North Carolina heavy rock collective SHUN is pleased to unveil their new video for “Sleepwalking.” Now playing at New Noise Magazine, the track comes off the band’s eponymous debut, released earlier this month via Small Stone Records.
Comments guitarist/vocalist Matt Whitehead of clip, “We shot the video for ‘Sleepwalking’ in Greenville, South Caroline inside a warehouse where a friend works. It was directed, shot, and edited by Jim Harris after-hours under the various lights we borrowed from people. Jim managed to capture the lyrical themes and overall vibe of the song in a fast-paced performance-based video and was able to produce exactly what we wanted.
“The original intent was to mime the performance while the track blasts over the PA like most other bands work. We tried that but didn’t even get halfway through one take before Jeff [Baucom] stopped and suggested that we play full volume which ended up being way more fun. The DIY approach with the guerilla-style shoot in a friend’s warehouse, borrowed lights, and a close friend making it all work on camera just seemed to fit with the way we recorded the entire album under quarantine.”
Shun, which features cover art by Alexander Von Wieding (Monster Magnet, Trouble, Karma To Burn) as well as guest appearances by Mark Morton (Lamb Of God) and J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Government Issue) is out now on CD and digital formats via Small Stone with Kozmik Artifactz handling a limited vinyl edition. Find ordering options at THIS LOCATION. Fans of HUM, Lo-Pan, Throttlerod, Failure, Tool, Shine, and the like, pay heed.
In related news, SHUN has returned to the live circuit with a trio of South Carolina dates with more to be announced in the weeks to come.
SHUN:
6/26/2021 Ground Zero – Spartanburg, SC
7/24/2021 Art Bar – Columbia, SC
8/28/2021 Tin Roof – Charleston, SC
A name inspired by a Bruce Lee quote: “Adapt what is useful, reject [shun] what is useless, and add what is specifically your own,” SHUN is guitarist/vocalist Matt Whitehead, guitarist/backing vocalist Scott Brandon, bassist Jeff Baucom, and drummer Rob Elzey. Astute Small Stone loyalists will recognize Whitehead from his work in Throttlerod. He’s not alone in pedigree. Brandon has spent most of his life as a working musician, producer, and DJ in Detroit, and Ann Arbor, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. Baucom, a veteran musician in his own right, played with Whitehead briefly in a band called Made Of Machines and has been a part of the regional music scene for some time while Elzey has toured the world as a tech for the likes of Hatebreed and Unearth, among many others.
SHUN manifests a distinct identity throughout their eponymous LP, incorporating everything from melodic noise rock and heavy riffs to atmospheric largesse and contemplative, patient construction. Developed in covid-isolation over a period of several months, it’s to the band’s credit that Shun exists at all, let alone that it is neither disjointed nor wanting for urgency. A forceful and intermittently aggressive offering, it balances mood and intensity of expression throughout its duration. The drums and bass comprising Shun were recorded in Elzey’s garage while Brandon’s guitars were captured in his basement studio. Whitehead’s guitars were recorded with amps tucked into his bedroom closet and vocals were also tracked in his house. A guest spot from Lamb Of God’s Mark Morton on the penultimate “Heese” required no studio stop-by. In the end, nine tracks were turned over to esteemed producer J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Recording Studio (Clutch, The Sword, Coliseum) for mixing and Dan Coutant at Sun Room Audio for mastering.
“SHUN’s debut and self-titled album is a record that has sent me running back to those often-overlooked stoner albums in my frankly out of control collection. It has reminded me how effective this genre can be, how it’s the perfect soundtrack for the beginning of summer and the return of many other things that we know, love, and have missed.” – The Sleeping Shaman
“…if the Foo Fighters had have avoided a life of Hollywood openings and celebrity girlfriends, concentrating instead on year after year on the road with COC, Clutch, and Cave In, they’d sound something like Shun. And as I’m sure you’ll agree, that’s a mighty fine something to sound like.” – Sentinel Daily
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