Kevin Morby has released a new single/video, “Rock Bottom,” (below) from his forthcoming album, This Is A Photograph, out May 13th on Dead Oceans. Morby wrote much of this album in Memphis. Following his father’s health scare, he moved into the Peabody Hotel and spent his days paying tribute and genuflecting to the dreamers he admired; the banks of the Mississippi River, where Jeff Buckley met his end; the neighborhood where Jay Reatard spent his last day; the Stax marquee and Graceland. The apparitions that filled Morby’s days haunt the record; apparent in the twisted rock and roll rave-up of “Rock Bottom” (“All of my life, oh to be anything but in the rock bottom”). The track features Sam Cohen on bass (who also produced the record), backing vocals by Cassandra Jenkins, and laugh tracks from Tim Heidecker and Alia Shawkat. The accompanying video, directed by frequent Kansas City-based collaborator Johnny Eastlund, is charming with a comedic edge. It features Morby, Heidceker, and artist Ariel Kellogg. Morby elaborates on the track and video below.
For the video, director Johnny Eastlund and I decided we wanted to make an Ice Cream themed Nunchucking Western so I tagged in one of my instagram nunchuck idols Ariel Kellog to help me battle an evil talent show judge, played by Tim Heidecker, who is taunting his contestants, most notably a little girl in a bumble bee costume. The video also features comedian Caleb Heron, my bandmate Cyrus Gengras, Azniv Korkejian (aka Bedouine), Jess Wolfe (who is 1/2 of Lucius), and more.
