By Charlie Maybee
Washington, D.C.-based alt-indie rockers, Flowerbomb, have released their first music video for “sorry” from their Wammie Award-winning LP pretty dark. Following the band through various shots of an older building (possibly a small theater or school), it’s the kind of music video that shows the musicians just as they are.
There are plenty of shots of the band performing together in a large room using a typical band set up, but then our expectations of that live experience get subverted as we toggle to shots of them squeezed into a stairwell.
There’s a quirkiness to the set that feels very personable, and Rachel Kline, the singer and rhythm guitarist, leads those vibes through an array of different places. Whether she’s decorating a bathroom with ornate toilet paper or sharpening knives with a daydreamy look on her face, there’s a subtle humor that sifts through a non-narrative structure while honing in on a playful aesthetic that overlays more complicated lyrical content.
pretty dark was recorded at Bias Studios by Mutineer Records founder Mark Reiter. The video was directed by D.C.-based cinematographer Mitchel Worley.
“’sorry’ is about living through the aftermath of trauma,” says Rachel Kline. “Feeling each day is the same, and not wanting to go through the motions of another monotonous day. But it’s more self-satire than intending to bring the listener down with me; we all wrestle with versions of mildly existential questions like ‘is it the world around me, or is it actually just me?’”
Go see Flowerbomb perform live at the 2022 Wammie Awards sponsored by the MusicianShip on March 26. Flowerbomb, winner of last year’s Wammie Award for Best Rock Album, joins fellow DMV artists to showcase the best of the scene and the celebrate the 2022 award winners.
“sorry” is available on major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and BandCamp. The accompanying music video can also be found on YouTube.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
