From the heartland of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Southside Desire premiere their video for “The Ledge”. Created by backup singer Gloria Iacono, along with Carlos Lamas and Rusty Detty, the band takes you on a Nicollet Island getaway, on the run from wet blankets, fun-spoiling authoritative figures, parental opposition; all while making soirees happen anywhere and featuring a cameo of their 1994 Dodge Ram touring van on fire. With their self-titled album available November 22 via Piñata Records, Southside Desire issues you a ticket to break away from the mundane and go biking about the Twin Cities.
The video for “The Ledge” begins with the Southside Desire sorority meeting up for a bike riding tour about town. As the the three meet up despite parental wishes, the bike-riding trio make up their own rules, throw themselves a Johnny Walker tea party, and an impromptu band performance on the bridge, busted up by a hopping-mad-motorcycle daddy. “I don’t care what your daddy does, and I don’t care what your momma’s gonna say.” Nothing can contain the free-cycling pedals to victory, as our three protagonists weather road chases, their tour van being torched, a getaway to a porch-side party, topped off by door-bell-ditching a flaming bag of poo prank. Southside Desire let’s no one and nothing stand in their way of a spirited good time, celebrating their smoky lounge rocking sound every where they go—and every chance they get. “They can’t keep all of us in, they got to let the girls go out.”
Southside Desire drummer and Piñata Records operator, Damien Tank talked with us about both the label and the making of the music video for “The Ledge”:
Regarding “The Ledge”:
“The Ledge” comes from our new self-titled second LP. The video was backup singer Gloria Iacono’s idea. She wrote a screenplay and enlisted Rusty Detty and Carlos Lamas to film and edit it. Rusty and Carlos were the singer and bassist, respectively, of The Skinnys, a defunct Minneapolis post-punk band also including myself (Damien Tank) and Southside Desire guitarist Paul Puleo. The video was filmed mostly on Nicollet Island, which was the site of the first bridge spanning the Mississippi River, built in 1855. Also featured is our 1994 Dodge Ram touring van, purchased from a church youth group in St. Cloud for $710. The tailgate bears the questionable phrase, “HONK 4 J. Bieber,” spray-painted by its previous giggling teen users. It does, indeed, elicit HONKs. The van has held up remarkably well despite its rust and pedigree, even in last year’s frequently -20˚F winter.
On Piñata Records:
Piñata Records began as a logo on Southside Desire’s first album in 2012. Two years later we’ve had ten great releases, including Narco States’ new LP Wicked Sun, The Sex Rays’ pounding garage-R&B 7″ Midnight Caller and Grolar Bears’ symphonic funk single Midnight Stew. 2015 already has two more releases planned, with new albums on the way from mod-punk trio Mystery Date and indie-folk-popper Rupert Angeleyes (link goes to his November release on Forged Artifacts). It’s easy to keep finding artists to work with in Minneapolis, as we have an incredible abundance of talented and creative musicians.
Here’s some Non-Piñata Twin Cities music that I’m currently excited about: Ben Weaver’s gorgeously sparse pastoral folk album I Would Rather be a Buffalo just released on Hymie’s Records; Mary Allen & The Percolators’ addled sci-fi freak-soul on their new self-released LP Ain’t Nothin’ New. We have an exciting release party for our new self-titled second album on October 22nd at 7th Street Entry.
Southside Desire’s self-titled will be available November 22 from Piñata Records, with a release party October 22 In Minneapolis at First Avenue & 7th St Entry with Red Daughters and Mary Allen & The Percolators.
