After teasing new music in a brief clip the other day, the Dirty Projectors have officially dropped a new video. It’s a black and white clip for a song called “Keep Your Name.” Mostly, the clip is composed of close-up shots of the band’s frontman David Longstreth, who looks rather dejected while playing any number of instruments, drawing with both hands, and later, destroying instruments. As far as the song itself, it is focused on the way that art and fame intersect and the dissolution of a partnership, hence the title.
The production is even glitchier than what we’ve heard from the experimental band in the past, and at one point Longstreth does what could only be described as rapping. It’s good, actually, and reminds me a bit of one of Kendrick’s extremely manic flows. One particularly cutting and possibly key line to note here: “A band is a brand.”
Sure, we all know that, but this song seems to be a reflection of how grappling with that particular concept can get in the way of the art aspect, or more importantly, tear those creative relationships apart. No word on an album release date yet, but at least this fully-formed song gives us a pretty good idea that one is coming.
The video was co-directed by the band’s frontman David Longstreth and Elon Rutberg, who has worked in Kanye West’s camp. Watch it above.
