The warm lighting found in a late-night destination illuminates Brian Straw’s face as the depth of his robust vocals fill the atmosphere. Emotionally charged single “Out of Doors” has been a long time coming, and today we have the pleasure of premiering its beautiful accompanying video.
Admits the artist of the song:
I carried “Out of Doors” around in my pocket for a couple years until I formed the band that ultimately helped me fully realize it. It was apparent to me after the first rehearsal that I had something special. It clicked. With the perfect combination of musicians the song just bloomed. I wanted the chorus to feel like a huge wave of intensity and for the verses to sit back and slowly unfold. I feel like we captured that by paying close attention to dynamics and flow. The words were a ton of work. I wanted the lyrics to emote the way the performance does. the words build along with the music and that was intentional. It was important to me that the music and words sit at the same table.
It turns out that “Out of Doors” takes you on an audible adventure in just the way he had imagined. The music video simply serves to amplify the emotional journey the song takes you on. A kaleidoscope of colors ensues, as we follow Straw on what would otherwise be considered an (often) rather lonely journey, that of the creative mind. Expanding into the way the music video unfolded, Straw explains:
The story for the video developed organically while we were shooting. I intentionally didn’t want to put a storyboard together so we wouldn’t be locked into any formulaic approach. We cultivated each scene with a blank slate. The director, Ryan Girard, brilliantly diagnosed the meaning of the song when I myself was struggling with what the song meant to me. He estimated that “Out of Doors” was all about the struggle of the creative process. He was dead on and that’s effectively what the video captures. It’s an abstract window into my creative mind.
We are thrilled to share a view into that creative mind. Get your first look at the incredibly thought-provoking video below.
Minneapolis-based rock band Hurrah a Bolt of Light returns with their new video for AN/ANIMAL 3, the single from their upcoming visual album AN/ANIMAL. With a style described as “pop music for sad people”, Hurrah blends rock, prog, ambient, and other genres to create a dense concept album in line as a return to form after the sugary polish of their last album. In a 16-minute music video spanning four tracks within segments, the album brings a cinematic experience combining atmospheric visuals with cryptic lyrics and a murky vibe. AN/ANIMAL 3 represents the darkest portion of the album’s narrative.
The track combines a visceral clash of garage-rock-inspired guitars with instrumental breaks reminiscent of progressive rock, spawning a beautiful yet eerie sound enhanced by its content centered on despair and death. The music video reflects its macabre vibe, featuring a man kidnapped and attempting to escape his captor, ultimately facing brutal consequences. The cinematography is a perfect complement to the song’s horror-esque tone with a sense of surrealism as the video’s events occur in a loop. Admits the artist of the track:
“An/Animal 3” is the third piece of the four part puzzle that is AN/ANIMAL. For this point in the story, I wanted to create a song that was frantic, frenetic, confrontational and wild. Key changes and mood shifts run amok, land, and then veer off elsewhere. The video mirrors those vibes as well and shows both the protagonist and antagonist in various states of distress and agitation that conclude with their violent meeting. The visuals only scratch the surface of what the story as a whole might mean. It’s a bit unclear on purpose.
I wrote the music and recorded nearly all the instruments for this song and AN/ANIMAL in general. Except for the drums and some keyboards because I am not that good at drums and some keyboards. This part of the movie was particularly difficult to film and execute because I had to a) be in my underwear for the majority of the film and b) be chased outside in late fall wearing said underwear. It was very cold.
Check out the premiere of the new video below and stay tuned for AN/ANIMAL, which is slated to drop in January 2022.
Under the moniker Tummyache, producer/artist Soren Bryce blends the spirit of 1980s indie rock with 1990s alternative to forge a DIY rock sound. Fresh off a relocation from the USA to London, Bryce follows up a series of indie projects with her upcoming album Soak. In succession to the project’s first single “D.I.Y”, she dropped the video for the album’s self-titled track on October 22nd.
As a companion to the track’s turbulent nature with its juxtaposition between drowsy vocals and adrenaline-fueled guitars, the music video shows a sense of the artist’s aimlessness morphing into restlessness. The visuals of Bryce wandering against the backdrop of a dreary neighborhood alternates with frantic dancing and strobe lights within the confines of her home, which would reflect the disruption of moving to a new place during the uncertainty of the pandemic. Bryce explains:
“Soak was inspired by newfound neurotic and tedious habits that formed during the isolation of the pandemic, while adjusting to being in a new country. A new kind of forced domesticity caused me to avoid reality and I wasn’t able to fall back on my usual escapism methods. I learned a lot about myself”.
“Soak” is out now on all platforms and check out the music video below! Be on the lookout for Bryce’s eponymous album as Tummyache, releasing imminently.
Love is weird. Sometimes it’s hard to keep a relationship going and continue finding things to love about them. But on the other hand, there are some instances where it’s just easy to fall right into someone’s eyes and instantly start adoring every detail about them, regardless of what others think. Memphis-based multi-instrumentalist Dylan Dunn illustrates his thoughts on the latter with his latest single, “Such A Freak.”
The first minutes off the lead single from Dunn’s upcoming independent debut Blue Like YouEP feels like a charming ballad about a loved one featuring simplistic, acoustic stylings similar to that of Cavetown. However, once that first chorus hits, these sweet symphonies evolve into a stark contrast of everything thus far, that being something much more striking and reminiscent of the dark, angsty pop of Conan Gray.
Overall, the track is a genre-bending bop that makes me look forward to listening to more material from the singer-songwriter later this year. Until then, I bet I’ll be hearing this on alternative radio stations in the weeks and months to come.
As the weather gets crisper and we snuggle up under more layers, there is a specific kind of music we yearn for. Nostalgia, warmth, fun. Luckily for us, polymathic artist Miles Francis gives us a run for our money with a curated playlist that provides a little boost of energy to keep us going through the cold winter months.
“breezy bass lines and smooth rhythms to keep it hot as the temp falls.”
With her Subject to Change album due out any minute (OK, ok. It’s actually slated for November 12th. You have to wait a minute here.), Katelyn Tarver has just released an earworm of a track with her new single “Hurt Like That”. We’re big fans of the release, as its sound is contrasted by a vengeful message.
Soft, expertly controlled vocals dance ethereally over a guitar riff, deceptively sweet. Drums layer in at the 43-second mark, as we experience even more of a mid-90s vibe to the composition. The vengeful attitude of a woman scorned by a narcissistic ex-lover presents itself, and the listener finds themselves gently – but swiftly – moved to empathy. After all, how many times have we, too, survived broken hearts, lowered expectations, and empty promises? How many times have we wanted to make the person who broke our hearts feel the same shitty way we felt around them? In some ways, this track is an anthem for the broken-hearted.
Tarver’s recent, heartache-induced releases do make us wonder: Who would abandon anyone with such an angelic voice? (That last line is of particular interest if you need help understanding how absolutely fantastic Tarver’s vocal control is.)
Aside from revving up for a full-length release, Tarver will be joining JOHNNYSWIM on their spring 2022 tour. Check KatelynTarver.com for dates.
