Dan Mangan – Race to the Bottom (Official Music Video)
Photo by K.NE
(Photo by Norman Wong; courtesy of Killbeat Music)
Since releasing his latest Unmake EP as a surprise back in June, Vancouver songwriter Dan Mangan has played a handful of tour dates, and now has shared the latest music video for the lead single “Race to the Bottom”.
Backed by the pounding percussion from Wintersleep drummer Loel Campbell, “Race to the Bottom” is a powerful, captivating song that brings out both Mangan’s illustrious songwriting and pensive lyricism. He explains:
“‘Race To The Bottom’ is a song in which various types of people have a slice of the story, but nobody has the whole story. It’s about us grasping for a better or simpler time, but it never existed. Either we’re bummed that we missed out on it, or we’re anxious that we’ll miss the moment when it does come. I’ve always been fascinated by nostalgia. I think it’s dangerous. Putting a halo on the past takes you out of the present, and it’s just not realistic. It’s fantasy.”
As for the video, director Christopher Smith said, “I wanted to make a video that functioned with a sort of ambiguity – one where the story or plot plays second to sentiment. I thought I’d let Dan’s song do the talking.”
Watch the dramatic music video below, and head to Dan Mangan’s website to get your copy of Unmake. Catch him on tour this September (dates below).
Tour dates:
Aug 13 – Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON @ Jackson Triggs
Aug 18 – Meaford, ON @ Meaford Hall Arts And Cultural Centre
Nov 7 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall ^
Nov 9 – Washington DC @ DC9 ^
Nov 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
Nov 11 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club ^
^ James Vincent McMorrow
