By Keith Walsh
At first glance, it might seem that WeirdWolves‘ new single and video is a celebration of an accelerated lifestyle. But it’s actually a critique of the fast-paced life that we are conditioned into from an early age.
The tune finds Raf Colantonio and Ava Gore creating a sound that’s as unique as the band’s name. In an interview to discuss the dark and catchy new tune, WeirdWolves’ told me. “You know, I think in life we have this roadmap form when we are kids, where the world tells you that, if you do all these things, you’re going to be happy. It’s just about achievement mostly. Achievement is so important in people’s lives, and now more than ever.”
“Overdrive” was very much a collaborative effort between Colantonio and Gore, who both sing, play guitars, bass and synths in the duo, which is based in Austin, Texas. Occasionally in interviews, they speak as one entity. I asked them about the songwriting process. “Sometimes there’s one word that just feels right,” they said, “something that sounds like it’s really hitting it. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense on the way, you know, immediately. But as you keep going, then it becomes more and more meaningful. I’m not thinking ‘I’m going to write a song about the meaning of life or death,’ or whatever, as it goes. It turns into your guiding the words as opposed to the words are guiding you.”
The darkness of “Overdrive” comes not only from the complex sound of the tune, but even more so from the sinister lyrics. It turns out that this song about the drive to achieve, which could easily be mistaken for as an ode to living life in a high gear, is actually a cautionary tale:
“A machine, all intention, no design
All the pieces, come alive, stay satisfied
Until they fall, or survive with new insight
Not so wise and they drive to their demise
Gold and fame for dirt and blame, so much pain for so little gain
One more prize at every try, yet unwise then it all dies”
As WeirdWolves told me, “[The song is] also self reflection in the sense that that’s how I’ve always survived, by always pushing the accelerator and going farther, stronger, to achievements. But as the song says, it’s also maybe not the exact solution to anything, you know , high gear.”
The video is masterfully done, recorded in Austin, TX. As WeirdWolves explains: “We went to the Elysium, which is our favorite club in Austin, and we rented that place. We went there with a little keyboard and we improvised most if it. There was no concept, no scripts, right? We just went silly, it was super fun.” The video for “Overdrive” was recorded at a slow speed which was then played at a normal frame rate for the final product, and the effect is weird and oddly affecting.
“It made sense,” WeirdWolves told me, “if you shoot at 60 frames a second and perform at half speed, and then multiply twice the speed that we play, it would probably create interesting jittery effects. So you can really exaggerate the move. It’s going to look really, really crazy.”
Production on “Overdrive” was done by Josh Boardman of electronic group Battle Tapes, located in Los Angeles. Boardman also contributed synths and affects while producing. The catchy tune will feature in the soon to be released videogame WeirdWest by Wolfeye Studios.
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