Kansas City based electro-alternative band Other Americans recently released their awesome new single Murdering Crows. It is the lead single from their self titled debut EP, which is due out June 29.
Their Yeah Yeah Yeah’s meets Sleigh Bells meets a more aggressive Passion Pit sound blends perfectly with the music video for Murdering Crows. The chaotic video has the aesthetic of a damaged VHS tape, featuring lots of colorful and abrasive edits of both the band performing and various washed-out scenery shots of clouds and fire.
Other Americans (featuring members of The Architects, Latenight Callers, Radar State and Brandon Phillips and The Condition) first crossed paths in when a mutual friend introduced guitarist Brandon Phillips to vocalist Julie Berndsen. Check out Murdering Crows below!
We managed to catch up with the band as they talked about their latest single and more!
So how has the release of Murdering Crows gone down with fans so far?
-Adam- So far so good! But, it’s so early in the process. My fingers are still crossed as hard as I can cross them. We’re still really trying to get the word out about the band. It’s all brand brand brand new. We don’t have big numbers to brag on, but I THINK it’s going really good though. It feels great.
Julie: I’ve gotten great feedback so far. They cold be lying to me so I will watch their animals when they are out of town. However, I don’t think that is the case.
Brandon: I am sometimes surprised and always delighted when someone tells me that they like it. However, like Julie, it has occurred to me that everyone is lying to me. I just adore how that song turned out and who can really turn their nose up at validation anyway?
How pumped are you are for your upcoming self titled album?
-Adam- I’m really proud of what we did. I’m feeling a lot of stuff now that it’s almost released. 95% PureJoy & 5% Fluster-Panic.
Julie-I’m so excited! It’s been a long time coming but this seems the perfect time to release the EP!
Brandon: I am over the moon to have this finally come out but my ratio is probably 80% ecstatic jitters and 20% invasive worst-case-scenario-panic fantasies.
Can you tell us something about the album that no one else knows?
Julie: I’m not sure people are aware but we lost a friend and band member Ehren Starks. This album is very important to us as it will serve as a wonderful memory of the music we made together.
Brandon: Ehren’s passing changes this album for us. It’s more monumental. More important that we follow through.
What is your favourite track from the album?
-Adam- I ain’t picking favorites. I love them all. BUT, I will say that Murdering Crows is my current favorite OA song to play live. That beat just makes me feel happy every time.
When I listen to the record though, I really really love hearing the way Pils turned out. Soooooo dubby!
Julie: It’s like picking who your favorite child is when we all know there is a favorite! Jk!
To me, it’s a toss up of Couples Skate and Murdering Crows.
Brandon: Murdering Crows feels classic to me. Bhangra Vampires is my favorite to play though. I just love the way it feels to play it…the peaks and valleys are really fun.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
-Adam- NIN or RZA would be really fun to work with. I love so many of their albums. I feel like we’d have some chemistry. (Call me)
Julie- I’m liking the NIN idea!
Brandon: I will not be the guy who stands in the way of a NIN collab but I will suggest that OA + Doomtree would realign the fucking solar system.
Adam- that would f*#king rule.
What do you get up to in your spare time when not working on music?
-Adam- I was in a Belfonte Ice Cream TV commercial. And people keep messaging me about it. Bugging me to say my line from the commercial.
Them: “Are you scoopin’?
Me: “For you? Of course I’m scoopin’!”
So…..yeah. I got that going for me. Maybe ……you know…..maybe I’ll do more of that. You’ll just have to watch a bunch of TV and look for me.
Julie: I love sun, water, and accidentally killing plants. I do pet sit for people and enjoy it for sure.
Brandon: I work on music. I write for Film/TV. I’m trying to keep this goddamn gardenia alive. I daydream about skateboarding again but if I broke a bone and couldn’t play, the heat of my self-loathing would bore a hole in the space/time fabric.
Will you be touring at all this year?
-Adam- Working on it. I don’t want to make any promises that I can’t keep, but I’m working hard to get us playing shows all over this world.
Julie- I will only tour on a Segway. This does tend to delay getting to shows but days, weeks, months.. even years..if you are crossing an ocean. Wait, did they make a Segway boat yet?
Brandon: I made you a Segway boat. Just now. Gotta let the glue dry.
Adam- (snarf)
What was the first ever gig you ever went to?
-Adam- the first REAL concert I ever attended was on my 10th Birthday. The Beastie Boys Check Your Head Tour at Memorial Hall. L7 and House of Pain opened up. It was amazing. They completely blew me away. Zach was with me. Our dad took us and couple of friends.
Julie: My god mother took me to Garth Brooks. It’s my not type of music but was a great show and such a talented song writer.
Brandon: I saw AC/DC on the Razor’s Edge tour. That level of performance – the stadium size, the thousands of puke-drunk metalheads, the volume, the energy – it was blinding. Bordering on religious.