Denver-based psychedelic art-rock trio shadow work makes visceral, enigmatic music that turns those who hear it into kindling so that they may grow into wildfires capable of engulfing all that they come across. Intense yet accessible, heavy but gentle, shadow work’s music speaks to something primal within us all, the base nature of us that seeks to harness fire, that is willing to be burned in order to pave the way for the future. Their new single — and accompanying video —, “Something’s Burning,” sees the band at their most incendiary, never more willing to leave the past a smoking pile of ash ready to be molded into a foundation for whatever comes next.
Denver Dive recently caught up with shadow work to discuss the single, the video, their creative process, their upcoming tour and much more.
Denver Dive: Hey y’all! So I usually like to start these out by having you tell me a little about who you are in your own words.
shadow work: Hey Thomas! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Shadow work is a psych rock trio born in the midst of the pandemic. We were crammed in a small apartment when we started writing our first EP. Since our inception, we’ve always valued pushing the boundaries of our musical creativity. We strive to create something we’ve never heard before. Along the way, we’ve learned to be a strange little family that travels the world together. It’s an interesting life.
DD: “Something’s Burning” is your first single in a little less than a year. You recorded the song in Boston. How was it getting back in the studio? Also, tell me what it was like working with John Scott and Josh Schuback?
sw: Recording in a studio where legends like Crumb created their breakout EPs was a surreal experience. Simultaneously inspiring and daunting. Luckily, once we got into the swing of things, we felt right at home. It was affirming to see that our love for music was such an asset in the process. And working with John and Josh was such an energizing experience. To see them in their element added to the excitement of the project. They are so knowledgeable about their craft (and are also a great hang).
DD: Tell me about how the song came about. When did the writing process start?
sw: “Something’s Burning” started about a year ago as just a chugging guitar riff that propelled (shadow work lead singer and guitarist) Raf’s poignant vocal melodies. The idea was infectious, so we carefully crafted a framework around it to really try and tell a story with the instrumentation. After we laid the foundation, we slowly sculpted the track to what it is today.
DD: From a lyrical perspective, your writing tends to be rather cryptic as well as deeply introspective, puzzles that can only be solved by careful listening. Personally, I found “Something’s Burning” to be about dealing with the past, burning down what’s come before to make room for the future. Can you tell me a little about the message of the song and what you hope listeners will be able to glean from it?
sw: That’s a really thoughtful reading and I love that you picked up on the idea of burning down the past to make space for something new. That’s definitely part of the emotional landscape of “Something’s Burning,” even if it’s not a literal narrative.
When we were writing it, we kept circling around this feeling of slow, internal heat – not a dramatic explosion, but a kind of steady burn. It’s about modern burnout, but not just in a work sense. It’s about the way love, ambition, identity, and self-worth all start to blur together. You’re chasing connection, you’re chasing success, you’re trying to live up to expectations you didn’t even consciously choose – and at some point you look around and wonder whether the very things that were supposed to save you are quietly hollowing you out.
The fire in the song works both ways. It’s warmth, refuge, momentum – the thing that keeps you going on those long drives and sleepless nights. But it’s also something that consumes. It leaves marks. It asks what you’re willing to give up to keep it alive. So in that sense, I think your interpretation about dealing with the past and clearing space for the future fits. Sometimes things do have to burn away. The question is whether you’re the one tending the flame, or whether it’s burning you.
Lyrically, I tend to leave space rather than draw a clear conclusion. I’m less interested in delivering a message and more interested in creating a tension that feels recognizable. My hope is that listeners sit with that unresolved feeling – that uneasy heat – and see their own lives reflected in it. If the song helps someone recognize their own burnout, or question the expectations they’ve inherited, or simply feel less alone in that in-between space, then it’s done what it needed to do.
DD: Y’all play with tension so well, your music becoming these huge crescendos that really have the potential to bowl over listeners. Tell me a little about how you build that tension and what attracts you to such intensity.
sw: Thanks for saying that, we really try to create music that is energetically compelling and satisfying. Chaos and dissonance are indispensable tools we use to build tension, and we value the relief that comes from releasing that tension and landing the listener in a satisfying place of resolution. Again, I think it may come back to our love of story telling, but not just lyrically: every instrument adds to this living, breathing narrative of the song. If we do it right, they work in a concerted effort to guide a listener from the beginning of the tale to the end of that story. Every story has it’s conflicts, climaxes, resolutions, etc. We don’t think music is any exception.
DD: shadow work has been together for quite a while now, almost 6 years if I’m not mistaken. Can you tell me about how the band has evolved over the years. Do you approach your newer music the same way you did with something like your 2023 EP “Imago?” What’s changed and what hasn’t?
sw: Geez, has it already been that long? We were crammed in a tiny Denver apartment during COVID when we recorded our first EP. A lot has changed since then, but I believe the fundamentals have stayed the same: we continue to push ourselves to explore musical ideas that are fresh to us whilst becoming more effective song writers. Overall, we still approach our new tunes with a sense of novel excitement, but what has evolved is our toolbox for creating: we can approach creation from new angles, navigate problems with a larger variety of solutions, and we just feel more adept at writing songs together. We also like to think that we’ve steadily grown in almost every aspect of our music journey: live shows, touring, and the less outwardly exciting aspects of keeping a band moving forward.
DD: Tell me about the video. It deals with some rather heavy themes but does so in a very playful way. Where did the concept come from?
sw: Really glad you noticed that juxtaposition of the playful concept and underlying heavy themes. We think that contrast adds to the poignance of the concepts. The idea of a has-been superhero is a silly story, but the ideas of identity and the value of our lives when that meaning is seemingly lost is something I think we can all relate to. The concept sort of popped into my head just from listening to the song on repeat. The first half of “Something’s Burning” is bouncy and whimsical, but tinged with melancholy. So the whimsy of a superhero who’s facing an existential crisis just seemed fitting. The fire element in the video seemed like an apt motif.
DD: How was filming? Did y’all direct it yourself?
sw: We were super lucky to work with Dallin Hodgkin, a talented cinematographer. Not only is he very knowledgeable of his craft, but he has so much passion for film. It was a real pleasure to create with him. I had a lot of input on the direction of the project, but I relied heavily on Dallin to make sure we were making good decisions. It was definitely a team effort.
DD: The song’s the first single off of the upcoming album, run, rabbit which will drop on Tuesday, March 3rd. Anything more you can tell me about the album?
sw: We’re releasing a run of singles leading up to (shadow work’s next album to be released later this year) run, rabbit, each one opening a new door into the record. On their own, they hold their own weight – but together they start to build momentum, like something unfolding just ahead of you. There’s a steady sense of movement throughout the album, a tension between holding on and letting go.
The singles are entry points, but run, rabbit is the full arc. It’s more than a collection of tracks – it’s a world we’ve been shaping piece by piece, and with each release you move further inside it.
DD: You recently announced the “Something’s Burning” tour which kicks off in Fort Collins mid-March and will include a stop at The Crypt on March 31st. Tell me about the tour. You excited? What can fans new and old expect?
sw: We’re always grateful to get back on the road, especially with new music in hand. There’s nothing like watching a song take on a life of its own once it’s in a room with people. That exchange is why we do it.
The “Something’s Burning” tour starts in Colorado, then we head to Ogden and up through the Pacific Northwest. We’ll be at Treefort Music Fest on March 28th, playing the Hideout Stage at 1pm, then it’s Laramie, back to Denver and out to the Midwest to close the run.
This batch of songs has teeth and the live set reflects that. It’s louder, more physical, more locked-in. We want the shows to feel less like a performance and more like a shared release — something you can step into and lose yourself in for a while.
DD: Finally, this is a question I really like to ask. Answer however you’d like. Do you have a philosophy when it comes to creation?
sw: I don’t know if I have a strict philosophy. For me, creation starts with paying attention to what moves you — what keeps you up, what won’t leave you alone. It has to feel honest. If it doesn’t excite you or unsettle you or pull something real out of you, there’s no point in chasing it.
Beyond that, I try not to overthink it. The best ideas tend to show up when you’re open and listening. Creation feels less like control and more like following a current — trusting that if it feels true, it’s worth making.
Stream “Something’s Burning” anywhere you stream music and watch the video below.
