‘Life is a Gradient’ by Gerald Slevin | New Album, ‘Quantum Jitters’
Exclusive video premiere of ‘Life is a Gradient’ by Gerald Slevin.
Multi-instrumentalist and Renaissance Man Gerald Slevin’s music is a textured blend of Beatles-esque melodies and harmonies with a modern sonic-palette.
For his latest music video, ‘Life is a Gradient’, Gerald Slevin takes a deliciously colorful look at life as the dynamic and ever-changing phenomenon it is, from people’s moods and relationships to the seasons and ecosystems found in nature. Slevin recently relocated to the surreally beautiful environs of Upstate NY after living in NYC for most of his life, and the video features him playing drums in a forest, playing bass in a giant rhododendron bush, and playing guitar in a fast-moving creek beneath a massive waterfall. About making the video, Slevin says, “Since the pandemic hit, I’ve found a lot of inspiration in leaving my phone at home and going into nature, so being able to film in these stunning natural environments was pretty incredible.” There are also some of Slevin’s mixed feelings that come through here, that come with the knowledge of the fragility of nature and the havoc humans have wreaked on the planet, which is fitting given the ambivalent message of the song. “One funny thing is I’ve had a few friends who live elsewhere ask me how I created the waterfall, assuming it’s some kind of digital illusion. When I tell them it’s actually Ithaca Falls -which is literally 5 minutes from my house- they seem to not believe me. It’s a pretty amazing place to call home. I’m really grateful to have landed here.”
Before launching his solo career, Gerald Slevin made a name for himself as the songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer of Brooklyn’s psychedelic, vocal harmony-driven art pop outfit, The Color Bars. The band’s layered vocal arrangements and acrobatic instrument-swapping performances quickly gained the attention of the NYC music press, and they were soon sharing bills with artists like The National and Metric at famed NYC venues like the Mercury Lounge and Knitting Factory. Their bombastic stage show, along with their kaleidoscopic records (on which Slevin was the primary producer, instrumentalist, and vocalist), would eventually take Slevin around the world, after a particularly explosive SXSW set with The Brian Jonestown Massacre resulted in a deal with Tokyo-based label, 5D. Performing in Japan sparked a flurry of creative output for Slevin, which led to 4 albums, several tours, and a string of singles.
Slevin recently retreated from his native NYC to Upstate NY to immerse himself more fully in his current solo project. His forthcoming album, a concept album entitled ‘Quantum Jitters’ that grapples with the contradictions of love and relationships via the metaphor of quantum entanglement, is his most expansive and fully-realized work yet. A classically-trained painter and visual artist who has exhibited and painted for Art World juggernaut Jeff Koons in his Manhattan workshop, Slevin does all of his own artwork, incorporating surrealistic imagery as a counterpoint to his music.
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