On June 24, psychedelic rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra released a single called “Weekend Run.” This comes after a year and a half of not releasing any new music.

“Weekend Run” features pop-infused melodies mixed with old school disco, soft vocals and indie guitar riffs. UMO are known for experimenting with different forms of music – from disco to R&B. In this track, the soul and groove of the instrumentation is evident, and is described in a press release as a “radio-ready earworm,” providing “A subtle nod to disco in its groove and an idiosyncratic bridge.” It also says that the new single is an embodiment of what the band has displayed in their discography over the course of their career. 

The music video for “Weekend Run” offers no complexity at all, as the song itself gives off a very chill and mellow vibe. Since for the past year we’ve all been in quarantine and socially distancing ourselves from one another, a lot of us have been pretty bored at home. The premise for UMO’s newest video embodies that boredom, shooting the lead singer Ruban Nielson from 5 different angles doing activities such as drinking by the pool, smoking while on an exercise bike, watching a movie, eating cereal and having another smoke in the kitchen. 

“At the end of the day I don’t take for granted that I have the perfect job,” Nielsen said. “I truly work to make music that will set someone’s day right and I think that shines through on ‘Weekend Run’.”

This single follows the 2018 release of the album, Sex & Food which was praised by Billboard as their “most boldly electric LP to date.” UMO were also featured on The Free Nationals’ self-titled debut album in 2019 alongside the late Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak. “Weekend Run” is available now on all music streaming platforms. 

Photo Credit: April Siese