Ha the Unclear – “Growing Mould” (video) premiere)

Ten months ago PopMatters premiered the clever “85” by New Zealand band Ha the Unclear from their debut album Bacterium, Look at Your Motor Go. We know a good thing when we hear it, and this time around, the Auckland foursome have returned with a splendid, brilliantly conceived new video for the dryly funny track “Growing Mould”. Musically the song references XTC and the Shins, as well as a little doo-wop, while the video, well, let’s let singer/guitarist Michael Cathro explain:

“‘Growing Mould’ is a kind of break up song where the lyrics are a self-deprecating monologue spoken through an intercom by someone locked out of the apartment building,” he says. “They’re coming to terms with how awful a boy/girlfriend they have been and for the video director Mardo El-Noor was keen to take the piss a bit in keeping with that tone. Mardo’s background is in photography so he would compose every single shot like it was a photograph and in doing so he was really able to stuff it to overflowing with references.”

Bacterium, Look at Your Motor Go is out now. Purchase it via Bandcamp.