Video Of The Week #76: A. Wesley Chung ‘Restless’ [PREMIERE]

 A. Wesley Chung – a musician from California (now based in Glasgow) previously of Boris Smile and The Great Albatross, recently returned with his new album Neon Coast. Today we host the premiere of his whimsical video for new single ‘Restless’ that plays with male roles, this delicate Americana tinged song dappled with brass, is an ode that dwells upon the themes of ‘freedom’, ‘lonesomeness’ and ‘restlessness’.

A. Wesley Chung has also announced an appearance at End of the Road Festival this year having just released his debut album as a solo artist Neon Coast, via Glasgow’s own LP Records. 

Neon Coast is an homage to the US West Coast, where Chung grew up, and the three most pronounced emotions that he associates with it – freedom, lonesomeness and restlessness. “I’ve tried to explore the three themes of ‘freedom’, ‘lonesomeness’ and ‘restlessness’ through the sounds of Country, Motown and Folk/Americana that I grew up listening to in California,” says Chung.

He expands: “In our deep search for meaning/self we become obsessed with self-actualization, and our fear of death pushes us further into our desire for recognition which only leads us deeper into self – this is ‘restlessness’. The tension between individual freedom (negative freedom) and the desire for community, as well as the freedom from death through self-made immortality – this is ‘freedom’. The price of our individualism and negative freedom (which mirrors the western frontier and the landscape of open expanse). This is ‘lonesomeness’.”

Chung emigrated to the UK in his adult life to a wholly different and, in many ways, surprising culture, making Glasgow his new home. The Scottish city would be the facilitator to Chung’s band of revolving members and collaborators, The Great Albatross, who’s split 7” with Into It. Over It. was released on Struggletown Records, with the B-side mixed and co-produced by Glasgow producer Gordon Skene (formerly of Frightened Rabbit, Smash Williams, Moth and the Mirror). Skene would also go on to produce the band’s full length. Prior to that, Count Your Lucky Stars records released the band’s EP, which included contributions from Avi Zahner-Isenberg and acclaimed Scottish singer/songwriter Jo Mango.