post-punk band , Protomartyr , is releasing a new album, Ultimate Success Today , on May 29th. Before that, the band is releasing some singles , including the music video for the track "Processed by the Boys," which caught the attention of Brazil for referencing an eccentric meme from the capital of Amazonas.
In early April, Wikimetal spoke with Joe Casey , vocalist of Protomartyr, about the new album, the Brazilian inspiration for the new video, and the reality of quarantine. Check it out below!
Wikimetal: First of all, thank you for speaking with us at Wikimetal, and I wanted to know how you are?
Joe Casey: I'm great!
WM: Protomartyr's next and fifth album, Ultimate Success Today , will be released on May 29th. How was the recording process for this album?
JC: Well, our recording process was a little different from the other albums because I was very ill, so my worldview, let's say, changed because of the illness, which was reflected quite a bit in the new album. And I thought a lot about the beginning of the band, the first albums, and about the feeling I had at that time, a feeling of urgency, but reflecting it in the present, because that's all that matters, really.
WM: Protomartyr's album covers are always amazing, how was the cover for the new album chosen?
JC: Well… I was studying and discovering a bit about mules, they're incredible animals. And, I don't know, I just knew I wanted a mule to be the cover of the new album! (Laughs)
WM: And speaking of the track “Processed by the Boys,” how did you discover the Brazilian video that served as inspiration for the music video? And why was it the perfect match for the track?
JC: I was watching those compilations of funny videos on the internet, you know? (laughs) And then I came across this scene of a guy hitting a puppet, and I found it fascinating! (laughs) The video is so chaotic, there's so much happening, the presenter is incredible, the audience, everything. It contrasts very well with our songs, which are quite depressing. I wanted to go to Brazil and maybe do a show with someone from the original video on stage with us!
WM: Wow… I think you guys owe us this! That would be amazing, I think people would love it.
JC: Yeah, it would be awesome! (laughs) And I especially want to go to Manaus, where everything happens.
WM: On your last album, Relatives in Descent , even amidst songs that are typically Protomartyr—that is, sad, melancholic, and all that—a very common theme was finding hope in the darkness… How are you finding hope in the darkness?
JC: Well… (laughs), I think when journalists come to ask us that, they expect us to give some positive, inspiring answer for the reader… but I'm living one day at a time, reading a lot, listening to a lot of music.
WM: Speaking of music, what have you been listening to during this quarantine?
JC: Quite a lot, but mostly a singer who's from Detroit, just like us [Protomartyr], her name is Shells , spelled "Shel-ls". She has a kind of jazzy, slightly upbeat sound that makes me feel good, she's very talented.
