Austin, Texas’ Cortége aren’t an easy band to describe. They refer to themselves as “instrumental, post-western, retro-futurism,” which, admittedly, is a mouthful. Co-founded in 2012 by Mike Swarbrick, the group started out playing doom and started to expand into drone and electronic, pulling influence from the earliest forms of electronic music, ’70s prog rock, and psychedelia. Swarbrick plays bass VI, synthesizers, tubular bells, and piano, Adrian Voorhies plays drums, and April Schupmann is on trumpet, melodica, and general percussion. It’s an eclectic musical blend that you’re probably better of hearing than reading a description of.
Over the course of the band’s 12-year-long career, they’ve shared stages with the likes of Mdou Moctar, Rezn, Hippie Death Cult, The Well, Duel, The Schisms, and Dead Register. Their new album, Under the Endless Sky, is coming out on May 10.
“Under the Endless Sky is the soundtrack to a drive in the American southwest,” say the band. “It encompasses the feeling of expanse, beauty, bleakness, and unforgiving nature beneath the desert sun.”
Today, the band are debuting the video for their single “Under the Endless Sky Part 2.” The song is long and droning, and yet deeply melodic, as the use of a trumpet gives it the sound of an almost elongated jazz number. The video, directed by John Pesina, sees the band members’ car breaking down in the desert, leaving the trio to face the harsh wilderness on their own, with some pretty grim results. The landscapes are as gorgeous as the video is morbid, making for a dark yet beautiful visual experience. Check out the video below.
