Experimental folk outfit deliver chilly, poignant moods on new single & video
String Machine is an experimental folk project from Pittsburgh who churn out searing, ethereal melodies packed with poignant moods. Their music expresses the romanticism and desolation of isolated, rural western Pennsylvania – of areas crippled by socioeconomic influences as well as cultural stasis. Comprised of David Beck (vox & guitar), Dylan Kersten (synth, piano), Laurel Wane (vox), Ian Compton (trumpet), Nic Temple (drums), Mike Law (bass) and Katie Morrow (cello), String Machine attempts to “reject this life they inherited, move ahead fearlessly with the lessons each of them has learned among the frozen ruins of northern Pittsburgh.”
After releasing their debut album Threads from the Youth Fossil back in 2016, the group re-convened and have since racked up countless studio hours recording new material. Today, Impose is proud to premiere String Machine’s newest single and video “Eight Legged Dog,” off their forthcoming LP Death of the Neon, which arrives on August 2. Opening on a series of jangly guitar and cello notes, Wane and Beck harmonize beautifully as airy pianos and simmering rhythms coalesce around their heavenly voices. The track is full of bittersweet melancholy – chilly melodies cut through the cavernous vibes before snowballing into a fierce instrumental breakdown that closes everything out in cathartic sonic fashion.
Meanwhile, the track’s video was directed by Raffaele Dilullo and Anthony Peduzzi, and it captures the members of String Machine performing together in a series of cold, barren locales: snowy rural neighborhoods, forests, frost-covered landscapes, and a garage-like “bunker.” The cinematography is lush and haunting. On filming the video, Beck says, “It was 20 degrees outside, so we just treated it as a wholesome snow day with hot chocolate breaks. I dropped a ceramic sewing machine on my foot and broke my toe while making this thing. We hauled drums into a thicket of pines with a quad while it was snowing. It all felt ridiculous, but the visual results accurately express the feelings of uneasiness within emotional callus I felt when writing the song itself.” Death of the Neon arrives on August 2. You can pre-order it HERE, and watch the stunning video for “Eight Legged Dog” below.
