by Tom Alexander (@___alexd)
If you’ve listened to any band from New Haven, CT, there’s a good chance Sam Carlson was involved in some way. Whether he was behind the boards with his Sans Serif Studio (Glambat, Evelyn Gray, The Fiction Kids) or as band member (Ports of Spain, Laundry Day), the dude has been around. When he’s not working on those fronts, you can find him writing and performing under S.G. Carlson, his americana-soft-grunge solo vehicle. Today, Carlson shares “Holy Motors,” the first song from the upcoming Sing the Hits, along with its accompanying music video.
The song was written, performed, and recorded by Carlson, and it shows a slightly different direction than the songs of 2017’s more folk-driven S/T. The sound is bigger, layered, and gloriously warm. Imagine a fuzzed-out Andy Shauf or a DIY Wilco. About the song, Carlson says it was inspired by the 2012 French film of the same name, which follows a driven-but-goalless actor as he takes on taxing and increasingly surreal roles.
The video for “Holy Motors” features a young man (played by Ports of Spain guitarist Ilya Gitelman) guided by the whims (or demands) of a Magic 8-Ball. Under the control of the 8-Ball, he’s given subtle directions that begin innocuous enough but become life-changing. While that’s certainly no way to live, the 8-Ball does have him mainlining ‘80s Stallone action films, so it’s not all bad. Filmed by Kicker Pictures, the production of the music video also obeyed the directions of a Magic 8-Ball, instructing them where to film next.
Sing the Hits drops on April 1st via Safety Meeting Records (also based out of New Haven, CT). We’re not sure if the April Fools release date signifies anything, so be sure to follow S.G. Carlson on social media for all forthcoming shenanigans.