We spent our entire lives
Fighting the tides
As one wave starts to crash
Another swells to rise
As the pandemic raged, the magnetic former frontman of post-punkers Precious Bones, Antoine Poncelet, embarked on a whimsical quest across New Jersey. His mission? To assemble the most talented rock ‘n’ rollers the Garden State had to offer, forming a supergroup under his own charismatic banner. This ragtag bunch aimed to breathe new life into the fading, fantastical forms of music that Poncelet cherished. We’re talking tunes that were mystical and magical, dangerous and dark, and positively brimming with the kind of electric energy that drags thousands out of their cozy cocoons and into the caverns of concert halls.
Now, these notorious goth ‘n’ rollers, known far and wide as The Antoine Poncelet Band, have unleashed their fifth and most formidable single, Drowning Men. It’s a tidal wave of introspection and whimsy, designed to make you think, laugh, and possibly even dance awkwardly in your living room. By recontextualizing and blending their myriad influences—The Doors, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Stones, Bowie, Iggy and the Stooges, Roxy Music, The Cult, The Sisters, and more—the band has concocted a gothic and glittery sound.
Antoine Poncelet’s double-edged lyrics in the anthemic Drowning Men invite listeners to reflect on their own lives. On one hand, the song explores the rarity of genuine love in today’s superficial, social media-saturated world, questioning if we can overcome our baggage to truly connect. On the other, it examines our tendency to reach out for temptation, getting dragged down by others and losing self-control. The metaphor of drowning symbolizes being overwhelmed by external pressures. Alternatively, it comments on dependency, highlighting our need to feed it in ourselves and others, leading to unhealthy attachments and cyclical struggles.
Regardless of the specific interpretation, the band hopes Drowning Men encourages listeners to dive deep into their thoughts, reflecting on their own lives and relationships.
The music video was entirely conceived, produced, shot, and edited by the dynamic duo Brian Jude and Craig Clark, whose credits boast music videos for They Might Be Giants, The Vigilante Cowboys, King Luan, and others. Brian and Craig were utterly enchanted by an early performance of the band, leading to a collaboration that’s finally able to surface, so to speak. With their quirky creativity and cinematic shenanigans, they’ve brought Poncelet’s lyrical ponderings to life in a way that’s sure to tickle both the brain and the funny bone. Dive in—this visual feast is anything but shallow.
“The first time I saw The Antoine Poncelet Band perform, I was so impressed by their stage presence that I was set on making videos for them,” Jude muses. “Drowning Men appealed to me in particular because I loved the music, and the metaphor of the lyrics were so visual in and of themselves that I could see the video in my head just from listening to it.”
Joined by Mark McClemens (Goon Saloon/Porch Rockers) on the bass, Peter Quilla (Vigilante Cowboys, Dark Marbles) on the guitar, and Eddy “Enzyme” Salek (US Chaos) on the drums, The Antoine Poncelet Band has come together to give you back the rock n’ roll dreams you’ve been missing.
Drowning Men was arranged by the band, recorded and produced by Doug Lane of Jon Caspi and the First Gun, mastered by Carson Kopp, and features Peter Quilla on guitar, Mark McClemens on bass and backing vocals along with special guests Ingrid Larson of Black Light Bastards on vocals, Greg Bullock of Cyborg Amok on keys and Justin Wright of Meteor Police on drums.
The digital b-side of the new single is an exciting new remix by Luin Loeffelbein, available on all streaming services.
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