Tom Gallo is the host of Look At My Records! on Radio Free Brooklyn.
Bushwick Daily is excited to premiere the brand new video for The Johns just-released single, “Blood Run Free.” The video and single are the first off of the Bushwick-based garage tropicália band’s forthcoming EP, Forge, which is scheduled for release later this summer on Concierge Records and Lousy Moon Records.
The video is nothing short of mesmerizing and enthralling, as it accentuates the deadpan croon and hypnotic guitar work of principal songwriter Johnny Dydo with a series of stunning, calculated visual elements.
For the video, which was shot entirely on VHS tape, Dydo collaborated with New York-based video and performance artist Erica Schreiner. Schreiner spent three months studying and interpreting Johnny Dydo’s poetic lyrics in order to extrapolate the perfect visual accompaniment to “Blood Run Free.”
In addition to producing, filming, and editing the video, Schreiner also delivers a dazzling starring performance in this piece, as she embodies two characters: an evil priest and Death (in all white).
The video reflects the song’s themes of bloodlust and the dichotomy of life and death by combining techniques of precisely crafted performance art and choreography through the use of stop motion animation.
Staying true to the track’s title, the video contains an inordinate amount of blood, bringing further focus to murder and death. Overall, the visual accompaniment to the new single is a masterful fusion of the distinctly different styles of Dydo and Schreiner, as they perfectly blend together to create a captivating piece of art.
Stream the video below and purchase the single via Bandcamp.
The Johns will be performing at the Make Music New York Festival on Friday, June 21 at Anita’s Way.
All images courtesy of The Johns. Cover image: Johnny Dydo of The Johns (photo by Matt Payton)
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