Feb 23, 2023
By Caleb Campbell
Photography by Jen Meller
This summer, Brooklyn noise pop trio A Very Special Episode are set to share their forthcoming sophomore record, Freak Me Out. The record follows after their 2021 debut, FIX YOUR HEART OR DIE, and sees the band pushing their music in dark and eerie new directions while layering in an infectious pop sensibility. They introduced the record earlier this month with its lead single, “Heaven’s Gate,” and today they’re back with an accompanying video, premiering with Under the Radar.
“Heaven’s Gate” draws on the band’s fascination with cults and the psychology behind them, taking its name from the infamous Heaven’s Gate cult. As the band explains, the track is “about the need to belong, the search for an in group, and the length’s one may go to find one in spite of the danger and the vulnerability that requires.” Fittingly, the track itself begins shadowy and evocative, with rumbling percussion, tense distorted guitars, and iridescent synth textures. The band takes you on a roller coaster ride of shifting dynamics, moving between simmering verses, dreamy interludes, a propulsive chorus, and a chaotic climax, all while never letting up on the tension.
Meanwhile, the accompanying video, shot and directed by Jen Meller, works to capture that same dark allure, watching as the protagonist (played by Gillian Leigh Visco from the band Shadow Monster) goes on an otherworldly journey of self-discovery. Vocalist/bassist Kasey Heisler explains, “The video is about the ‘search for ‘me’’. At its heart, we took inspiration from films that blend sci-fi and horror, like Beyond The Black Rainbow and Suspira. These projects, as well as our single ‘Heaven’s Gate,’ communicate the feeling of wanting, and trying, to take control of one’s own life by counter-intuitively surrendering to some greater and possibly evil power.”
Check out the song and video below. Freak Me Out is out everywhere this summer. Tomorrow, February 24th, the band are also playing a release show at Purgatory in Brooklyn. Tickets and more info can be found here.