The track is the second featured single off the band’s upcoming album, Somersault
One of our favorite lo-fi rock groups Beach Fossils is back with a brand new single and video today, for their latest single “Saint Ivy”. The track is the second glimpse at Somersault, the band’s long-awaited follow up to 2012’s Clash The Truth. Somersault will be released on frontman Dustin Payseur’s own record label Bayonet Records on June 2nd.
“Saint Ivy” continues to build upon what is already a promising new direction for Beach Fossils, following the previously released track “This Year”, which builds on years of experimentation with new sounds for the band. “Saint Ivy” is unlike anything Beach Fossils has released to date, featuring piano, strings, and even flute, and charged by politically driven lyrics. Somersault is already shaping up to be one of the most-anticipated (and potentially best) albums of the year.
The video, directed by Joey Chriqui and Milah Libin (Princess Nokia “Tomboy”), pays homage to the artists of New York City. The dancers featured in the video all grew up within the New York City school system, according to a press release. The band and directors are all based in NYC as well. Featured dancer Merrie Cherry is a drag queen based in Brooklyn.
Directors Libin and Chriqui had this to say regarding the video: “In uncertain times, we turn to New York City as a reassuring look into the true diversity of this country. We set out to create a vision of NYC that demonstrates a more honest and nuanced understanding of what it means to live here. The video represents the less visible places and characters that exist in beautiful harmony both in this city, and in America.”
All of this is in an effort to bring awareness to funding cuts to arts programs such as the NEA, promised by genuine asshole extraordinaire Donald Trump (our words, not theirs) and his administration. The band encourages all who are able to make donations to programs such as the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Center for Arts Education NYC. Donations can be made by following either link.
The press release also emphasized their desire to make sure the video is a platform for people to be informed about their abilities to speak out against the defunding of programs like the NEA and Center for Arts Education, as well as to promote donations to these programs.
We couldn’t agree more.
