Oklahoma-based Colourmusic's "Dreamgirl '82" turns back the visual dial to the days when television sets had tuning dials. A romantic moment set to the song's harsh machine of doom, it's taken from the band's recent album May You Marry Rich from Memphis Industries that follows up an eccentric conceptual run of full lengths like, F, Monday, Orange, February, Venus, Lunatic, 1 or 13, and My ___ Is Pink. Sharing a little something for all the world's doves of love— Nick Turner, Ryan Hendrix, Colin Fleishacker, and Nick Ley (who is also one of the two drummers who have replaced Kliph Scurlock in The Flaming Lips) provide an intimate, vintage view to a moment from 1982 to contrast the song's own heavy intensity.
The video displays footage of lovers basking in the glow of one another's majestic presence, as the sign language karaoke party begins. The couple are first seen as silhouettes taking in a breathtaking sunset on the waterfront, as you sing along to the chord grinding creed, "I won't hold you back, when I hold you down." For almost seven minutes, you are the third wheel to witness and share the setting of the sun alongside the pair of love birds. Throughout the duration of the "Dreamgirl '82" video, their gaze remains locked as the song growls and gurgles according to its respective meanness and weirdness. As a bonus, after the brimstone assault of guitars and percussion has subsided; you can still enjoy the videotaped moment of the sun slowly disappearing into the vanishing point of the day's horizon. Ryan Hendrix talked to us about the video for "Dreamgirl '82", the new album, and notes from the Oklahoma landscape.
Tell us about the art of turning the definition of a good, healthy relationship of "Dreamgirl '82" into a karaoke video, complete with ASL certified gesticulations.
We have always seen karaoke videos as unappreciated area of video art. One of the great things about karaoke vid production is the format allows the director to embrace everything that is usually avoided in other forms of video production (shaky cameramen, improper framing, bad takes, etc.) With this video we were trying to convey different layers of meaning in context to love. The surface expression reflects what couple wants the other person to think. The sign language is the hidden message. It reflects more the unconscious desire and if a viewer understands sign language they will be aware of the hidden messages.
What were the sessions like for recording the album, May You Marry Rich?
Extremely difficult. The emotional tone was a hard one to deal with every day for three years, but the experience changed my life personally. When we finished it I attained enlightenment. So it was kind of cool.
Thoughts and commentary on the Oklahoma patchwork of scenes?
Not sure if people are aware how weird Oklahoma has become as a music culture. It's a good place to be a musician. It's a cheap place to live and you can rent giant spaces for nothing.
Colourmusic's May You Marry Rich is available now from Memphis Industries.
