PAPA, the project of LA singer/drummer Darren Weiss, put out their latest album this past Friday. Dig Yourself or Dig a Hole is a collection of 11 songs that will wow you from start to finish, and we’re stoked to have a chance at unveiling the music video for our favorite track from the record: “Simple Life.” Combining a post-punk snarl with Springsteen-style, anthemic instrumentation and bravado, PAPA are tapping into some of the most unique and beautiful and ambitious work going on right now. But the goodness doesn’t stop at “Simple Life.” Tracks like “I Give Up, I Give In” and “Worth Its Weight” are just as flashy and mesmerizing. PAPA are a band who should be on your radar immediately, if they aren’t already.
Weiss says of the song and Dig Yourself or Dig a Hole: “We started out with a narrative video about two lovers sharing a physical space but living two different worlds. As we began to edit the footage, we saw that Claire so completely embodied the feeling of the song, that we wanted to let her movement tell the story. The way Claire moves through feelings of frustration and looks at times as though she’s actually trying to burst out of her body felt so connected to lyrics, and helped embolden those words, written for those of us who feel living a ‘simple life’ to be more than a little constricting. In the end, instead of two lovers living together but apart at heart, it became more of an illustration of what it’s like to be at odds with yourself. That’s common theme on the album—constantly looking for a way to either carve out a space for yourself, or dig yourself so you don’t end up spending your life preparing for your creative and/or mortal end.”
Watch the Madeleine Woolner and Ethan Dawes-directed video for “Simple Life” below.