Tanlines, the duo of Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen, are releasing their first album in nearly a decade, The Big Mess, on May 19 via Merge. Today, they shared the title track with a very, well, messy video directed by Emm. The visual was inspired by his six-year-old who splatter-painted his kitchen while he was off working on the album.
“‘The Big Mess’ begins with the line, ‘It’s been a long time…’ As the album opener, it’s a winky-sad nod to our long absence along with a statement of purpose, catching up like no time has passed at all,” Emm said of the song. “‘The Big Mess’ as an idea and album unifier represents not only the evolution of our lives and partnership but also stands for both our (Tanlines-branded) work and its core identity—a colorful and signature melange of influences and ideas. Thoughtful, fun, serious, and sad all at the same time. A big mess.”
Watch the video for "The Big Mess" below.
