Ben Jones’ Constant Smiles projects has undergone countless forms over the past 15 albums or so in roughly as many years, from their acid-folk and garage-rock origins to more recent coldwave-y homage to John Waters and Kenneth Anger. All of which clearly appealed to the folks at Sacred Bones Records—who not only specialized in those specific genres but also host several filmmaker icons among their discography—leading to a pair of recent releases through the label. Now, Jones has fleshed out the band for Constant Smiles’ debut for their new label Felte Records, which ironically means paring down both their eccentric set of influences and the brash sounds heard on previous material with Moonflowers instead leaning into subtle layers of gentle indie-folk.
The record’s second single “Allowed to Be” follows the laid-back charm of its predecessor (“Time Measured in Moonflowers,” which featured Cassandra Jenkins), while its lyrics express a certain heartfelt dedication that involves various difficult commutes. Perhaps this was the jumping-off point for the song’s Sam Mason–directed video, which sees Jones’ career as an Lyft driver slowly slip away as dissatisfied customers bail from their rides. Keen eyed viewers may recognize a handful of these victims, who include artist/activist Ann Messner, experimental artist LEYA, Bambara’s Blaze Bateh, and musicians/songwriters Shahzad Ismailey, Katie von Schelicher, Leslie Bear (a.k.a. Long Beard), and Mallory Hawk, as well as pro skater and artist Bobby Puleo.
“Bobby is my next-door neighbor and is such a legend!” Jones exclaims before introducing a few other cast members. “LEYA is one of my favorite bands in NYC right now, and they live nearby, too. Blaze from Bambara has been a longtime member of Constant Smiles. Long Beard and Mallory are two people who really inspire me, and Shahzad is an absolute legend and played a huge role on our record. Slowspin is another artist doing incredible things; we’ve been talking about collaborating for a while now.”
He goes on to add that the video was inspired by Jim Jarmusch’s film Night on Earth, which similarly tells a story through often-stressful vignettes between drivers and their fares. “The video is ultimately about that web of connection, neighbors, collaborators, and friends whose creativity makes NYC feel both infinite and deeply personal. Within the video’s relationship to the song, it also speaks to the idea that in life you’re going to make mistakes and have bad days. You have to take life on life's terms. Sometimes you’re down, but it won’t last forever, things can always turn around.”
Check out the video below, and pre-order Moonflowers here ahead of its November 7 release.
