Week in Pop: Dreamend, Joe Gorgeous, lojii

Post Author: Sjimon Gompers

Major Murphy

Me & the majors—Major Murphy; photographed by Michael Newsted.

From Major Murphy’s beloved debut album No. 1 available now from the illustrious imprint Winspear—the group’s own Jacob Bullard delivers the self-directed & filmed video for the spirit assuaging single “Step Out”. A visual centered around Kevin Rudzinski, a family friend of bassist Jacki Warren’s family who lives around Chicago who is both a cool cat & an avid bowler. Kevin becomes the star of the video as Jacob follows them around with a mellow day in the life odysse that leaves you feeling good about life & the world we share.
Major Murphy’s “Step Out” becomes centered around the adventures of Kevin Rudzinski that begins with carnival & arcade games to local basketball courts, the barber & beyond. The trio’s sound becomes the perfect soundtrack for Rudzinski’s adventures that move from breakfast, brunch & lunch meals to traversing across the local Illinois highways & roadside attractions that lead to Kevin’s true home (the bowling alley). The sensations of stepping out & having a good time with yourself & others is seen, heard & felt throughout the video & song as Rudzinski’s smile becomes infectious. The group’s own smart & sometimes subdued style washes over the listener/viewer with sense of calm & ease that will inspire you to rent out a few lanes with some close friends.

Jacob Bullard shared the following thoughts on the video for “Step Out”:

The song itself speaks to wanting to step out, which could obviously read as a plea for a glitzy nightlife, but dig deeper and that sentiment could also be as simple as choosing to get out of bed in the morning—something undoubtedly more significant, but admittedly not as sexy. Both unassuming but also confident, Kevin seemed to embody this duality, the continuum between mundane and exceptional, naturally. His candid performance is accentuated by abstract footage and editing techniques, stitched together by [Bullard] and longtime friend and editor, Matthew Bouwense.

Major Murphy’s debut album No. 1 is available now from Winspear.