Abram Shook has been around Austin’s music scene for a while, but despite spending time with other bands—including Austin’s Shearwater and Athens, Georgia’s the Low Lows—he hasn’t released a proper solo album until now. But Shook’s preparing that album, Sun Marquee, for a mid-January release on Austin label Western Vinyl, and he’s introducing it to the world with—frankly—a creepy, somewhat haunting music video for the song “Coastal” that belies the laid-back, Laurel Canyon atmosphere of the track.
“The concept for the video had been in my head for a while. It’s my own twist on Pet Sematary, with maybe a touch of Lars and the Real Girl,” Shook explains. “I had definitely wanted to do something in stark contrast to the vibe of the song—but there are some darker themes in the lyrics, too.”
The video definitely captures the Pet Sematary-meets-Lars-and-the-Real-Girl vibe Shook aims for—with Shook’s bandmate Christopher Cox in a monster costume, for good measure. The dreaminess of the song combines with the surreality of the video to make something compelling, weird, and lovely—three tastes that go well together.
Abram Shook “Coastal” from Western Vinyl on Vimeo.
