UK ska-punks Call Me Malcolm have shared “dead men take no pills,” the second single from their upcoming album Echoes and Ghosts, and we’re premiering its music video. The video was created by fellow UK ska musician Andy B, and the video uses Jim Henson-style puppets to contrast the song’s themes of mental health struggles with something a little more lighthearted. Singer/guitarist Lucias Malcolm explains:
We had so many limitations for the shoot; space, time, money, we planned for about three weeks to make sure we got what we needed and that if we couldn’t, we had creative solutions ready. Both being prepared, and working with Andy B, made it a riot to shoot – he’s a guerilla filmmaking genius.
In the past, we’ve put a lot of dark lyrics and themes against lighter, happier musical backdrops. dead men take no pills deals with some heavy subject matter, so we wanted to
juxtapose that with the bright, sunny visuals of Henson-style puppets.I think we fell in love with the puppets idea because carrying mental health issues around can sometimes feel like you stand out, like it’s obvious to anyone who looks at you. The fact we have a whole group of puppets – or friends – was a nod to people never being alone in
their struggles.We shot the video in November last year, and it was freezing cold. Not a problem for puppeteers who were off camera – not so great for Mark who had to shoot a scene outside in
his underwear.
Check it out below, and read our review of the album’s previous single here. Echoes and Ghosts arrives March 1 via Bad Time Records (pre-order).
Call Me Malcolm are also gearing up for their first-ever US shows, including Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus on May 11 with Big D and the Kids Table, Kill Lincoln, and Hell Beach.