OVERCOATS RELEASE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO FOR BLAME IT ON ME FEATURING LAWRENCE ROTHMAN
USED TO BE SCARED OF THE DARK EP OUT JUNE 4
Toronto, ON – May 5, 2021 – Today, Brooklyn indie-pop duo, Overcoats, (Hana + JJ) share a new single and music video for Blame It On Me. The second single off their forthcoming EP, Used To Be Scared Of The Dark, Blame It On Me features Los Angeles artist, Lawrence Rothman (sibling of Overcoats' The Fight LP producer Yves Rothman), who lends their deep, passionate vocals to the reflective piano ballad.
The accompanying music video picks up the story from where the clip for the EP's first single, The Hardest Part leaves off, and sees the couple locked in a slow-motion embrace at an underground rave. The magnetism between the two is apparent, with everyone else in the room disappearing into the neon-lit background. Watch the Blame It On Me video in full here.
Overcoats shares about the video: "The video was filmed in the basement of an old church in Brooklyn. We were able to create a whole world in which this longing tale between Pauli and Omari could unfold. Ideas of collective and individual experience, the rave scene, and sticking together for the sake of sticking together felt interesting to explore as we begin to re-emerge from a long and challenging period of isolation. This song is heartbreaking but we think it tries to show that there can be beauty in the wreckage."
Video director, Asha Maura, adds: "The concept was literally made with them [Pauli and Omari] in mind. Ultimately I thought of them because I think they are a beautiful couple that emanates love! They are also very involved in the rave scene in NY and I respect Pauli's work with Discakes for the Queer Rave community in NY. I wanted it to feel real if we’re doing a video with rave connections and they are the realest!"
Blame It On Me appears on Overcoats' upcoming EP, Used To Be Scared Of The Dark, a four-track project that includes additional collaborations with Middle Kids, Tennis, and Local Natives', Ryan Hahn. Initially workshopping the EP on tour, Hana and JJ found that the songs grew and morphed and soon inspired opportunities for collaboration. From the tour bus, they reached out to friends to contribute their perspective to the project and amplify the songs. “All of these songs were made remotely, which was a really wild experience,” Hana says about the process. “It required a lot of trust in ourselves and in our collaborators. We have loved all of these artists for so long, we knew that the intersection between their sound and ours would be cool no matter what.”
While Overcoats' previous releases saw them deep in the trenches, channeling resilience through the alt-pop lens of bright harmonies, pummeling guitars and empowering lyrics; Used To Be Scared Of The Dark revels in resolutions and the resulting self-growth, and presents a more laid-back, folk-hued palette. It explores honouring the past uphill battles and acknowledging current feelings, but searching for stability.
DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Press Photo