Matthew E. White plays with imaginary friends in his new video, for "Steady Pace."
If you thought the biggest thing to come out of Richmond, Va., was the world's largest Marlboro cigarette factory, then it's time to meet Matthew E. White, the hirsute indie singer/songwriter who can move mountains with whispers AND look mighty fine in a white tux. The southern lad has been turning heads at Pitchfork, Consequence Of Sound, NME, and others since his 2012 debut, Big Inner, a potpourri of folk, jazz, soul, and gospel tunes lightly dusted in pop: it's like Cat Stevens meets Bon Iver (with whom he's collaborated) meets Randy Newman. (Fun fact: White once tracked down Newman's house in L.A. to give him a few CDs in person. Um... #GUTS, but also maybe #stalker.) Nowadays, White's frolicking with cardboard heads and doing little sidestep shuffles in the charmingly quirky video for his latest single, "Steady Pace."
Watch Matthew E. White's "Steady Pace" video after the jump.
In "Steady Pace," an ivory-outfitted White stands against a stark backdrop while cartoonish cutouts transform into a 3-D wonderland. It looks like the stuff children's shows are made of -- but a trippy children's show where people dance with cardboard friends and barren-looking shrubbery. As the all-white backdrop darkens and fades to a deep crimson, White remains calm as he wind-dances through the line "As long as we are moving at a steady pace, baby/ We can take our time."
White's world may look like "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" in purgatory, but it's heartwarming all the same time. And this is only the start: White's gearing up for a summer tour, playing gigs at Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, and more. Listen to Matthew E. White's Big Inner on Domino Records now and meet his imaginary friends below.
