Astroturf is the first single from our new album, so it feels like a time to celebrate new ideas and avenues. Some of my all-time favourite songs are those from the college-rock era. The song embodies the punk-derived sonic textures that we love, but I wanted to pay homage to the early college/indie rock era and the free-floating guitar parts that are a staple of those genres. Bands such as Pixies and The Replacements are masters in making a melancholic song whilst still being upbeat. I really like that combination.
The song focuses on the subject matter of feeling like an outsider and that internal pressure of how you project yourself. I wanted to explore lyrics that conveyed those feelings and even though Hot Mass isn’t really a band of rebellion, to me, the song feels like a mini-protest in staying true and celebrating who you are.
We also wanted to convey the same subject matter in the music video for Astroturf. It focuses on characters from the lyrics in scenarios that bubble over when being put under the microscope. It’s a little tongue in cheek but hopefully it gets the message across of resisting the temptation we sometimes have to document a life that isn’t necessarily real. To me, it’s a battle between melancholy and positivity.
