Nation of Language share new single ‘Too Much, Enough’ from their forthcoming album Strange Disciple set for release on 15 September via [PIAS]. The Brooklyn band take aim at the angering, addictive and anxiety-inducing TV news cycles that have so many hooked. The accompanying video is a perfect demonstration of just how inane the continuous TV news coverage is, with its attempts to suck in viewers and not let go. The video is directed by Robert Kolodny and stars Emmy-nominated actor Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia). However there is also an array of supporting cast members including fellow musicians Reggie Watts, Kevin Morby, Tomberlin, Moldy Peaches’ Adam Green, and LVL UP’s Greg Rutkin, as well as close friends, familiar faces and even the hooded Strange Disciple itself. The video satirises the outrageous TV broadcasts that inspired the song, turning the hysteria and fear-mongering into a hilarious embrace of absurdity. The track itself is attempting to pull back from the nonsense and negativity of this endless coverage with the repetition of “too much, enough” but of course its fighting a losing battle. The exaggerated portrayal of the newsreaders and reporters as emotionless individuals alongside the sensational headlines simply further demonstrates just how ridiculous and damaging this coverage is. The faceless viewer just sits motionless in front of the television absorbing all the repeated newsfeeds.
“’Too Much, Enough’ is a song born out of an exhaustion with the 24 hour news cycle and the outrage bait it uses to get everyone permanently wound up. It seems the only way to find an edge in the media business is to appeal to our most base instincts of disgust (see: the high ratings of Fox News, etc.), and we end up suffering both individually and collectively for it.
When it came to creating a visual to go alongside the song, we didn’t want the music video to be its own form of outrage bait so we went with a more absurdist approach, gathering some friends of ours, and of our incredible director Robert Kolodny, to make something fun and outlandish to that effect. We also laced the video with as many NOL-related Easter eggs and iconography as possible to give anyone watching an opportunity to play along at home and be a part of that absurdity. It felt good to try to name a problem for ourselves without leaning on fear and rage.
It’s a powerful thing to deny someone the ability to manipulate your most destructive emotions, and that’s something we want to celebrate here.
The overarching theme of Strange Disciple is infatuation and how one’s reality can be warped by it. We went a more romantic route with that on the previous video, but News is one of those less interpersonal activities it feels like everyone takes part in, so we wanted to show our disciple is just as susceptible to it as any other figure.”
– Nation of Language (Ian Devaney, Aidan Noell, Alex MacKay)
For more information on Nation of Language please check out their facebook and website.
Nation of Language Tour Dates 2023
3/8 – Haldern, DE – Haldern Pop
4/8 – Diepholz, DE – Appletree Garden
5/8 – Katowice, PL – OFF Festival
11/8 – San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands
12/8 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall^
13/8 – Seattle, WA – Day In Day Out
14/8 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre^
7/9 – Baltimore, MD – WTMD’s First Thursday Festival
15/9 – Berlin, DE – Astra (UPGRADED)
16/9 – Hamburg, DE – Uebel & Gefährlich
17/9 – Malmo, SE – Plan B
18/9 – Copenhagen, DK – Pumpehuset
20/9 – Kӧln, DE – Gebäude9
21/9 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
22/9 – Brussels, BE – Orangerie
23/9 – Paris, FR – Trabendo
25/9 – Tourcoing, FR – Le Grand Mix
27/9 – London, UK – HEAVEN
28/9 – Brighton, UK – Concorde 2
29/9 – Bristol, UK – Marble Factory
30/9 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
4/10 – Manchester, UK – New Century
5/10 – Leeds, UK – Stylus
6/10 – Sheffield, UK – Foundry
7/10 – Newcastle, UK – Boiler Shop
13/10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Small’s Theatre#
14/10 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop#
15/10 – Chicago, IL – Metro#
16/10 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon#
18/10 – Milwaukee, WI – Back Room @ Colectivo#
19/10 – St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Hall#
20/10 – Kansas City, MO – RecordBar#
22/10 – Denver, CO – Gothic#
23/10 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge#
25/10 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent#
26/10 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent#
29/10 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy#
29/10 – San Diego, CA – Belly Up Tavern#
30/10 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom#
2/11 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn#
3/11 – Fort Worth, TX – Tulips FTX#
4/11 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall – Upstairs#
7/11 – Nashville, TN – Basement East#
8/11 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle#
9/11 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle#
10/11 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer#
11/11 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis#
30/11 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair#
1/12 – Montreal, QC – Studio TD#
2/12 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix#
^w/ Curling
# w/ Miss Grit
