Long-running indie rock act Grandaddy has released a music video for the song “Brush with the Wild” which features actor Jonah Ray from The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail and Mystery Science Theater 3000.
The music video, which you can see in full below, was directed by Aaron Beckum and focuses on Ray. Heartbroken after a breakup, Ray throws the mementos of his lost love out of the window, including a rolling chair. The apparently sentient chair comes back to Ray and encourages him to call his ex in an attempt to reconcile. Ray then rides the chair across town to find his ex at the park, but unfortunately, she’s escorted by her new romantic interest. The moment Ray locks eyes with this new flame, the chair falls apart. He is left scrambling to gather the mementos of their love, including a trophy which bears a plaque with the depressing words “Last Place” engraved in faux-gold.
In a press release, the band’s frontman Jason Lytle remarks of the video, “I really love the way the video turned out. So funny, and scrappy. and sad, and actually kinda hopeless……but in a hopeful way.”
Musically, the song is full of the woozy vocal harmonies, chugging guitars, and detached synthesizers that are sure to please Grandaddy fans. This video is one of a string of releases from the band’s acclaimed fifth album, Last Place, which dropped on March 3 following an announcement last fall. The album is the group’s first recorded output in nearly 11 years, which they initially teased with the dual release of the songs “Way We Won’t” and “Clear Your History.” Following the album’s announcement, the group continued to whet fans’ appetites with advanced singles “A Lost Machine” and “Evermore.”
The music video is notably the first output from the band following the untimely death of founding bassist Kevin Garcia at the age of 41 little over a month and a half ago. The loss of their longtime member has expectantly left the band shaken, causing them to cancel most of their remaining 2017 tour dates.
The band has, however, recently confirmed a hometown show on October 21 at Modesto’s Gallo Arts Center, which was initially supposed to be a 20th anniversary performance of their debut album Under the Western Freeway, though the band now intends to rework the show as a tribute to Garcia.
NPR’s All Songs Considered premiered the video along with an interview of Grandaddy’s frontman Jason Lytle where he opened up about the song and trying to move on from the loss of his close friend.
Lytle had also recently teamed up with members of Midlake, Franz Ferdinand, Travis, and Band of Horses to form indie super group Banquet. After changing their name to BNQT, the newly-minted act dropped their debut albumVolume 1 this April, though no touring plans have been announced yet.
For his part, Jonah Ray is no stranger to musical collaborations after having appeared at music-dominated fests FFF Nites 2014 and Fun Fun Fun Fest 8 in 2013.
Watch the video for “Brush with the Wild” in full below.
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