Office Dog – Gleam: 13th Floor New Song Of The Day

Today, Tāmaki Makaurau-based band Office Dog share their new single ‘Gleam’, the latest unveiling from their highly anticipated debut album Spiel, presented alongside a music video directed and edited by Sophie Black and shot by Pepe de Hoyos.

Here’s the blurb:

‘Gleam’ provides yet another glimpse into their new project, pivoting sonically into turbulent air, smearing crashing distortion across each component and immersing listeners in its intense structure that oscillates between chaos and harmony. Despite its sonic intensity, lyrically ‘Gleam’ offers a beam of light in the storm cloud of Spiel.

“Throughout Spiel’s lyrics, there are a lot of metaphors that have to do with light and dark spaces, probably because it’s essentially a record about change and time”, vocalist and guitarist Kane Strang muses about the song. “I love ‘Gleam’ because it’s one of the more hopeful tracks, with the “gleam in the grime” for me representing something/someone that is a positive force and worth chasing down or holding on to.”

Enhancing the release, a foreboding music video, skillfully helmed by director Sophie Black, unfolds. Captured by Pepe de Hoyos under the shroud of night, the visual narrative unveils a pursuit of relentless determination, as two hunters track their luminous quarry. This cinematic creation masterfully encapsulates the profound interplay of light and shadow, a recurring motif echoing throughout the entire project, yet finding its pinnacle of expression within this very track.

“Time was not exactly on our side while making this video but Soph and Pepe have been absolute lifesavers, turning a dumb idea I had into something which I think looks pretty beautiful.” Strang comments about the making video. “The glitter suit scenes were all filmed at Duder on an extremely cold but calm night. I guess these are the parts that relate to the lyrics – Rass and Mitch are trying to hunt down the gleam.”

‘Gleam’ follows Office Dog’s single ‘Hand in Hand’ (which was released in July 2023 along with the announcement of their album) which garnered instant airplay and charting success across the beloved Student Radio Network, shooting to #1 on both the Radioscope Alternative Charts and the SRN Top 10, as well as receiving support from the likes of Undertheradar, Coup De Main and more.

Office Dog formed at the end of 2021. Amidst a busy solo career, Kane Strang sought a new musical outlet, this time desiring a more collaborative approach. Strang reached out to drummer Mitchell Innes, who played in his live band on his 2021 tour, as well as in the live bands of Violet Hirst, Vanessa Worm and Juno Is, to embark on the new project together. Innes had just moved to Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, and the two of them had their first jam at the back of a barbershop in Parnell. Rassani Tolovaa (Fazed On A Pony, Juno Is), who played in Kane’s band from 2015-2018, was still residing in Ōtepoti, but with some gentle convincing, joined the others up north. Moving between Mitchell’s shed in Ponsonby, Rassani and Kane’s place in Manurewa and the basement of a church across from the Powerstation, the trio began writing together. Over the next year, fragments began assembling into songs, ultimately culminating in the creation of Office Dog’s debut album, Spiel.

Prior to the band’s current composition, guitarist and vocalist Kane Strang found himself constantly shifting between Auckland and Dunedin due to a series of significant personal events. These emotional upheavals pivoted the original direction of the musical project, Office Dog, transforming it from a lighthearted endeavour into something deeper. For Kane, Office Dog became somewhat of “a ladder out of a pretty rough spot”. The long car journeys between cities became a blank page for the songs’ lyrical content, which journal the interplay between light and darkness and reflect his emotional passage.

PRE-SAVE / PRE-ORDER SPIEL HERE

“Sorry for the spiel” — Office Dog’s debut album serves an introspective on profound experiences, turmoil and hopeful prospect, inviting you to unveil these themes layer by layer through the trio’s musical catharsis. The album is out September 15 2023 on CD, black vinyl LP, limited clear vinyl LP and across all digital streaming platforms via Flying Nun Records.

OFFICE DOG ONLINE

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