“Bower” encapsulates all that is right with Inner Wave‘s distinct sound: slashing guitar chords and booming drums that call to mind the best of post-punk, Latin rhythms that summon the spirit of Tropicália and a playfulness informed by the true joy of hip-hop. Culled from the band’s 2017 LP
Underwater Pipe Dreams, the tune is named after vocalist/guitarist Pablo Sotelo’s canine companion, Bowie (nicknamed Bower). “We wanted to make him the star of the video,” Sotelo recalls, adding that he called in friend Sean Matsuyama to direct.
“When Pablo told me the song was about his dog, I was inspired to make a music video that felt like a home movie,” Matsuyama recalls. That’s where the idea of the intro and outro shot came from, kind of like sitting back with the family watching memories of their dog. The inspiration came mostly on the day of shooting. I was filming Bowie being Bowie, and everyone just hanging out. I wanted to capture a feeling of nostalgia in a really stylish sense.”
In addition to the new video, the band has been added to Tropicália Festival on November 11 in Long Beach, California.