Prism Tats Premieres New Video For "Mamba"
Today at Recommended Listen, Prism Tats shares the video for “Mamba,” the title track from the L.A.-based band’s latest album. Released by ANTI- last month, Mamba is the second full-length from singer/songwriter Garett van der Spek (the South Africa-bred artist behind Prism Tats).
At turns naturalistic and psychedelic, the “Mamba” video follows van der Spek from the plains of his homeland to the streets of L.A.
“On a recent trip home to South Africa, my wife and I decided to shoot a DIY video on our phones for ‘Mamba,’” says van der Spek. “I carried the mic, mic cable, and wardrobe around wherever we went, and would ask family and friends to stand by while I’d change into the outfit, get the mic out and shoot. When we got back to L.A., we shot for a day to complete the story, then gave all the footage over to a friend in Johannesburg who turned it into this video.”
Check out the video for “Mamba” here: http://recommendedlisten.com/post/172759000424/video-prism-tats-mamba-rl-premiere
Recorded with producer Chris Woodhouse (Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall), Mamba combines melody-driven psych-rock/post-punk with lyrics exploring self-inflicted isolation. With its sonic complexity and understated emotional depth, the album has a double meaning to its title. “It’s the name of a venomous snake, and in my hometown it’s a slang term for the biggest or meanest of something,” van der Spek points out.
Tonight, Prism Tats plays The Sunset Tavern in Seattle, with support from Wild Powwers. In early June, the band will head out on a U.S. tour with Chicago math-rock band Maps & Atlases.
PRISM TATS HEADLINE TOUR DATES:
4/9 The Sunset Tavern Seattle, WA
4/10 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
4/11 Golden Bear Sacramento, CA **Free show**
4/12 The Knockout San Francisco, CA
4/13 Moroccan Lounge Los Angeles, CA
TOUR DATES SUPPORTING MAPS & ATLASES:
6/8 Casbah San Diego, CA
6/9 Rebel Lounge Phoenix, AZ
6/10 Sister Bar Albuquerque, NM
6/12 Dada Dallas, TX
6/13 Scoot Inn Austin, TX
6/14 White Oak Upstairs Houston, TX
6/15 Parish @ House of Blues New Orleans, LA
6/16 Georgia Theatre Athens, GA
6/17 Cat’s Cradle – Back Room Carboro, NC
6/19 Rock & Roll Hotel Washington, DC
6/20 Music Hall of Williamsburg New York, NY
6/21 Sonia Boston, MA
6/22 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA
6/23 Cattivo Pittsburgh, PA
6/24 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
6/26 Rumba Columbus, OH
6/27 El Club Detroit, MI
6/28 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
Originally from Durban, South Africa, van der Spek relocated to the U.S. after years of playing in local bands and working on solo projects. In 2014 he founded Prism Tats, and in 2015 landed a deal with ANTI- after being discovered at SXSW.
Since his self-titled debut arrived in 2016, Prism Tats has landed support slots with indie-rock icons like Guided By Voices and Nada Surf. Last summer, he released the acclaimed five-song EP 11:11.