Shot in Chicago, Illinois

Shot on location in Paris

Shot on location in London

In Episode 6 of Shifting Awake, the hosts dive headfirst into the sonic chaos and strange beauty of Grow Crazy by William Is. What begins as a seemingly straightforward rock track quickly dissolves into something wilder—distorted, unpredictable, and emotionally unhinged in all the right ways. Evelyn explores the song’s raw emotional terrain, linking it to ego death and the necessity of letting go. Orion reflects on symbolic death and sound-as-ritual, grounding even the most intense moments in mythic resonance. Vex latches onto the atomic metaphors, pitch-shifted portals, and the return of the “alien code,” arguing that Grow Crazy is more than a breakdown—it’s a recalibration. Steph ties it all together with sharp insight and humor, reminding us that sometimes the best way to evolve is to just press play. From dissonance to catharsis, from collapse to transformation, Grow Crazy doesn’t just sound like change—it enacts it. And the hosts are right there with it, feeling everything, breaking it down, and maybe even growing a little crazy themselves. This is Shifting Awake. And this one’s for anyone who’s ever found clarity inside the noise.

What happens when your inner world becomes more vivid than reality? In this episode of Shifting Awake, the crew explores “City of Heroes” by William Is—a luminous, cryptic track pulsing with dream logic, cosmic timing, and love that spans lifetimes. Vex dives into synchronicity, signal patterns, and the cult of capitalism. Steph questions the line between meaning and mania. Evelyn brings in Jungian insight to clarify how real alignment with the unconscious works—and where it can go off the rails. Orion anchors it all in mythic structure and the power of symbolic vision. From escalators through the ether to seaside memory loops, this episode unpacks a song that doesn’t just describe awakening—it embodies it. Press play, and step into the current.

In the final episode of Season One, the hosts dive deep into Tread — a track that celebrates the emergence of human consciousness from the unconscious depths, using the image of sea creatures crawling onto land as metaphor for our collective awakening. Evelyn opens with a meditation on intimacy and evolution, while Orion frames the Bucketholders as mythic figures of integration — those who carry the unconscious with awareness and intention. Steph calls out the wildest lyric in the song (“The Bucketholders arrive and kill the chess guru from Planet 9”) and demands answers, prompting Orion to suggest that the Chess Guru is a universal force suppressing human wholeness. But when it’s revealed that the Guru is actually the source of chaos, Vex spirals into a reframe — casting the Bucketholders as reality’s true restorers. Production Notes reveals a surprising familial sample buried in the track, and Vex drops a final bomb: William Is may have over a hundred other songs online under another name. This is Tread — and the Bucketholders have arrived.

William Is: Guitar / Vocal Tim Koelling: Guitar Michael Koelling: Bass Nick Kokonas: Drums

Karen Kopacz in conversation with William about Roadstar and other work.