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Flagpole Premieres: Bill Jr. Jr., ‘Renaissance Man’ Video


Led by Vancouver, BC, singer-songwriter Russell Gendron, the music of indie-folk act Bill Jr. Jr. “meander[s], dreamlike, through feelings of uncertainty and loss, physical neighborhoods and change,” according to the band’s bio.

Last year, Gendron came to Athens to record a new album at Chase Park Tranduction and ended up collaborating with a who’s who of local talent, including Dan Nettles, Seth Hendershot, JoJo Glidewell, Claire Campbell, Serena Scibelli, Luca Lombardi and others.

“Through Dan, I was really intrigued by the music community in Athens and how it could be a perfect place to add color to the songs,” says Gendron. “I think we came away with something special that we couldn’t have otherwise achieved elsewhere.”

The Daniel McNamara-produced LP, Homebody, is set to be released next year, but today we’re happy to premiere the video for its first single, “Renaissance Man,” an absorbing tune that thrives in the push-and-pull between Gendron’s searching melodies and the Athens crew’s exacting musicianship.

Says Gendron:

The Renaissance Man video was created by Jared Popescu at Greyland Studios. It is a tongue-in-cheek poke at the phenomenon known as ‘instant expert syndrome’: In a hyper-flexible and rapidly changing late capitalist society, we’re forced to cast a wide net hoping our interests and talents catch us something, anything, that sticks. Watch as our Renaissance Man tries his luck at a variety of unfocused and random pursuits, including space travel.

Check out the video below:

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