“Geronimo” is a battle cry used by paratroopers, especially during World War II, while jumping from a plane. Somehow that one word can instill hope and happiness in one’s mind leaving peace, joy and light in their wake. As I listened to Sheppard’s lead single “Geronimo” from their debut album Bombs Away, I felt what it meant.

The band’s foundation includes siblings George, Amy and Emma Sheppard, with George as the lead singer. It started as a simple song for a music course, but soon expanded, leaving the band to break out of the box and have Australian radio stations to play their music without major record label support.

Australian indie pop band Sheppard is a beam of light in a dark, dank cave that is pop music. With most new pop artists singing annoying catchy songs where you can feel the auto tune and superficiality, Sheppard is a breath of fresh air that leaves listeners with positive feelings.

The first time I heard this song, I was feeling depressed and annoyed at life. I then decided to sit down and listen to “Geronimo” because I had nothing better to do. I sat in front of my laptop waiting to listen to a song and completely trash it. Surprisingly that didn’t happen. As I listened I tried to find anything somewhat annoying, but the song forced me to listen and like it. By the beginning of the second verse my mood had completely reversed itself and I was waiting until it got to the chorus again because I eagerly wanted to sing along. Somehow the two words “Say Geronimo” can make a person feel inexplicably happy. The music’s beat carried a hopeful and happy vibe that made me want to sing and dance along.

The video for “Geronimo” was very fitting. In the beginning it the six band members were creating a Frankenstein like creature, and when it was first rising there was a look of hope in their eyes. It was like they were fighting an uphill battle, but they saw a ray of hope. The music video screams the message that there is hope no matter how dismal the odds may seem.

by ONA IGBINEDION