Alt-Rock Rising Act cleopatrick Share New Track & 8Bit Game “FAMILY VAN”
From the outskirts of Toronto’s surrounding area comes cleopatrick, the Canadian heavy alt-rock duo made up of Luke Gruntz (guitar/vocals) and Ian Fraser (drums). The pair have been picking up traction over the last year due to their crushing and unapologetic style of heavy alternative in line with Royal Blood, The Dirty Nil, and The White Stripes. Set to release their debut album BUMMER on June 4th, the duo have made the announcement alongside the release of their new single “FAMILY VAN” and its accompanying 8-bit video game.
Their status as the underdog – be it dealing with high school bullies on “THE DRAKE” or song stealing on “FAMILY VAN” – is part of the reason why their music packs such a strong punch.
Gruntz shares, “I wrote FAMILY VAN after a band ripped one of our songs off. I’m not really going to dive into that whole story because we are very much over that shit — but they were bigger than us and we felt powerless. FAMILY VAN was born out of frustration. It’s an exercise in anger, and a conscious acknowledgement of the humble beginnings, independence, and DIY mentality that makes our band what we are.”
He continues, “We’ve spent the last 4 years touring the world in Ian’s beat up high-school minivan, with a janky trailer strapped to the back, some childhood sleeping bags, and a handful of songs we wrote in my basement. This “family van” has been a vessel for our art, a symbol of our honesty, and a nod to all the young guitar bands that are trying to do something real. There’s always going to be phonies out there. There’s always going to be imposters, and fakers, and old dudes with bad intentions, but if you stay real — I promise it’s just a matter of time before they end up unmasked and unknown, somewhere in your rear-view mirror.”
cleopatrick, who have become known by their dedicated fanbase for finding innovative out-of-the-box ways to connect with their audience, have launched an accompanying video game to create excitement around the release of “FAMILY VAN”. Complete with an 8-bit soundtrack composed entirely by the band themselves, the video game sees cleopatrick wake up in their hometown of Coburg, Ontario, late for a headline show in Toronto.
About the game Gruntz explains “Growing up, Ian and I were always playing video games. I have countless memories of our childhood sleepovers spent drinking root beer, listening to music, and shredding through some newly rented title from the local Blockbuster. We loved these shared digital adventures, always grinding through “one more level” – until we realized our eyes were red and the sun was coming up. Those were some of the best nights.” Gruntz continues, “After this whack-ass last year, we felt like both ourselves, and our friends could really use a little piece of that juvenile escapism we enjoyed so often in our youth. And so, we made ‘FAMILY VAN: THE GAME’. It’s an 8-bit adventure for all ages and it’s a dose of much needed escapism. It’s a nod to those innocent childhood nights, a vehicle for our new single, and most of all; it’s just dope as f**k.”
Watch the “powerpoint presentation” for “FAMILY VAN” below, and check out the game here.
Pre-orders for BUMMER are available now.
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