
Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy present new song "Resist the Urge"
27th April 2021
Today Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy present the single “Resist the Urge” off the forthcoming Superwolves album. The video was made by legendary skateboarder Kevin “Spanky” Long and photographer/skateboarder Atiba Jefferson, and features Spanky skating through a Bonny-Sweeneyscape in his inimitable style. "Spanky and Atiba's video rules. We try to make the listener feel insanely at home in a musical space. Atiba and Spanky have made us feel like we own a share of the skateable world," says Bonny (aka Will Oldham).
“Resist the Urge” was recorded at the Butcher Shoppe in Nashville by Sean Sullivan and David "Fergie" Ferguson. Sez Bonny: “We got David Ferguson out from behind the board to play double-bass on this one. It needed the lift that only a Ferg could deliver." It should be noted that Matt Sweeney, Atiba Jefferson and David Ferguson share a birthday, making this visual/musical event astrologically undeniable.
“I always wanted to see a full video part with just one skater, and once I got asked to work on a video for this record, I knew that Kevin ‘Spanky’ Long was perfect - his way of cutting out, resizing, moving and manipulating photos and videos is amazing, but also he is an amazing pro skater. I asked a lot of Spanky: I wanted him to star, direct, edit, film and do all of the artwork! It was a tall ask but I know his love for Matt and Will would shine thru. This video was made in the pandemic so it was just me and him going out and shooting together. We shot around LA for 14 days over 4 months. It was great to work so closely with Spanky’s vision but still have him in front of the camera. This collaboration of directing together was great because we are 2 different generations of skateboarders, but both coming from the pro skater's perspective.” - Atiba Jefferson
“This was just a great excuse to make a skate video with a best friend for my favorite band. I ran the high def footage and super8 film into my iPhone where I painstakingly cut frame-by-frame, with relatively low-fi digital tools, to execute the stop-motion animation and digital collage elements. It was, in the end, the only way to achieve this look we were after. And we weaved in the layers of sea and sky to meet the big themes in ‘Resist the Urge.’ COVID restrictions made things tricky to get Matt and Will in there, but we revel in limitations.” - Kevin “Spanky” Long
“Resist The Urge” leads into Friday’s release of Sweeney and Bonnie’s long-awaited album, Superwolves (physical release is June 18th). Spanky and Atiba’s video continues the SUPERWOLVES process of Sweeney and Bonnie working with visual artists they know and love - the album’s previous three videos were directed by Geoff McFetridge, Jonah Freeman + Justin Lowe, and Sai Selvarajan, respectively. The Superwolves album cover image is by their close friend Harmony Korine. Inside the album artwork package, Scottish painter Peter Doig contributes a Superwolves-inspired painting. Sweeney described the Doig painting to writer Chris Heath in the recent extensive GQ US profile: “I was really, really incredibly moved by what Peter did. It's more somebody reaching for something through music - reaching, and maybe getting whatever it is that they're looking for.”
Rough Trade will also be hosting a live Q&A with Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy on 21st June. For more info and tickets, head here.
If you pre-order any Superwolves format from Domino Mart, you will be entered into a prize draw to gain access to a collective listening experience with the Superwolves themselves on 18th July.
Matt Sweeney and Bonnie "Prince" Billy Superwolves
Album | 16th July 2021
Where once was Superwolf, now roam Superwolves, the new album and demon spawn of Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, out digitally April 30th and available physically on June 18th. The twin forces united to save up from the complicity of our own distruction. Cover art was designed by filmaker Harmonie Korine, with an insert featuring a brand new portrait from world renowned artist Peter Doig
Where once was Superwolf, now roam Superwolves, the new album and demon spawn of Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, out digitally April 30th and available physically on June 18th. The twin forces united to save up from the complicity of our own distruction. Cover art was designed by filmaker Harmonie Korine, with an insert featuring a brand new portrait from world renowned artist Peter Doig