Canadian hard rockers cleopatrick have unveiled the music video for the new bold fan favourite single “FAMILY VAN.” “FAMILY VAN” appears on the band’s highly anticipated debut album, BUMMER, due out on June 4th via the band’s own label, Nowhere Special Recordings, and will be distributed by Thirty Tigers. You can preorder/presave BUMMER here.
Speaking about the video, frontman Luke Gruntz explains, “Vannah Montana is the mini-van we have spent the last three years touring North America in. We filmed it in the parking lot of our rundown hometown mall in the middle of the night. We didn't have a permit to film there, and almost didn't finish the video because someone called the cops on us after seeing the strobe lights from the road -but in a classic small-town twist of fate, the officer that rolled up to kick us out happened to have played hockey as a child with one of our friends in the video, so he let us finish filming. This was our last take.”
Filmed and directed by Boy Wonder and conceptualized by cleopatrick, the single-shot video for “FAMILY VAN” is a tribute to cleopatrick’s beloved minivan Vannah Montana and reflects the track’s dark, brooding, and cathartic sonic palette.
An exercise in anger and born out of frustration, “FAMILY VAN” acknowledges cleopatrick’s humble beginnings and DIY mentality, utilizing their penchant for hip-hop arrangements for their biggest statement to date. It’s a truly thrilling and cut-throat fuzz-laden declaration that is a much-needed reawakening of guitar music, heading straight for the jugular.
The release of “FAMILY VAN” last month came alongside its own video game, complete with an 8-bit soundtrack composed entirely by the band themselves. The video game simple titled FAMILY VAN: THE GAME sees cleopatrick wake up in their hometown of Coburg, Ontario, late for a headline show in Toronto. The player has to drive the duo’s trusty van to the gig on time, dodging various obstacles and challenges along the way including picking up the band and crew, major label contracts, and over-zealous hangers-on.
At just 23 years old, cleopatrick has proved themselves to be a genuine underground global sensation. Their Top 5 Canadian and U.S rock radio hit single “hometown” has independently amassed over 70 million streams without the help of a record label or marketing campaign and continues to make waves with support from Spotify (featured on the front cover of their flagship “Rock This” playlist), Apple Music and Amazon who included cleopatrick in their "Ones to Watch" for 2021. Earlier this year, the band shared the brash, groove-heavy, distortion-rich single “THE DRAKE”. In Canada, the track landed the talented duo on Spotify’s marquee New Music Friday Billboard at Yonge and Dundas Square in Toronto and received support from the likes of The Strombo Show and Exclaim! “THE DRAKE” followed the previous single “GOOD GRIEF,” which has seen notable support from the BBC, has been featured on a number of New Music Friday playlists, and has landed on multiple marquee playlists including Spotify’s All-New Rock, Amazon’s Rock Hits and Fresh New Rock. Best friends since the age of four, Luke Gruntz and Ian Fraser form cleopatrick. And while they are from -and still based- in the tiny town of Cobourg, Ontario, their sound is anything but small. The core of their mission: to restore the outspoken provocation of rock & roll through raw, abrasive honesty. Along with two other like-minded artists, Zig Mentality and Ready The Prince, cleopatrick formed the loose DIY collective "New Rock Mafia." Together the artist and fan collective provide location-based info, curated content, and organize secret events/shows within the community, all for members only. It has been instrumental in helping the band get the word out while keeping a familial feel and a safe space for fans.
Since releasing their sophomore EP, The Boys across five singles in 2018, cleopatrick have amassed over 75 million Spotify streams, have been featured on the front cover of Spotify’s massive “Rock This,” performed at a wide range of festivals including Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Riot Fest, and Shaky Knees, and recorded a live session at BBC’s legendary Maida Vale Studio 4. Their first international headline tour in late 2018 consisted of 38 dates across the UK, Germany, France, and the USA, and was followed up with a completely sold-out 10-date return to Europe in March 2019. Since then, the band has performed multiple headline tours across UK, France, Germany, Benelux, & LATAM included a notable support slot for Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes on their EU headline tour.
The band has been championed by the likes of FLOOD Magazine, NPR New Music, Brooklyn Vegan, The Independent, Kerrang, Guitar World, and Exclaim!, to name a few. Major accolades continue to pour in from personalities including Jack Saunders (BBC Radio One), George Stroumboulopoulos, and Allison Hagendorf (Head of Rock, Spotify) as the band gears up to release their debut record.
