Interview: NEEDS’ Sean Orr talks latest music video

Vancouver band NEEDS toured the west coast of the U.S. back in January, and sold bootleg tapes of Limitations, their new record that’ll be out on June 22nd. The name of the LP’s first single, Eat the Rich… People’s Leftovers, is a cheeky commentary on trickle down economics, and the fact that lead vocalist Sean Orr literally eats rich people’s leftovers from the dishpit of the fancy restaurant that he works at. It also features a great Noam Chomsky quote – austerity is a just a fancy word for class war.

The video for Eat the Rich… People’s Leftovers was entirely Sean’s concept. Their label (File Under: Music) bought a GoPro for them to shoot tour footage with, and afterwards Sean decided to mount it in the dish pit he works at to film most of the shots. It’s an extremely literal interpretation of the song’s name.

Recorded at Rain City Studios with Jesse Gander (Baptists, Japandroids, ANCIIENTS), Limitations takes their diverse set of influences (ranging from Metz to Protomartyr, Pissed Jeans to Nation of Ulysses) and filters them through their furious sound machine, all while managing to find the balance between Sean’s thoughtful lyrics, and the insane antics that define their live show. Check out Eat the Rich… People’s Leftovers below!

 

We managed to catch up with Sean as he talked about the band’s latest video and more!

How has the release of Eat the Rich… People’s Leftovers gone down so far?

Well we have this wiz-kid at our label who is helping us roll it out and it’s gone really well thanks to him, even though we give him a lot of grief.

Can you tell something about the single no one else knows?

I also drink rich people’s alcohol.

What was your favourite moment while making this track?

Well, like with the whole record, watching Jesse Gander (engineer/producer at Rain City Recorders) do his magic.

How pumped are you for the release of Limitations?

Better question is, how pumped are YOU for the release of Limitations?

If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?

Iceage because I am obsessed.

What’s the alternative scene like in Vancouver at the moment?

It’s a struggle because the rent is too damn high and venues are closing all the time, but also in a weird way that same struggle also makes it healthy and rewarding

What was first gig ever went to?

d.b.s at Langley Civic Centre (additional answer from Colin Spensley -> Matthew Good @ the Nanaimo Port Theater the day after September 11th)

What do you get up to in your spare time when not working music?

Spare time?

Any gigs or festivals lined up for 2018?

Going to play some West Coast dates in June around the album release, then probably head East in the fall. After that it’s dependent upon whether anyone wants us to go play for them.