We’re pleased to present the exclusive premiere of Pelican’s “Dead Between the Walls” video, which comes from the band’s 2007 album City of Echoes. Click “more” to hear guitarist Larent Schroeder-Lebec tell us all about it, then watch the video:
The idea of Pelican making a classic video didn’t really materialize for us until we released City of Echoes this past June. Why? Because past songs hovered at the ten-minute mark and seemed more likely candidates for longer, headier treatment. But with our “road-ready” album City of Echoes, full of shorter more urgent songs that we tailored to enjoy full-tilt live, we had the chance to do a video that, for lack of a better word, would be more traditional. We all grew up watching MTV – from old glam to Tool videos and endless hours of “Headbangers Ball” and “120 Minutes.” Kyuss, Napalm Death, Quicksand, Helmet – I mean tons of our influences had their video moment on MTV when we were younger. The idea that our video might one day be aired on MTV and reach a new audience didn’t cross our minds until they aired a live clip from our recently released DVD “After the Ceiling Cracked.”
After talking to our friends at VICE, we were put in touch with David Kleiler, who had directed a video for Early Man. We love Early Man, and that video is so awesome … it’s just classic: the band is jamming, the colors are visceral, and there’s racing and crashing. David liked our record, and we settled on “Dead Between the Walls” as the chosen track.
We wanted a song that stormed right out the gates. In subsequent conversations, we found out David knew the guys in Chavez (a band we adore beyond words), and he could tell we were huge Hum and Kyuss fans. In hindsight, it’s almost too easy to decipher the logic after this point. With half our band in California, we decided to shoot an homage to Kyuss’ “Green Machine” video. We wanted sand, fast cars, blistering colors, and just a focus on rockin’. The loose narrative that plays out in the video came up later, and it’s our embrace of the vocal-less approach of our band. (And how else were we going to include Juan Perez and Attie the pitbull?)
We are so pleased with our video. I can’t stress that enough. Getting up at 3 a.m. and shooting for 15 hours in the desert was grueling but totally amazing at the same time. It’s funny, I look at the video now, and I get a smile on my face because, without really discussing it, we managed to convey a theme that has musically and emotionally always been a part of our band: Whether in the desert or the bedroom of our early suburban-practice years, we’re just four friends making the only music we know how to make. It’s nice to feel like this many more people can now be along for the ride — one that’s taken us this far and hopefully sees us kicking up plenty more dust.
Click “more” to see Pelican’s new video for “Dead Between the Walls,” and watch it again on Saturday’s Headbangers Ball on MTV2.
Now, check out the video for Pelican’s GW from their album Australasia.
The clip features artsy footage of the world’s highest ascent in a helium balloon (102,800 feet), the highest parachute jump, longest freefall and fastest fall. And the stunt wasn’t done by David Blaine or Chris Angel. It didn’t even happen this decade. The lunatic jumper was Joseph Kittinger and his leap of faith took place in 1960. The video was edited by Temmi Okkerse, who is part of the Smallcities art collective in Holland. Check it out:
