The video for "Bad Timing," the debut single from Ex Reyes, a psych-soul project by Brooklyn-based musician Mikey Freedom Hart, was shot in New Orleans right in the midst of Mardi Gras earlier this year. Beads and beer were involved — although "Bad Timing" goes deeper than the surface revelries.
Born in Louisiana, Hart views New Orleans as being a city particularly plagued by bad timing. As he put it in a note to The FADER, "When somebody dies, we have a party. When we have a party, somebody dies." Accordingly, in the video, the parade leads to an empty field where there is more fêting — but of the destructive sort.
As he explained it:
I wanted to play with representing that detachment in the midst of the celebration. I wanted to create an otherworldly sensation and have a victory that shows pride in being a freak. I wanted to show the brilliance of the New Orleans subcultures that are so inspiring, in the most immediate way possible, so convinced myself that making this video in the middle of hectic Mardi Gras was really exciting.If you’ve been in NOLA during Carnival, you know that going in the thick of the celebration doesn’t exactly correspond with keeping your wits about you and getting work done.
As long as I was building the world of the video, I wanted to show a victory over some of the things that I think hold us back, namely: guns, lawless police, and lack of acceptance. I also just wanted to dance with the Edna Karr mascot and blow up a car with some queen friends.
"Bad Timing" the first track off Ex Reyes' forthcoming debut LP, Punch Talk. Before that arrives, Ex Reyes first live show on May 26 at Union Pool with Sinkane and a host of other musical friends.