Dallas singer-songwriter Ari Roar (Caleb Campbell) has overcome dodgy times and his fair share of instability en route to his debut album Calm Down, due for digital release on May 25th and physically on June 29th through Bella Union. As it turns out the journey rewards the listener. Under the Radar has the video premiere of one delightful example “Implode”. Watch it below.

Says Ari about the video experience, “We had been planning this other video idea initially but the idea of the arcade seemed less on the nose and more of a fun thing to approach. It was so hard to hear the song playing during shooting since the sounds of the arcade were so loud. We just sort of walked in and shot it covert.”

And Director Kristin Saal adds, “We both have a great affection for arcades, they’re chalked full of the most beautiful kind of nostalgia. Once we got in, I would just point and say go play that game and sing through it. I think Caleb was having a great time getting to play at work and that translated really well on camera.”

Ari first started songwriting on his family’s “super-old, out-of-tune piano” as a child. Early inspirations included Grandaddy’s Under the Western Freeway and Radiohead’s OK Computer but it was a solo performance by Jason Schwartzman in the teen comedy Slackers that really got him going: “I remember being mesmerized by it… and I went into my room and started trying to write something similar. After that, I just never stopped.”

After a couple of moves, it was in Seattle that Ari settled in and wrote Calm Down on which Ari’s plays most of the instruments himself with contributions from his producer, Hunter Davidsohn. Their shared affection for The Beatles and The Zombies finds its way into the “cool moods and warm melodies” of Calm Down. More recent influences include Deerhunter, Beach House and the Frankie Cosmos album Next Thing, which Davidsohn also produced. “Just really simple and strong sounds,” notes Campbell of that record. “Short and to-the-point songs. Great for repeat listens.” Ari Roar has a few of those himself.