• News

• All

Sep 17, 2024 By Mark Redfern Photography by Ebru Yildiz

Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers are releasing their seventh studio album, Synthesizer, on October 4 via Dedstrange. Now they have shared the album’s third single, “Bad Idea,” via a music video. Watch it below.

Bassist John Fedowitz originated “Bad Idea.”

“He came to the studio with a simple looping drum beat, thinking he didn’t have any good ideas—thus, the song was his ‘bad idea,’” says frontman Oliver Ackermann in a press release. “We each penned some lines on paper, and he sang the ones that resonated. After a few instrumental passes, the recording was complete. The result is an innovative track born from spontaneous collaboration and a touch of self-doubt, turned into something uniquely captivating.”

Nick Kulp directed the song’s video and had this to say about it: “While touring with the band doing visuals and lighting since 2022, I’ve been lucky enough to experience the band perform new songs and see the development of Synthesizer. In 2023, they started performing ‘Bad Idea’ and I was immediately hooked. It’s one of those live songs that really just takes you along for the ride and is really fun to do visuals and lights for. As the year went on we started talking about videos and elements for the new album and I was approached to do a video for this song and was immediately happy and grateful. I’ve been filming the band on tour and in their practice studio since December of 2023 and have been taking my Hi8 camera on the road and filming the shows. I tried my best to capture as much of the chaos of seeing the band live that I could — it’s an intense journey!”

Previously the band shared the album’s first single “Disgust” via a music video. “Disgust” was one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared the album’s second single, “You Got Me,” via a music video. It was also one of our Songs of the Week.

Not only is Synthesizer the album title, but it also refers to a synthesizer that was made specifically for this album. The album cover doubles as a circuit board and functional synth.

This album features a new lineup, where frontman Oliver Ackermann is now joined by John and Sandra Fedowitz.

“It felt like a fresh new thing. I wanted to write songs everyone was excited about playing,” Ackermann says in a press release.

Synthesizer follows 2023’s See Through You.

Subscribe to Under the Radar’s print magazine.

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.