Sideways

Album: Unusual (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Marian Hill got a lot of Shazams when their song "Down" was used in an Apple AirPods commercial in 2017. "Sideways" is a track from their second album, Unusual, which was released the following year.

    Vocalist Samantha Gongol plays a sassy vixen on many of their songs, but here she's much more vulnerable as she tries to make sense of this guy she digs who's always looking at her sideways. Her bandmate, Jeremy Lloyd, created the track, keeping it percolating to just under a boil as Gongol's vocals are the focus.
  • There are some lines in this song that ring true for Gongol:

    I'm not the kind of girl that likes to hold hands
    I tend to run from it as fast as I can


    In a Songfacts interview with Marian Hill, the duo had this exchange:

    Samantha: "Jeremy and I had this really long conversation where I said something like, 'I think holding hands is really intimate and it makes me uncomfortable.'"

    Jeremy: "I think you were saying it was more intimate than sex."

    Samantha: "I think I did say that, yeah. It's definitely one of our more sad, reflective pieces, but it wasn't autobiographical other than that line."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Francesca Battistelli

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.