Well, OK. I’m in this band, DoubleMotorcycle. Obviously, then, it might seem a little weird/lame that this site is premiering the video for our song, “Pyramid.” But after way, way too much thought, I figured it might be OK to proceed with premiering it. Why? Because most importantly, the great Joe Jalette is in this band. And he’s been in a bunch of great local bands in the past and a lot of people know him and I don’t think he should be punished for being in a band with me. I mean, it’s enough punishment for having to deal with me on a regular basis, but to have certain publicity opportunities taken away from him only because I sit behind some drums every now and then – and I also happen to run this website – well, it seemed cruel to someone so dedicated to his craft.
Thus, behold: The premiere of our first-ever video. I emailed Joe a few questions to go along with this post and below are his answers. If you dig it, you can check us out on Bandcamp, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and our debut EP is available on all the digital places one can find debut EPs (physical copies are also available; all you really have to do is ask either of us). We honestly hope you like it. But if you hate it, that’s all right, too. OK. This is getting awkward now, so I’m going to shut up. Enjoy!
So, who shot the video and how did you decide on who you wanted to work with as a director?
We shot the video with DB Digital Film on a beautiful day in March. Having worked with videographer Dillon Baird on a music video for my former band, Seaknuckle, I knew he would be a perfect fit for the chaos we wanted to create. He’s super professional, dedicated and driven, but also loves doing wheelies at 100-plus mph on the highway while slicing through traffic on his red motorcycle. Seriously. We were also lucky enough to work with designer Cecelia Lee to help develop the video concept and construct/execute some very cool DIY set/prop concepts. We actually ended up with a surplus of pyramids and sarcophaguses (or is it sarcophagi? sarcophaguy? I saw a guy with a cough – sir, I thought you had a truck; did you fall off the wagon?).
What’s the concept – if there is one – behind the video?
The concept was based on a loose interpretation of “Game of Thrones,” but set in Egypt with confetti cannons. We wanted to purvey the joy of fun, but from inside the pyramid heads project the ageless struggle between apollonian and dyonisian philosophical structures. Also, we were adamant about shotgunning beers in pyramid heads. Most of all, we were floored by the audition of a captivating ingenue who, at seven years old, firmly gripped the reigns of our production crew and guided each and all of us through a vision of the future sans patriarchy. She showed us a side of the pyramid of which we had not known.
What was the video shoot like? Long day? Hard day? Fun day? And why?
The video shoot was a long day, but it was a blast! We had been up all night building pyramids and contemplating the ephemeral nature of existence so we were thoroughly prepared for our 8 a.m. yoga call for the shoot. By noon, we were deep in the juju and losing sight of the self. The entire video was shot in an abandoned warehouse in a hyper secret turbo obvious location.
“Pyramid” came from your self-titled EP, which was released a couple months ago. Who did you record that with and how was the recording experience?
The recording process of our EP was the best. It was actually probably the most positive, free and fun experience of my life so far. We were fortunate enough to work with Derek Salazar (www.thedereksalazar.com), a veteran of the Frederick music scene with hometown credits ranging from Heavy Lights to The Forest Wall and ongoing ventures in Philly with Seagulls and Lawns. His production style is the perfect blend of laid-back professionalism and whip-cracking.
Are there any other songs on the EP you’d like to do a video for? If so, which ones and why?
We plan to release at least two videos for each song on the EP, but given the constraints of time, cardboard supply and the ongoing battle with the management of our previously-alluded-to ingenue, we, at the very least, will produce two more videos. We are currently investigating pools and trampolines for intense symbolic significance in our next two videos for “Lollipop”and “Is Your Baby Alright?.”
