Today, Hamilton Leithauser, the hard-hitting and Carlyle-crooning frontman of The Walkmen, has released the official music video for “What Do I Think?,” which stars Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson. Directed by Tim Wilkime, the comedic and absurdist video follows Leithauser as he commutes from Brooklyn to his show at the Cafe Carlyle, while facing kidnappers that are set out to steal his identity and his iconic corduroy suit along the way.

While talking about the music video, writer and producer Brian Williams says: “Hamilton is a funny guy and with the whimsical nature of the song, it was clear the video should have a comedic tone. Assembling the team was a domino effect. Tim Wilkime is a fan of Hamilton’s and was quick to say yes. Tim enlisted Saturday Night Live cast member, James Austin Johnson, also a Hamilton fan and accomplished musician. The story development was also a chain reaction between Tim, Hamilton and I – one person’s idea was the catalyst to another’s and it quickly came together.”

“What Do I Think?” is one of the standout tracks on Leithauser’s most recent album, This Side of the Island. Co-produced by Leithauser, Aaron Dessner and Hamilton’s wife Anna Stumpf, the album boldly turns away from the folk-rock vibes of Leithauser‘s two previous records, I Had a Dream That You Were Mine and The Loves of Your Life and introduces a groovier, bass-heavy, modern sound. Leithauser’s unrelenting optimism and biting humor shine through the album, reflecting on personal growth, love and navigating today’s polarized world.

Photo Credit: Colin Hancock