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See Your Shadow Delivers Message Of Diversity And Inclusion With "It Starts With Hello"
Although our human interactions and social skills may have diminished over the past year, there’s one universal word we all know that’s guaranteed to start a conversation: ‘hello’. In a world that’s felt more enclosed physically throughout the pandemic, at least in terms of face-to-face relations, plenty of other avenues have opened up for how we communicate with one another. We are a far more global species than we think, and that’s precisely what See Your Shadow aims to address in his latest single ‘It Starts With Hello’.
Currently based out of Phoenix, Arizona, See Your Shadow is the project of Michael Coleman aka The Metropolitan Cowboy, whose ambition is to pull country and western music out of the shadows of the past and stride earnestly into the present. An immensely passionate country musician and songwriter, his collaborative process allows for new voices to be heard within the institutions and traditions of the beloved genre, often resulting in progressive, forward-thinking compositions.
That’s exactly what’s resulted with his latest effort to promote inclusion and unity, with ‘It Starts With Hello’: a sanguine and idealistic attempt to join the dots between people from all walks of life across the world, the track leans into the radio-friendly, contemporary country-pop stylings of Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks. What better way to get your message across than to embrace the kinds of anthemic song structures that affect the heart, irrespective of your location or status?
“Many people make up one world”, Coleman declares throughout the opening verse of the track. And it’s that “human experience” he wants to amplify, which is wholly commendable. In a recent press release, Coleman stated his intentions behind the track: “It is when we interact with different types of people from different cultures, different political beliefs, different socio-economic backgrounds, different sexual orientations, and the like, that one word, hello, is what kicks off our ability to engage, learn and grow. It sets the stage for everything.”
Coleman had already set the stage for this inclusive song to blossom, rolling out a demo version at a recent diversity fair which overwhelmingly engaged those in attendance and spurred him on to re-record the track with a more uplifting tempo and arrangement. Having tweaked the song slightly, the infectious foot-tapping beat and inspiring chord progressions now cushion the lyrical content, helping to emphasize the message without over-dominating the mix. And it’s the song’s message that really shines - a message promoting diversity and inclusion that perhaps should’ve been weaved into country music folklore centuries ago, but is surfacing now as society slowly comes round to the fact that our strength comes in numbers.
“Change begins, when we speak this word.” I doubt people will just be saying “hello” after hearing this song - it’s far easier to envisage people linking arms and singing it in unison, together.
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