Chamber-rock indie band Cloud Cult from St. Cloud, Minnesota has just released their newest song “The Universe Woke Up As You” and it is a philosophical masterpiece. The song consists of Craig Minowa as the band’s lead vocalist and songwriter, Jeremy Harvey on the drums, Shannon Frid-Rubin on the violin, Sarah Perbix and Aurora Minowa as backup vocals, and Daniel Zamzow on the cello. Minowa recorded the song in the midst of a divorce, in the Wisconsin woods. Minowa was able to process his grief through music and regain control over his perspective on life with this song.
“The Universe Woke Up As You” came out as part of their Alchemy Creek album, due to come out on August 8th. This full-length studio album is made possible by Earthology Records, the band’s own record label created by Minowa himself. A really interesting fact is that Cloud Cult’s efforts to create music, advertise their band, and tour in the most sustainable ways possible have earned them a spot in “Top 10 Green Bands” by Rolling Stone in 2009.
Both the melody and lyrics of the song are melancholic and very reminiscent of the past. The feminine background vocals provide wonderful harmony to Minowa’s soft-spoken singing. In the end, a beautiful violin solo pulls the song to a close. In my opinion, the musicality of this song reminds me of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”, mirroring its soothing vocals which convey a surprisingly depressing message. This 5-minute song is a great way to wind down after a long, hard day.
At the beginning of the song, Minowa can be heard whispering the intro, which makes the intended audience and all who listen feel small. The lyrics tell a story of hopeless nostalgia. Minowa reminisces about simpler times when he was a kid, and implies that things are much more difficult now as an adult having to deal with this “skull-sized hell.” Personally, my favorite verse of the song is:
Gonna draw myself a picture of the way things were
What is real and what is fantasy? Well, I really can’t be sure
There’s so much here to feel, well, it’s all just a blur
Gonna draw myself a picture of the way things were
By the end, Minowa explodes into something bigger as he yells the title of the song “Today the universe woke up as you!” This piece depicts an interesting message of how one can control one’s own perception of time, space, and reality.
The accompanying music video starts with Minowa in front of a camcorder. It is apparent that the set takes place in some type of storage unit, giving the video a quickly-made unplanned feel. Behind him is the back of a garage door; on the camcorder screen, however, it is clear that the video editors have added a green screen to the background. The family-friendly vibe of the song is enforced by children acting as a film crew. For what seems low-budget, this video is a perfect visual for the song. “The Universe Woke Up As You” can be watched on YouTube here.
You can follow Cloud Cult on their own well-cultivated website. You can also subscribe to their Patreon, where they rank as one of the top content creators on the platform. Cloud Cult will be touring later this summer, headlining at the People Fest in Yuba, WI on August 9th. Be sure to catch them live before their last performance on September 28th at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, MN.
