The out of control rock n’ roll duo Sleep Nation released their new single & video ‘SPACEman’ ft. Daisy Dead from the Dead Deads. Here at Music Crowns we had the opportunity to chat with Sleep Nation’s Bran Merritt and Joey Lauretta about their new release. You can check out the full interview below.
Could you tell us about your new single & video ‘SPACEman’?
‘SPACEman’ is the first song released as the ‘out of control dynamic duo of rock n roll.’ We recorded everything as a 2-piece except for the bass which was provided by Daisy Dead from the Dead Deads.
Joey and I worked on demos for this song, but when it actually came time to push the record button we wanted to come out of the gate swinging. We wanted to make a huge statement with this song just because it is the first song we are releasing as a 2-piece. I presented to Joey that I had an idea to incorporate a hip-hop section and a gospel section. I love telling people about this song because it sounds so absurd. Sleep Nation now has a song that incorporates both of those genres in one single song.
What’s the inspiration behind this song?
The inspiration for ‘SPACEman’ came when I was travelling down the black hole of YouTube. I stumbled upon a beat poet by the name of Gil Scott Heron. He wrote a spoken word piece called, “Whitey on the Moon.” Something that was written in 1970 echoed the same feelings that I have right now concerning our space program. Since its inception, the US has spent $650 billion dollars. Just think of the great things that we could have done with that money. We could have fed the hungry, housed the homeless, actually cared for our veterans, but instead we got to plant a flag on the moon. Or did we? Just kidding.
What was it like working with Daisy Dead? How did you all meet?
We met Daisy at Industrial Night at the Exit In. We played ‘The Pot’ by Tool together, and we got the idea to get her to join in on the song since we didn’t have an official bassist for the band. We were so surprised and thankful that she agreed to join in on the song and the video. She spent her own time and energy helping us, and we are forever grateful.
How did you come up with the storyboard for the music video?
I’m not sure how it came to be, but the video for Aerosmith and Run DMC ‘Walk This Way’ gave some inspiration for the idea for the storyboard. We wanted to give the appearance that the band and the spacemen were in adjoining rooms shouting at each other.
What was the filming process like?
The video which was directed by Thomas O’ Brien was shot in an undisclosed motel. We didn’t inform the staff of the motel about what we were doing. We had to keep it on the down low which caused me to be paranoid for the entire shoot, but luckily we didn’t get caught.
Anything you’d like to share with our readers?
We got a new album coming out in 2022!
Connect with Sleep Nation: https://www.slpntn.com/
