FORTY FEEL TALL run from a rabbit man in a tracksuit in “Julian” video

17th January 2021 Rob Cella 538 Views

January 15, 2021

FORTY FEET TALL
Leads a High Speed Chase with “Julian” Video
Video Premieres on American Songwriter
New Album A Good Distraction Out March 2021

Forty Feet Tall “Julian”
Link/Embed: https://youtu.be/pc7qRGWT0Es

With visuals that are equal parts Beastie Boys “Sabotage”, Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and the Emilio Estevez ‘80s flick Repo Man and music that could be either be straight out of the Pacific Northwest or Sheffield, England, the new video “Julian” by Magnetic Moon recording artists FORTY FEET TALL is a high stakes pursuit across different urban landscapes featuring different modes of transportation for a briefcase with mysterious contents. Premiering today on American Songwriter, the video’s frantic chase by a mysterious rabbit-headed character in an Adidas tracksuit carries a welcome and much-needed rock-fueled wallop to kick off 2021. “Julian” is available on DSPs here.

Taken from the upcoming album A Good Distraction which comes out on March 12, 2021 “Julian” is the first track from their highly-anticipated debut full-length. “The song came together as many of our songs do, as a sort of amalgamation of ideas,” explains vocalist/guitarist Cole Gann to American Songwriter. “Brett [Marquette]’s heavy bass riff paired with the jabs of Jack [Sehres]’s guitar as I croon with a wink and a nod to bands like The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys. The end of the song was a turn from our normal high energy crescendo though, letting the instruments fade as the harmonies ring out, ending the song in an almost spooky void.”

“The video started as a romanticized beer run, a sort of post-apocalyptic adventure to find the last of the ale,” laughs Gann, describing the original video treatment that sounds less of a Guy Ritchie flick (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) and more of a Simon Pegg one (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz). “But it quickly turned into a more sinister heist montage with a teasing ambiguity and intensity. What’s in the briefcase? Who’s behind the mask? And where the hell are we off to? The high stakes of a getaway complement the high energy of the song, but we always tried to keep an air of playfulness throughout. Our incredible director and editor, Haydn Cieri, strung our sometimes ridiculous ideas together and made them work, if not blossom under his vision.”

FORTY FEET TALL
Photo credit: Billy Fortier (hi-res)

Formed in 2011 by a bunch of scrappy 15 year olds from Los Angeles, Forty Feet Tall smushed together the alternative rock, grunge and classic rock they were weaned on and molded it into a frenetic and angular blend that twists and turns unexpectedly, bringing back the danger into the current, flaccid music world. Collectively moving to Portland, OR for college and to allow their music to take root in the fertile Pacific Northwest musical soil, they added drummer Ian Kelly to form the compelling alt-rock-pop band they are today. Bracketed and riff-based and aggressive with enough pop melodies to hold it together, Forty Feet Tall’s music is bursting with unbridled youthful enthusiasm and precise musical chops.

Forty Feet Tall is Cole Gann (vocals/guitar), Brett Marquette (bass) Ian Kelly (drums), and Jack Sehres (guitar). A Good Distraction was self-produced and will be released via Magnetic Moon Records on March 12, 2021.