Strange Americans are entering their tenth year together with a new music video for “Till You’re Told.” The video, directed by drummer Michael John McKee, explores the hope and longing that fuel the American Dream, a theme interwoven throughout the band’s recent album, Borrow You, Brother. In the video each band member carries an object on some upward climb. At times they’re alone, at times together. When they reach the summit they summon some magic or god or inner resource. What they encounter maybe isn’t what they wanted after all.
The last decade has seen Strange Americans release three full-length albums, perform over 250 concerts, and clock countless hours of writing, recording, and meditating on what it means to be creative professionals in Denver.
You can see Strange Americans live at Gothic Theatre in Englewood, CO on February 22 with Gasoline Lollipops and Foxfeather.
Till You’re Told music video was filmed by Gabriel Jacobson and edited by Leighton Peterson.
The band has developed a reputation for high-energy live performances and carefully crafted lyrics and arrangements. Brian Johnson from Marquee Magazine calls it “straightforward no-frills rock and roll heavy on songwriting and storytelling but presented with reverb-drenched punch and passion.” In their early years, the band performed under the pseudonym Flannel Destruction to hone new songs at open mics in some of Denver’s bygone venues like R Bar and Cheeky Monk. Matt Hoffman (lead vocals) fronted the band on electric piano. Unable to convey his excitement and energy from behind a piano, Matt quickly switched to rhythm guitar and tapped Murry Mercier to take over the keyboard. Flannel Destruction hasn’t appeared since 2012, but keep your ear to the ground for a reunion show at the Meadowlark.
Strange Americans also reflects on a decade’s worth of performing. Like the time they played a wedding and the bride’s father insisted on jamming Dead Flowers with the band but nearly fainted after over-exerting himself at the harmonica. Or when they drove 20 hours (in two vehicles) to play a festival to six people. On the way home Trevor Sinnard (bass) nearly picked up bedbugs from a cheap hotel sparking a joke they still laugh about today, “Hey, you wanna be in a band?” Or the time Trent Nelson (lead guitar) accidentally ate an entire casserole dish of dog food from the host’s fridge in the middle of the night. The most bizarre concert moment was when two people got down and dirty on the dance floor.