Jay Som has a close encounter of the third kind in the latest video for “Nighttime Drive.” The song is the third single off the indie rock hero’s upcoming sophomore album, Anak Ko, out August 23rd via Polyvinyl Records.
A slice-of-life snapshot from tour, the warm, folk-rock stride of “Nighttime Drive” is a vast departure from her previous funk-laden single “Tenderness.” The song, says the artist, “basically encapsulated my entire life for the past two years.” Jay Som’s drowzy, backseat ruminations give way to freaky dreams in the music video, directed by Han Hale. Once she finally dozes off, the band transforms into a squad of FBI special agents – suits and all – and leaves their tour van to scope out crop circles in the brush. By nightfall, a green humanoid alien emerges from the woods to perform a bizarre hula hoop dance, which (we want to believe) is performed by an actual human, Erin Shredder.
“My baby says I’m growing tough/’Don’t let others define you,’” Jay Som sings while grappling with the demands of life on the road and her dwindling energy supply. “I’m sticking to the script now,” she adds, “I’ll let my body win.”
Jay Som kicks off her North American tour September 11th in Phoenix, AZ.