Painter Faris McReynolds turns from fine art to music with One Finger Riot project.
“Work/Drink/Sleep” is sunny debut single/video on album about Los Angeles loneliness.
“Work/Drink/Sleep” is the first single and video from Come Drag Me Down by One Finger Riot
[YOUTUBE]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAtvTymYok4
Faris McReynolds is the man behind One Finger Riot, a name cleverly explained by the artist as “Pushing buttons with one finger to arrive at something musical.” The video for the band’s debut single “Work/Drink/Sleep” is available for viewing now.
Unlike so many musicians that become painters, the Los Angeles-based McReynolds found success as a fine artist first. Showing his work in galleries before he was even out of art school, McReynolds admits that “The success of painting actually isolated me from creativity.”
So, McReynolds took a leap of faith, leaving the gallery that had been showing and successfully selling his work. Now, One Finger Riot is finalizing the release of its debut album Come Drag Me Down. Musically, McReynolds says that he was listening to a lot of Dr. Dre and Brian Eno during the making of the album. Lyrically, he explains that Come Drag Me Down is about “the desolation and loneliness of Los Angeles at 3AM.”
The album’s first single “Work/Drink/Sleep” is likely the album’s sunniest moment and the video for the track reflects that. Directed by McReynolds, he says that “I didn’t want to star in the video, so I only appear to put the story into action.” McReynolds can be seen at the beginning of the clip, writing life’s anxieties on balloons.
The video also features artist Ashley Macomber who recently collaborated on a book of her paintings with Bonnie “Prince” Billy. One Finger Riot’s debut album Come Drag Me Down will be released on January 17th, 2012 via Post Planetary Records.