You know where things are really heating up at the moment? Australia. Yeah, we know it’s summer at the moment Down Under – but we’re talking about sensational bands gunning for the soundtrack of 2017 and beyond. From Courtney Barnett to Alex Lahey to Gang Of Youths, there’s something brewing that has us hooked at the moment – especially now that there’s another name to add to that list in City Calm Down.
Like shouting into darkness and dancing in its echo, City Calm Down take the grooves and sounds of a previous time and adapts it into something ever-so engulfing. Blending new-wave majesty, the unmistakable haunting voice of frontman Jack Bourke, that infectious post-punk aura of Joy Division, the meticulous detail of The National and the ferocity of Foals – they’re a band with their pulse firmly on the pure emotions of life and ready to amplify that to new levels.
After releasing debut album ‘In A Restless House’ a few years back, the Melbourne four-piece are gearing things up to their as-yet-untitled second album due out in early 2018. With ‘In This Modern Land’, we get a glimpse of the panoramic stages they’re aiming for, with the cinematic video touching upon the themes of isolation and getting to grips with a world where connection can sometimes be diluted with emptiness.
Speaking about the video, Jack said:
“The video for In This Modern Land follows a woman who finds herself enticed by virtual reality and the promise that she can be whoever she wants to be, and fall in love with her “ideal man”. However, things don’t turn out as she originally hoped, her fantasy transforming into a nightmare of sorts. The director of the video, Riley Blakeway, was looking at ways the social isolation expressed in the lyrics could play out. Obviously we’re still a long way off virtual reality relationships being equivalent to relationships with real people, but given we already spend so much time staring at our phones and computer screens instead of engaging with each other face to face, it’s quite conceivable that this vision will become reality in the very near future”.
After playing a few shows in London recently, City Calm Down will be back to play The Great Escape next year – but until then, get the popcorn and dive into ‘In This Modern Land’ below. Now that’s how you do a music video.