Postcard Boy's “On The Hillside” Feels Like Walking Through a Dream
Photo: Gabrielle Hughes
After a three-year hiatus, Postcard Boy (a.k.a carwash, a.k.a Garrett Seamans) has returned with a new single, “On The Hillside.” If there’s one thing I have to say about it, it’s that it was well worth the wait.
“On The Hillside” is a gentle reminder that nothing is ever as big of a deal as it seems. We’re all just specks on a floating rock, but there’s so much beauty to be found in that. In the chorus, Postcard Boy sings, "Somewhere on the hillside / Somewhere, somebody in your life sees / You a light in there life / On the other side." Produced by Seamans and two of his friends, Tom Verberne and Lucian Rice, the track begins with strings, gradually layered with auto-tuned vocal chops. The multidimensional layering of sounds creates the signature 'Postcard Boy soundscape,' which is equal parts sonically dense as it is emotive.
“On The Hillside” lies somewhere between indie rock, bedroom pop, and alternative, kind of like Caroline Polacheck meets Dreamer Boy meets Ryan Beatty. Between its flurry of sounds, “On The Hillside” feels like waking up from a dream where you can’t quite remember all the details, but you remember exactly how it feels. It’s glittering, it’s nostalgic, and it’s magical.
No matter what alias he is using, there is one thing consistent across Seamans' art: the involvement of his friends. Whether it be within the music itself (i.e. “On The Hillside”) or the visuals like the soap water movie, it’s clear how much the people in Seamans' life mean to him and the art he creates, and perhaps it serves as a reminder that all you really need in life are the people you surround yourself with.
Of "On The Hillside," Postcard Boy says, "This song is all about trying to maintain hope. When you’re in the thick of it all, it feels like you’ll never see the other side. However, often once you get there, intentional or not, it seems so obvious and simple it was waiting for you the whole time. Like the reflection of the sun off a distant window, if you’re looking for it, you can find it somewhere on the hillside."
In addition to the release of “On The Hillside” is its official music video, and as always, the creative direction is absolutely breathtaking. Directed and edited by Seamans, we watch Postcard Boy receive a letter in the post—only, the mailbox isn’t outside of a typical house. It’s outside of a giant inflatable bounce house on a hill. Dressed in all white, and eventually “a handmade twenty foot long envelope kite,” Postcard Boy is sent into a whirlwind of memories alongside the whimsical landscape. Similar to Tyler, the Creator’s music videos, you kind of just want to get lost in the world that Seamans creates, which is nothing short of timeless, dreamy, and ethereal.
“On The Hillside” will be featured on Postcard Boy’s upcoming album “Somewhere On A Hillside,” set to debut this summer.
