Celebrated Los Angeles-based rock band The Bronx are excited to share their new music video for “Side Effects.” Directed by Christian Jacobs (MC Bat Commander of the Aquabats / co-creator of Yo Gabba Gabba), the video was filmed in a house owned by renowned photographer and sculptor Adam Wallacavage, whose octopus-shaped chandeliers have earned him global notoriety and have led to exhibitions in Sao Paulo, Rome, London, Miami, New York, and LA. Jacobs and The Bronx frontman, Matt Caughthran, had the following to share on their creative process:
“The idea is loosely based on an old video game called ‘Night Trap’ where aliens invade a sexy slumber party and you have this cool, room-to-room, live-action scenario in which you try to save the day. The song is about dealing with the side effects of life as a musician/artist; all the things you never saw coming. After finishing a recent UK tour, we flew into Philly to rehearse and shoot the video in two days, and the excitement and inspiration, mixed with delirium and exhaustion, only seemed to add to the authenticity of the song’s lyrical content. This video is truly a labor of love, just like music/art/life should be.” – Matt Caughthran
“I think the challenge was to create something engaging and compelling that could have a ‘re-watchability’ factor. By shooting seven different stories that all intersect at the same time (in essence seven ‘one-ers’), we were hoping to capture an overall story that speaks to being in a
rock band for 20 years and also lends itself to repeated viewing.
The house in the video is this insane juxtaposition of history, design, modern art, and classic architecture, filled with amazing collections of things, handcrafted and collected. We wanted it to almost be a metaphor for the band itself and it becomes another character within the video; each room has its own personality that really fits the overall concept for the clip.
Thus, we see the individuals inside the (house) or ‘band’ so to speak, having their own issues and demons they are trying to deal with separately, but then are constantly stuck crisscrossing into each other’s lives. The band was really collaborative, focused and worked hard. I think we made a great team and were lucky to make a great video.” – Christian Jacobs
The band is currently making headline appearances ahead of its upcoming performances at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on both Saturday, April 14 and Saturday, April 21. Then as announced this morning they’ll make their return to Australia in July for Splendour In The Grass.
Fifteen years ago, The Bronx appeared in a storm of attack-mode guitars, apocalyptic rhythms, screaming aggression and sneering disdain for the status quo. In 2017, as the band resurface with their fifth eponymous album (and first in four years), the Los Angeles-based quintet has lost none its pugnacity. The Bronx V, as it is destined to be known, is as hard-hitting, confrontational and relevant as ever, earning praise from the likes of Exclaim!, Kerrang!, Rocksound, DIY Magazine and many more. And while it may or may not sound more grown-up than their vein-bulging early releases, they will not apologize either way. Recorded the over five weeks, V sees the band addressing themes ranging from the national consciousness to frontman Matt Caughthran’s own personal struggles and mid-thirties malaise delivered at his most full-throated and direct.
“One of the main hurdles was kicking myself out of the depression I’ve been battling for two years,” he explains. “I don’t want to over-dramatize it, but I felt pretty bleak for a while. I didn’t want to just write about relationships — I wanted to write about how difficult it often is to keep your head on straight. Sometimes it’s a daily battle. I’m a lucky guy but I’ve been down some dark holes the past couple of years, not knowing whether I was capable of being the person I thought I could be.
But while confronting his own demons and the notion that “maybe I’m not cut out for making it to the second part of my life,” Caughthran says he also looked externally for inspiration. “The world is both sad and hilarious right now,” he adds. “It’s a funny time to be an actual living human being with a heart and a conscience. I am not a fan of people shutting their doors and closing everything off. But as an artist, it’s actually a great time to create.”
The Bronx has gained notice for the dual lives it has lived for the past eight years, maintaining an alter ego as Mariachi El Bronx that is as true to that form of music as their hardcore is to the punk ethos. Lacking none of the band’s typically pugilistic fervor, “The Bronx V” lands punches exactly where they’re aimed.
