courtesy photo
Garrett Schmelzel was covered in tin foil and sweat as he filmed the "Evil Music" music video, which serves as a preview for Snake Island!’s newest album, also titled Evil Music.
Along with the silvery covering, the video features a female dancer gyrating within a liquid light show and a hodge-podge of clips from old sci-fi movies.
“It was really hot,” Schmelzel says. “You don’t realize how hot a room gets when you’ve covered everything in it in foil. We took off the mask and it was all sweaty and greasy.”
The video is hot off the press, too, since its July 3 release. The album will be, too, as it's released Saturday at The Waiting Room on Make Believe Recordings.
Instrumental experimentation played a large part in the nine-month writing and recording process, Schmelzel explains. Using an old guitar with microphonic pickups, a power drill, delay pedals and a fuzz pedal, he ventured into an area of sound production unlike many others.
“I ran the drill at different speeds to create different notes, yelled into the pickups and adjusted the knobs until I got some really cool effects out of it,” Schmelzel says.
Evil Music also features guest artists such as Jenna Morrison (Conduits) and Dave Goldberg (Solid Goldberg, Box Elders). Snake Island! drummer Mike Zimmerman produced the album’s artwork, with help from guitarist Allan Schleich.
summer tour poster
“First of all, it’s kind of thrifty, but it also gives us complete control of exactly how we want things to turn out,” Schmelzel says about producing their own album art. “We actually see what works and what doesn’t work firsthand, so that’s kind of nice.”
Bassist Thomas Olk joined the group soon after they finished recording Evil Music, and Schmelzel says he’s been picking up the music quickly.
And Olk’s fast learning process is essential, considering the quartet will soon embark on a month-long West Coast tour, which kicks off Saturday at Omaha’s Waiting Room. Schmelzel says this expedition will be more intensive than their last three-week tour, and they’re excited to play at least 25 shows in cities such as Seattle, Schmelzel’s hometown of Portland and Las Vegas, among others. Schmelzel is especially anticipating a warehouse show in L.A. where Snake Island! will play with Vinyl Williams.
Before leaving Omaha however, Schmelzel says he looks forward to joining Universe Contest, Plack Blague and Eric in Outerspace at their kickoff Saturday.
“It took a lot of work to get there,” he says. “We make all our own shirts, and we’ve been developing a light show that’ll be featured at the show. I’m just excited to play for a full house and have a good time.”
Snake Island! band members plan to continue stretching their creative muscles, Schmelzel says, gaining inspiration on tour and intensifying their psychedelic rock 'n' roll sound. As long as they continue making music, it doesn’t matter where they go:
“The future is unknown.”
Cara Wilwerding is a Hear Nebraska intern. She would be absolutely miserable on an island full of snakes. Please, never take her there. Reach Cara at caraw@hearnebraska.org.
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