VIDEO PREMIERE: State of The Secretary Veers from Soft to Loud on Dynamic Rocker “Terminal Ray”

State Of The Secretary mainstay Isaac Anderson experienced the type of galvanizing moment he would never forget just after a sparsely attended show. Story goes he was hanging out with his live band in an Airbnb having some real talk. They were chiding him for sitting on an album’s worth of songs that were his life’s work. The songwriter/singer/multi-instrumentalist/analog crusader took that moment to heart, and has now announced State of The Secretary’s self-titled debut.

The forthcoming album is an introspective and emotionally bold collection of songs aptly described as if “The Smiths and The Cure played music now, and took stylistic cues from 90s alt-rock.” For the album, Isaac played all the instruments, sang every vocal, wrote all the songs, and kept the recordings as analog as possible. State of The Secretary was produced by Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Beach Bunny), and recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas; Headroom Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Hopkins House Recordings — Isaac’s home studio — in Zebulon, North Carolina.

State of The Secretary specializes in indie rock with jangly guitar tones, dynamic drums, ethereal piano and synth passages, and honest storyteller lyrics that recall the classic country tradition. All of the music is done entirely on analog tape; using the limitations of the format as an instrumental tool to serve the song.

Today Glide is excited to premiere the video for State of The Secretary’s new single “Terminal Ray.” Veering from loud to soft moments, the song contrasts heavy and energetic moments with a slack rock vibe. Isaac contrasts catchy vocals and an easygoing sound with crashing, explosive guitars and drums to leave the listener surprised at all of the twists and turns. The video has a sense of humor that shows this artist doesn’t take himself too seriously.

Isaac recalls the process and inspiration behind the song:

“Terminal Ray” is a song that has lived with me since I bought my first Tascam 688 MidiStudio. It has gone through many iterations, and changed from time to time, but it is still that song I wrote on that fateful cassette deck. The song centers around letting something start, and never end. I find myself getting in those situations often, and I wanted to make a song that reflected the dichotomy of give/take. This was the first song we tracked for the album, starting at Sonic Ranch studios in Tornilla, Texas. Being in such a creative & inviting atmosphere helped this song blossom into something new and fresh.

The song’s music video was something I’ve had in my head for many years. I’ve always been fascinated when people flock towards something they are “supposed” to like, or what society thinks is great. This video satirizes that, while still trying to do something fun and unique. Also, we got to do a practical explosion, which I was quite happy about (that’s a whole story in and of itself). I was honored to be able to direct this, and have an awesome team help bring the vision to life.

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