“Sports” (not to be confused with Viagra Boys’ triumphant track of the same name) is the latest release from Mal, the project of Los Angeles-based indie-folk musician and visual artist Mallory Hauser. Their delicate voice starts by carrying the listener over a deceivingly intricate and sparse acoustic guitar part before slowly building to a gorgeously noisy peak full of driving percussion and dissonant electric guitars.
While the song deals with themes of isolation and stagnation, the Norman McLaren and David Lynch inspired Super 8mm video, made in collaboration with director of photography Seannie Bryan (Wallows, Skullcrusher), captures the reunion of old friends and provides a great counterpoint that feels like an importatnt part of the song rather than merely a video accompaniment. “Sports” is the second track off the new EP ‘Continuous Short Feature Film’, due out August 19th.
‘Sports’ came during a time when I was struggling to find a way out of a stagnant and desaturated cloud – feeling depleted and constantly losing any bearings on which way was up or down. It aims to capture the moments when every monotonous day feels like living in a sort of grey, opaque snow globe with no way to get out. I found it similar to the slumps that happen when you play sports. Even when you’re exhausted and in a lull, it’s still a mental game that you have to repeatedly try to pull yourself out of.”
