“All The Things” began life as a silly, drunken idea.
“It ended up in my voice memos when I was still playing with my old band, the Premonitions,” says Neil Soiland, tracing the humble beginnings of his latest single. “I knew there was something there, but things didn’t come to fruition until I ended up in London recording the songs for my new EP.”
Soiland first emerged on the Los Angeles scene about 10 years ago with garage/psych revivalists the Creation Factory before spearheading likeminded supergroup Sacred Orange. These days, he’s assumed the frontman role in something he’s calling the Soul Family Band. Like most songs do, “All The Things” evolved, becoming an ode to his musical heroes—namely ’60s bubblegum hitmaker Joey Levine (of Ohio Express and Buddha Records fame). In the end, the track is more glam-trash camp than cotton-candy sweet.
“I have such a deep and sincere love for the bubblegum genre,” says Soiland. “It was intended as a song in that vein, with lyrics expressing the frustrations of trying to date or hold on to a romantic relationship in this day and age.”
For the video, Soiland recruited old friend Fred “Joseph” Mullins to direct. The clip’s layout and design were inspired by Flock Of Seagulls’ MTV classic “I Ran (So Far Away).”
“We shot the video in my backyard using six rolls of 8mm film,” says Soiland. “When me and Fred got to the editing process, we noticed it needed something else. I’d been working with (actress/model) Nemi Brooks on music and had a feeling she’d be perfect. Since then, she’s singing in my band, too. The video brought us all closer together and has really solidified the Soul Family Band.”
We’re proud to premiere the “All The Things” video. The self-released Neil Soiland Presents: The Soul Family Band is out now.
—Hobart Rowland
