Wolfmother, 'New Moon Rising' (Behind the Scenes) -- Exclusive Video
- Posted on Oct 27th 2009 11:15AM by Ken Micallef
- Comments (2)
Just as their sound echoes '70s rockers like Blue Cheer and Black Sabbath, Wolfmother's video for their latest single, 'New Moon Rising,' is equally retro-magnificent, recalling an acid-washed documentary from the old Fillmore East. As the band, led by frontman Andrew Stockdale, flails and wails, their silhouetted profiles are surrounded by images seemingly taken from an occultist handbook, including skulls, scorpions, swirling eyeballs and, oddly enough, teapots. "They're just visuals that compliment the overall impression of the music," Stockdale tells Spinner. "But I wouldn't say it's occultist. Teapots aren't occultist! We have teapots, eyeballs, scorpions -- maybe we just like tea."
The lyrics to 'New Moon Rising' describe a young man's coming of age, leaving his hometown to seek his destiny. Unfortunately, while the song's protagonist departs, sans girlfriend, he also leaves "factories burning" in his wake. Did he start the fires that have engulfed his town in flames?
"There is no literal referencing of the lyrics of the song," Stockdale explains. "It's the director's interpretation of the song, but I don't know who the director is actually. That's a good question. I don't know."
"We recorded the song in Byron Bay," Stockdale continues. "[The studio] is up in the hinterlands, the hills in Byron Bay, which is this really nice beach area. We'd drive up to the hills and see kids hitchhiking along the road. I was thinking of that whole idea of a kid who's leaving home and wants to go on an adventure. 'New Moon Rising' is about leaving a small town and trying to find your destiny and finding yourself and finding a place. It's that whole experience."
But what about those burning factories? Is this guy an arsonist?
"Maybe that's just a symbol of experiencing a journey, and the fact that the machine continues," Stockdale says. "You're on to your own romantic ideas, but the factories are still burning, the machines are still churning."





Reader Comments(1 of 1)
Chris DeLineat 10-27-2009
Not to nay-say - but didn't Pitchfork 'premiere' this a few weeks ago?
http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/3869-wolfmother-new-moon-rising-modular
robat 10-27-2009
Does anyone know what really made the rest of the band quit? I been trying to read up on it but havent found much. I had read somewhere these guys practiced for years, got signed in a few months of live gigs, and they rocked! Then the whole band quits? An ego problem with the lead singer? Anyone read anything on this?