Kevin Kendrick is a survivor. Following a kidnapping in 1997, seven separate muggings, and a personal war against heroin, the center of A Big Yes and a small no is musing about the beauty and trivialities of mortal existence on the band’s forthcoming album. Prior to Mise En Abyme’s 20 April release via Royal Potato Family, Kendrick and the band are saying “Enough Is Enough” with their latest music video.
The lyric-driven indie pop stunner is a searing reflection on a wilted relationship. Musically, the band elegantly soars into a melange of electronic delights that, between shimmering synth and ethereal guitar and percussive sequences, paint a track as atmospheric and well-produced as listeners have come to expect.
Kendrick tells PopMatters, “We shot this on the block where the Paul Auster/Wayne Wang indie gem Smoke took place and was shot in Windsor Terrace. That movie is about Brooklyn changing and a shop that’s close to closing because of the rising prices of Brooklyn. I thought it was perfect given the line in the song about ‘Brooklyn Forever… at least until I’m priced out.'”
“A little music geek note, the bar on the right I pass (the Double Windsor) right before I turn the corner is where legendary punk band Jawbreaker’s frontman Blake Schwarzenbach tends bar. We argue about whether punk music has to be political or not, and what IS and IS NOT EMO sometimes!”
“In order for me to sing along with the chorus, I had to sing along with music that was sped up to double-time. It was super hard! I wanted to include the lyrics because I think the lyrics really drive this song. We decided to shoot it as one long take from flower shop to heartbreak to try to capture the way time seems to slow down when you are anxiously trying to catch someone and convince them that THIS time things will be better before they disappear out of your life forever. We almost did wine instead of flowers, and I was going to open it and start drinking when I walked away, but I decided on flowers because I love the symbolism. Flowers are already doomed when you buy them. Like me in the video, their fate is sealed!”