After proving they were a force to be reckoned with following the release of their late 2017 EP, Hexadecimal, indie rock outfit Filmspeed continues their mission to capture the attention of the OC music scene.
The trio, which moved to the OC from Detroit several years ago, is premiering the lyric video for a new song, “Bless My Soul.” Also included in the double-sided single is a B-side titled “Shakey Love.”
“[‘Bless My Soul’] is inspired by the chemical reactions of two consenting adults who get lost in the moment,” says vocalist Craig Broomba. “There’s no drink or drug on earth as intoxicating as a romp in the hay. We hope the song leads you to make love instead of war.”
The song is also the band’s first shot at using the criminally underused sound of the cowbell in one of its tunes.
The lyrics video pays homage to the group’s new digs in Southern California and life on the road. Most of the shots were taken on a Downtown Los Angeles rooftop near Santee Alley, while others were shot in various venues while the band was on the road with fellow OC band Glass Radio.
A full music video is set for release in February, Broomba says.
Since the Weekly last checked up on Filmspeed in late 2017, the band has played a number of SoCal gigs, graced a few publication covers, played four-hour sets and toured the road. Indeed, it seems Filmspeed is a noteworthy example of the kickass music OC has to offer.
“Since our first tour went over so well, we can squash any worries of this band getting broken by the demands of touring,” Broomba says. “Simply put, we’re bigger, stronger and ready to take over.”
He adds that because of the level of musicianship in the OC, it’s “impossible not to step up your game and make sure they remember you.” The ability to reach a large audience in Detroit can be even harder than and “as tough as the weather,” he notes.
Broomba says Filmspeed continues to be inspired by the OC’s growing and talented music scene.
“Orange County has its own brand of rock,” he says. “It’s as flashy as it is sophisticated and as scholarly as it is raw. We have spent many evenings enjoying a drink or two and watching these acts turn any given weeknight into a riot. The artists here keep climbing the grueling ladder of show biz but making sure we do it with our pearly whites showing.”
The band has embarked on its “Consistently Off” tour, which spans California, Oregon, Washington and British Colombia before ending in the OC at Chain Reaction in Anaheim on Jan. 26. The culminating date, co-headlined by The Pink Spiders, will include support by Devil Season, Bristol to Memory, Beachwood Coyotes and Odd Robot. The event will also include local brews and food trucks.
Broomba says next month, Filmspeed plans to record at a “number of different studios.”
“There’s a big batch of new songs that we gotta get out of our heads,” he said. “Working with at least three different teams on it gives us a wide range of our sound and highlights different vibes that make up who we are.”
Filmspeed plays Chain Reaction on Jan. 26. Tickets cost $10. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the venue’s website.
By day, Brittany covers hard-hitting city news in San Diego. By night, she’s prowling the Orange County music scene, and is usually a regular attendee of local ska and punk shows. Reporting and music have always been Brittany’s passions. She wrote for her middle school and high school newspapers and studied journalism at Cal State Long Beach, where she graduated in 2012. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her French Bulldog, watching probably too many Disney movies for someone her age and napping.