Savage Mansion – Elwood (Video Premiere)

Glasgow-based Savage Mansion, led by Craig Angus, are set to release their debut album Revision Ballads on 15 February via Eigg-based label Lost Map Records. Having already released a double A-side PostMap single last year (Do You Say Hello To Your Neighbours? / Honeymoon), followed by their Document EP earlier this year via limited edition Lost Cat cassette, our appetite has been well and truly whetted for a full-length release.

The first single to be taken from Revision Ballads is the super laid-back earworm Elwood, a slacker-pop dream of a song; if you’re a fan of Pavement then this one’s for you. The Skinny are delighted to be premiering its video, which sees Angus swaggering about his day, casually singing while being comically taunted throughout: a toy pram, a football and a box of bees all make an appearance. Watch the video for Elwood in the YouTube player above (click here if it's not displaying properly).

"This is the oldest Savage Mansion song, about the people who scared you shitless when you were younger," Angus tells us. "Not a 'look at me now!' proclamation, as I have made the decision to struggle (partly a decision, partly consequence – but I’m cool with it), more just a reflection on those people and a meditation on power.

"I wrote it when I was back living in my hometown and was working in local news; it finished itself in a few minutes and was pretty much the impetus for me starting a new project. I was listening to a load of The Velvet Underground’s Loaded at the time, and Jeffrey Lewis – who is a brilliant storyteller.

"The video was made by James and Alice from the Artsy Vice Show, their excellent brainchild, and we had a lot of fun making it. We asked Toby Dubber – brother of Jamie, who plays bass [in Savage Mansion] – to do the role of intimidator, because he’s a really physically imposing, big strong guy, but is a total sweetheart. And a great actor."

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Elwood will be released on 23 Nov as a PostMap Postcard Single; Revision Ballads is released on 15 Feb via Lost Map Records
Savage Mansion play Underachievers Club at The Glad Cafe as part of Celtic Connections, Glasgow, 19 Jan

facebook.com/savagemansionband