Video: Art d'Ecco Shares New Single 'True Believer' with Video Directed by Brendan Fletcher

Art d’Ecco explores the seduction of evil from within on his latest single, “True Believer,” out now, with a video from director Brendan Fletcher (The Revenant, The Last of Us).

“True Believer” is the opening track from Art d’Ecco’s upcoming fourth full-length album, Serene Demon, due out February 14 via Paper Bag Records. Art d’Ecco will preview Serene Demon at a special ‘Road to the JUNOS’ performance in Vancouver, January 30 at The Pearl, to be filmed by the CBC, and featuring Art backed by a nine-piece band. 

Discussing his latest single, Art d’Ecco notes, "'Serene Demon' is a metaphor. Think of it as the duality of good and evil. We are all capable of inhabiting both worlds, but most of us intrinsically strive to inhabit the good. 'True Believer' is about the seduction of evil from within us. Perhaps it’s a metaphor for depression? Or an invasive thought that implores one to self destruct? I was imagining a tiny little demon dancing on my shoulder, seducing me to come to the dark side…"

Regarding the video for “True Believer”, director Brendan Fletcher states, “Inspired by 1930’s horror films like ‘Frankenstein’, ‘The Invisible Man’, ‘Dracula’ and ‘Nosferatu’ (1922), the idea for the ‘True Believer’ video evolved from giving Art d’Ecco’s alter ego ‘The Serene Demon’ a back story. Exploring the creative demon within us all, that pushes us forward or holds us back. The idea of culminating the masks we wear, the personas in which our creativity manifests, into a singular character that could drive the next evolution… the Serene Demon”

Art adds, “I’ve been friends with Brendan for 20 years now and we’ve always wanted to collaborate on something. He’s got a brilliant mind and is a true artist. This video came together quickly. Shout out to our fearless DOP Jasper Sassaman for sticking with our manic flow - he was our secret weapon in this shoot.”

Serene Demon is Art d’Ecco’s most ambitious album to date, but fans won’t struggle to recognize his handiwork. Like the many groundbreaking artists who have inspired Art d’Ecco over the years, he intends to keep nudging his listeners forward, prompting them to explore - and accept - unfamiliar ideas.  “Once you've trained the ear of the audience, it establishes a new precedent,” he concludes. Tastes change and evolve, and outliers mature into icons. “That moves pop music forward in the most beautiful, organic way, and I'm constantly trying to exist within that paradigm. How do I challenge myself and throw the rule book out, but still make this the catchiest, quirkiest piece of music possible? I like existing between those two worlds.”

Art rented an apartment in New York for two months, walking the streets listening to Henry Mancini, Ennio Morricone, John Barry and François de Roubaix, as he dreamed up cinematic visions of the people passing by. Pushing his limits and taking risks during the writing process for Serene Demon, some more successful than others, but always leading him to a place he had not yet traveled before.

Ecstatic when Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, The Strokes, Beck, U2) expressed interest in working on his new material, Art soon came to realize that their methods and concepts didn’t align as closely as hoped; after two weeks of production in Vancouver (including some “great ideas” that made it to the final record), they parted ways, after which Art took over complete creative control in the studio. Yet despite his “ferocious, introverted independence,” Art recognized that he couldn’t realize his ambitious vision single-handedly. Nearly 30 musicians contributed to making Serene Demon, and three of the new songs blossomed from collaborative exercises with his rhythm section, drummer Malcolm Holt and bassist Pascal Le Vasseur.

Great pop music accommodates big ideas and simple truths with equal finesse, but don’t expect a record - even one as ambitious as Serene Demon - to solve all life’s mysteries. “If you're constantly searching for answers or hope to bestow any relevance to the existence that you're living, then take a pause and realize that life is happening right now,” concludes Art. “You don’t need to constantly defer happiness. Just exist in the moment.”

Photo Credit: Izzy Kaz

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