The video – starring the band – was filmed in entirety at a remote cabin over the course of a single remarkably-creepy foggy night in a wooded area in Northern California. It is full of horror that you cannot unsee. The director, Joey Izzo, is a young Bay Area filmmaker who has logged hundreds of hours of live music footage, and created music videos for Port O’Brien among others. We love it, and hope you do to!
A note from Director Joey Izzo:
When I was racking my brain for video ideas, drummer Lance’s low budget creepy-as-all-hell Halloween costume popped into my mind. And from there, the rest came pretty quickly. I tried to come up with something that utilizes iconic horror movie imagery without obnoxiously paying homage to any specific films. But perhaps most impacting was the song itself and the ghostly lovesick imagery it was able to conjure up in my mind.
Shooting a horror movie themed music video at a cabin in the middle of the woods sounded like a great idea at the time, but in practice, it proved to be much more harrowing than originally anticipated. With only one night to shoot, the Sandwitches and our small but dedicated crew braved themselves against the harsh winter elements and no-sleep exhaustion to get everything needed for the video. The band really put themselves through the ringers to get this one done and done right. I couldn’t be happier with the results, but in hindsight we probably all should have called in sick the next day.
The best comment I’ve received so far was from a friend who, after watching the video, told me he didn’t realize that the song was so dark until now. I think a video can be deemed a success when it’s able to touch upon a feeling deeply embedded into the song and bring it out in an interesting visual context.
Pillars and Tongues will be releasing a full length LP, Lay of Pilgrim Park, and The Cairo Gang will be releasing a 7″ e.p., Holy Clover, this winter on Empy Cellar Records (Holy Clover is released in collaboration with Tin Angel Records). It will be the first – long overdue – vinyl release by either of these artists. Paul Oldham recently finished mastering both records, which will be at the pressing plant next week, and available sometime in January. Until then, you can watch the lo-fi gem above by The American Opry of The Cairo Gang performing “Holy Clover” in New Mexico.
Both bands hail, at least in part, from Chicago and have played with each other across the country. Their music is some of the most thoughtful material we have heard in a long time… so, we are genuinely stoked! Coincidentally, they are both featured on Joan of Arc’s forthcoming release Don’t Mind Control.
Our favorite twisted old-timey garage trio, The Sandwitches, is committing a three song E.P. to tape today in our very own Garden Chamber Studios. They are in good hands with Wymond “Creature Man” Miles of the Fresh & Only’s at the controls. The E.P. will be available on a 7″ from Empty Cellar Records in late October, just in time to haunt your Halloween. In the mean time, you can see them live on the record release tour for their Debut LP, How To Make Ambient Sadcake, on Turn Up! records, & watch these great videos shot by The American Opry (below):
After a very long delay… the Split (Water Tower) 7″ (Empty Cellar’s founding release) featuring a track each from Joseph Childress and The White White Quilt is finally available (check out the rad video by the American Opry above). There was a mistake with the pressing – the labels were pasted to the wrong sides of the record – and then the records disappeared into some sort of vortex. They are safe now, thoroughly soaked with natural water-tower-induced reverb, and ready to spin on turntables world-wide. The labels are still pasted on the wrong side, though. It will be distributed by Revolver and is currently only available from the Endless Nest store.
This is what we have to say about it: Recorded by the American Opry while trespassing inside an abandoned three-story water tower, this record pairs haunted songs from Bay Area folk favorites – Joseph Childress and The White White Quilt. Saturated in natural reverb, these are single-take, battery-powered field recordings at their finest. Joseph Childress’s spirited performance of “Leaving the Barren Ground” is captivating and raw. The arrangement, improvised on the spot, features members of the Quilt throwing themselves against the walls of the water tower to create the cavernous sound of over-sized drums. Joseph’s sorrowful wails imbue his track with an uneasy beauty that will be familiar to fans of Jackson C. Frank, Roy Harper, and Bill Fay. The White White Quilt respond with “Papa”, a sedated slab of soulful folk reminiscent of early Cat Power records, where each quiet verse unfolds with an easy calm similar to that found on J.J. Cale and Devendra Banhart albums. Together, these acoustic tracks create a well-engineered snapshot of an unlikely venue. Recommended for fans of Will Oldam, Brightblack Morning Light, Vetiver, and Jason Molina, this 7” is pressed on clear vinyl and limited to 500 copies. Keeping with the times, each purchase comes with a download of the record plus an unreleased bonus song from the tower sessions by the White White Quilt.
Also, check out these videos of the White White Quilt & Joseph Childress by The American Opry:
The White White Quilt at the Hotel Utah, San Francisco
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