the song from their respective quarantined homes.
“I hope that people see themselves,” English said. “More and more I realize that a song is a mirror.”
Which explains what English means when he says that he wants to be a mirror. Jagwar Twin’s sound is built around the individual expression of universal experience, which is something English spends a lot of time trying to perfect.
“I’m at my best as a songwriter when I’m alone and centered into myself,” English said. “I like to wake up, grab a guitar first-thing and follow whatever comes out for five or ten minutes and then leave it. Don’t judge it. I meditate for about an hour every morning and sometimes I’ll write first-thing after I meditate. I have found that my best songwriting comes from being alone, centered and present in myself and what I’m feeling. Allowing the world around me, my experience, those feelings to come and then asking why.”
Listen to Jagwar Twin’s single “Shine” below and if you’re interested in submitting your own video to be included in the fan-compilation music video, click here.
