Brick Nova Explores Authenticity and Biopic Film Styles With "In The Morning"

Philly alt-rockers Brick Nova teamed up with filmmaker Will Martinko on the release of their latest video, “In The Morning,” the first single off of their upcoming third album. This song is completely dynamic, rooted in deeply infectious power-pop melodies, driving bass grooves, and high tracking vocals. With a cinematic technique that pulls the viewer back into the feel of grunge concert documentaries, the “In The Morning” video focuses on showcasing a fuzzed-out version of the band at their most authentic selves.

Though he typically works within the horror and suspense genres, Martinko reangled his shooting style to that of a music biopic, with the intention of displaying the band’s already lively and personable qualities through 16mm film. Though shot on digital and reworked to feel vintage, Martinko expressed his love of 16mm because of the once-and-done permanence of it.

“That’s just a feeling I get when I watch 16mm knowing that the moment has been burned into the celluloid forever…a moment has been captured in time,” Martinko said. “That’s where we come full circle in capturing the event for Brick Nova. All of what you’re watching is the real guys in Brick Nova loving each other, the crowd and the music.”

Vocalist Tom Drakeford credits his inspiration to the lyrics behind “In The Morning” as emphasizing the recovery period behind a breakup and the ups and downs of regaining your confidence without the safety of another person to lean on.

The band collectively pulls from various sources regarding their instrumentation. You hear snippets of The Beatles, Violent Femmes, and Radiohead. If you listen to each instrument on its own, there’s a ton of intentional technical framework.

Bass player Jared Filer explained the slow-build within his parts, the implementation of spaced quarter and half notes that progressed into harmonics and a punchy and warm overdriven tone. Guitarist Paul Dallas experimented with a lead guitar section that plays off the vocals and fills in the gaps without feeling overwhelming. Drummer Eric Lesinski pulled directly from The Beatles' in the way they always keep their percussion relatively simple. Though there are a lot of influences to work with, it’s a cohesive and unique song that fits the part of feeling heavily nostalgic as well as something more mature from their previous full-length release, Overgrown.

You can watch the video for “In The Morning” below, and catch Brick Nova at The Grape Room’s Cat In The Wall Residency on February 27th.