“Tongues,” the union between Rochester indie-dance outfits Joywave and KOPPS, just got an oddball, 16mm film-shot visual treatment from director duo The Daniels. If you’re familiar with their recent work, the clip for DJ Snake and Lil’ Jon’s over-the-top “Turn Down For What,” then you know you’re in for atypical fare.
The “Tongues” video is slightly NSFW, although the only uncensored body parts are bare behinds, featuring a clan of naked revelers running through the woods. But the point was not to make an overdone care-free romp. “The video is kind of a satire on the past five years of videos for ‘indie pop summer smashes’,” says Joywave. “You know the videos where a bunch of suburban kids put facepaint and feathers on and run around in nature acting free-spirited for the afternoon. It’s poking fun at this cliched concept, and in a really, really absurd way.”
What sets it apart? The Deliverance-styled (though totally harmless) hunters who have no tolerance for nudity and go after the au naturale partiers with rifles that shoot clothes. Naturally, there’s a love connection between two members of the opposing groups which results in even more absurd imagery. “We wanted to take the trend of putting ‘naked chicks’ in the music videos then turn that into the silliest, most unexpected thing possible,” says The Daniels. “The idea made us and the band laugh… We hope other people laugh, too.” “Tongues” is featured on Joywave’s How Do You Feel? EP out now via CultCo Music. Watch the video above.
