One of our own true-blue NYC punk bands has released their first music video for a song that is not so much a request but a demand. With incendiary lyrics that can rip and tear their way into your brain, SickWalt has penned an anthem for all of the anti-sycophants out there.
Approached by the band to direct the video for “Say Something,” I was hesitant to tackle what could be a potentially pivotal movement where a band wants to share a song with a real message. This could be no run-of-the-mill supershiny glam music vid. In order to keep the band’s mantra intact, the gritty video intermingles footage of commercials from the 1950s and 60s with the band’s live performance in an effort to create an explosive in-your-face scream from the rafters hopefully powerful enough to pull people away from the unimportant day to day hustle. SickWalt wants us to look and listen to the world around us. SickWalt wants us to pay attention. These types of advertisements are the purest form of subliminal messaging: buy this, eat that, use this, don’t leave home without it. SickWalt’s song asks the question, what are we really trying to say and why isn’t anyone listening?
So much information traveling the world stems from the tiny-screened devices we hold in our hands, but how many people understand the true responsibility that posting our thoughts and ideas on the world wide web needs to hold? SickWalt asks us to “tilt our heads back and unleash to the heavens” which is a poetic spin on a call to action: if you are going to say something, no matter the medium, make it count, make it real, make an impact. Don’t take for granted that we are all beautifully interconnected now because of the access we have to each other through technology. Change can happen if we all start focusing on the pertinent issues at hand that can directly enhance mankind.
Punk rockers have always been mistaken for nihilistic anarchists who don’t care about the world. But the anger and passion infused within the music is simply a reaction to the injustices and deceit that punks have been exposed to within their respective environments. Punk rock is a way to release the frustration and scream as loud as possible that there needs to be a change. SickWalt is a band that wants these changes now. They aren’t willing to wait for it to become a popular movement that can trend on Facebook or Twitter. They are creating their own movement for the disenfranchised powered by truth and a humility that speaks volumes to the potential longevity of this band.
Catch SickWalt this Wednesday, July 1 at Bowery Electric.
Article: Hannah Soule
