Remind Me

Album: Give Me The Future (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, memories of his former lover haunt Bastille singer Dan Smith. They remind him of the happy times they spent together, and he spends sleepless nights reminiscing.
  • Smith is a film buff and often incorporates his love of movies into his songwriting. He nods to the 2004 romantic sci-fi film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to illustrate his desire to move on from his ex.

    I'm trapped in these scenes that
    I would die to leave behind
    Oh, just like eternal sunshine
    Can I delete you from my mind?


    In Eternal Sunshine, Joel Barish (played by Jim Carrey) discovers that his girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski (played by Kate Winslet) had her memories of him erased by a company. Heartbroken, Barish decides to undergo the same procedure.
  • Bastille released "Remind Me" as a single on June 10, 2022, four months after their Give Me the Future album. The band began work on the song in LA with Rami Yacoub (Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time," Ariana Grande's "One Last Time") from Max Martin's production team MxM at the start of the album process. They finished it in London with longtime collaborator Mark Crew and Tove Lo producer Ludvig "A Strut" Söderberg.
  • Bastille wanted to make something sharp and minimal. "The lyrics are about how our minds can taunt us with memories that play uncontrollably like scenes on a loop," said Smith, "so we set the track over this hypnotic, rolling guitar riff."
  • The song features baroque vocal harmonies by Zimbabwean-British singer Rationale, the band Fours and Bastille keyboardist Kyle Simmons.
  • In an email sent to fans prior to the release of "Remind Me," Bastille said they would add the track onto Give Me the Future. "We'd been diving into a bunch of music from the '80s that had sounded futuristic at the time, so it fits with the ideas of the past's versions of the future that we explore across the album," they said. "This song was like a jumping off point for us a couple of years ago and helped shape the sonic tone of the whole GMTF album."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And Scandals

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing

Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.