Christchurch husband-and-wife duo Terrible Sons share a beautifully sombre video for new single ‘What a Friend‘ off their new EP Mass, out February 12th.
‘What a Friend’ follows and paints a deep welling sadness, but then, like a lot of what Terrible Sons does, it comes up for air transforming into something else —a signal to keep the faith, even in life’s darker moments. The band’s Matt Barus says, “It’s about failing your friend when they need help,” but notes that, “with our music we always want to lean into something of hope.”
The accompanying video for ‘What a Friend’ was directed/edited by band friend Dan Watson and shot in Waitata, Little Port Cooper, where the only remaining building is an old schoolhouse from the 1880’s. The remote area is a two hour walk from Te Pohue, Camp Bay, which is opposite Lyttelton harbour. The band says the idea for the video was “inspired by its air of abandonment and isolation, we wanted to hint at the bridge between connection and disconnection.”
Terrible Sons is the moniker for husband/wife duo Matthew Barus (Dukes) and Lauren Barus (Fly My Pretties), who work and live with their two children in an intentional community near Christchurch. While the music they’ve made in the past has reflected the intimate and bucolic warmth that wraps around their family, Terrible Sons has never shied away from revealing the more vulnerable feelings that define us all: heartbreak, loneliness, exhaustion.
It’s clear from the start that an evolution has taken place with their new EP Mass. From taking cues from folk tradition by singing their own version of a protest song to involving each other in their writing processes early on, Mass establishes a stronger connection between Terrible Sons and the world at large, while also signifying a more cohesive sound thanks to their more connected writing partnership. Producer Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins) took the organic, analog, and acoustic sounds Terrible Sons are known for, and warped them to a perfect degree of idiosyncrasy — harmonies were played in reverse and stacked, brass and organ made appearances, and layers of percussion were added for a louder, more dynamic rhythmic texture.
Mass was made in true collaborative spirit, between friends and family, and it comes at a time when collectivity has never been more relevant. At its core, Mass is about resilience, about making your voice heard, even if it seems the world isn’t listening.
Stay tuned for Mass, out February 12th.
