Mind Over Matter

Album: Mind Over Matter (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The title cut of Young The Giant's sophomore album finds frontman Sameer Gadhia singing of being "a young man after all." The record they explained was a way for the band to go back that same head space they had at 16-years-old and just be creative without "really thinking or worrying about much and living in the present."
    "I think it's just us trying to figure things out and maybe trying to tell a story for everyone who's trying to figure their life out," Gadhia stated.

    Guitarist Jacob Tilley added: "I think this time around and this batch of writing that we did for this record, all of it was pretty much derived from our experiences of being on the road and growing up as five individuals together and all the challenges that we had to overcome. From the most obvious ones like being away from home and family and the taxing environment which touring is but also what we dealt with as a band in creating a sophomore record."
  • Young The Giant suffered from the increased expectations for their sophomore set. It was this song which not only broke their creative block, but also sonically shaped the record. "'Mind Over Matter' got us over all that, and everything came together after that," Gadhia explained to MTV News. "For us, it's about trying to connect with who we are, completely, external and separate from the world that we find ourselves in, and about trying to connect with ourselves as individuals and sonically, our music-scape. We definitely explored a lot on this album, particularly the idea of choice; one can either do what they want to do, or completely destroy themselves, based on their own choice."

Comments: 1

  • Ali from TexasAbsolutely the best song Young the Giant has made. It's one of those songs you never get tired of hearing, no matter how many times you've heard it. The power and passion behind Sameer's vocals give me goosebumps every time. Especially at the break (around the 2:50 mark in the video). It's absolutely outstanding.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Band Names

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman Jack

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

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.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces