Newly signed to Pelagic Records, the label run by the Ocean's Robin Staps, SOM feature current and former members of Constants, Junius and Caspian, and specialize in a gauzy, feedback-soaked sound they describe as "heavy dream pop." It's not far flung from the output of high-volume shoegazers such as Deftones or Hum. The group's latest offering is Awake, a new EP of originals and remixes that's due out in March and available for pre-order now. Ahead of the big drop, SOM have teamed with Revolver to premiere standout cut "Youth // Decay," five minutes of glimmering melancholy, along with its cinematic music video. Watch and listen above.
Vocalist-guitarist Will Benoit tells us, "Before the first SOM record was done, Mike [Repasch-Nieves, guitar] and I were both feeling creatively and musically adrift. We got together for a couple days, recording ambient guitar and synths over glitchy beats in an attempt to change things up. Two years later when Mike and Joel joined the band, I edited some of Mike's demo parts from that session to form the main melodies in 'Youth // Decay.' I arranged the chords and vocals, and brought it to the group. During quarantine, we all passed the demo back and forth. Slowly, this minimal, sparse piece of music grew into a dynamic, crushing song that is also the first track we finished as a five-piece."
Repasch-Nieves adds of the visual, "Similarly, the video started as a short film that my friend and long-time colleague, director Adam Patch, had been working on. As soon as we finished the song, I knew it would be perfect for this, lyrically and thematically. We shared the song and footage with editor Samia Zaidi, who also directed our recent video for 'Awake // Sedate.' She took it and really brought everything into focus. It was quite serendipitous how it all came together in this way."