Tanlines, aka Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen, release “The Big Mess,” the title track from their anticipated upcoming album, and first in eight years, The Big Mess, out May 19 on Merge. The song comes with a playful video directed by Emm.
“‘The Big Mess’ begins with the line, ‘It’s been a long time…’ As the album opener, it’s a winky-sad nod to our long absence along with a statement of purpose, catching up like no time has passed at all,” Emm explains. “‘The Big Mess’ as an idea and album unifier represents not only the evolution of our lives and partnership but also stands for both our (Tanlines-branded) work and its core identity—a colorful and signature melange of influences and ideas. Thoughtful, fun, serious, and sad all at the same time. A big mess.”
“The video, too, shares these characteristics. Partly inspired by my 6-year-old who splatter painted our white kitchen while I snuck off to work on the album leaving him ‘painting at his easel for a few minutes,’ and expanding into an homage to the Fender Splattercaster I play in Tanlines (the video’s colors are based on the guitar). The video features us in full rock duo mode in our winky-sad take on an idea that *someone already did*—equal parts Jackson Pollock and Nickelodeon.”
Tanlines will be playing a record-release show on the rooftop stage at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere on June 6. Tickets are available here. The Big Mess is available for pre-order on CD, LP, and multi-color swirl in clear Peak Vinyl from the Merge store.
