Fresh off the 35th Anniversary of The Smiths debut LP, and the announcement of another round of North American tour dates guitar auteur Johnny Marr has premiered his video for his new single “Armatopia”.
The song is seemingly the synthiest thing yet from Marr, barring his work with Bernard Sumner on Electronic.
Of the songs themes, Marr explains:
“‘Armatopia’ is the odd state we find the ecology and ourselves in today. Have those in control made people feel like there’s only one thing left they can do?” He then quotes the song itself, adding: “’We’re smoking till we burn out’, so we dance and party. It’s eco-disco for 2019.”
The video’s directed Kris Rimmer also adds:
“Johnny and I wanted to work with the idea that even when the future of a person seems bleak and uncertain, they can still choose to pursue pleasure and self-indulgence,” he says. “In this case, that hedonism is embodied in our four main characters.”
“We chose the derelict tower block to contrast their eccentricities and followed them on a journey to ‘the last place on earth left open,’” Rimmer continues. “There seems to be something quite significant about finding romance in the last days of existence.” When asked about the visuals, Marr tells us he “wanted the video to represent the compassionate and powerless who do what they can and try to enjoy modern life in all its weirdness”.
Watch the video below:
Meanwhile Marr is now set to return stateside for North American dates scheduled for April and May.
Full ticket information for these shows is available at johnnymarr.com.
See full dates below.
Johnny Marr North American Tour Dates:
- 27 Apr: Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
- 28 Apr: Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
- 29 Apr: Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
- 1 May: Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater
- 3 May: Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall – Ballroom
- 4 May: New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
- 6 May: Huntington, NY – The Paramount
- 7 May: South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom
- 8 May: Portland, ME – Aura
- 10 May: London, ON – London Music Hall
- 11 May: Detroit, MI – Saint Andrews Hall
- 13 May: Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
- 14 May: Milwaukee, WI – The Pabst Theater
- 15 May: Kansas City, MO – Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge
- 16 May: Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre
- 18 May: Las Vegas – Brooklyn Bowl
- 19 May: Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
- 20 May: San Diego, CA – House of Blues
- 21 May: Los Angeles, CA – John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
Or via: