Southern California quartet Universe Peoples (uP) return with a live video for their new single “Indigo Smiles” produced by Daniel Archer • Moontower. Archer helmed Phish’s landmark 1990 album Lawn Boy. JamBase is pleased to premiere the visual today ahead of the official release tomorrow (Friday, June 3).
Universe Peoples — drummer Garrett Morris, guitarist Nathan Reinert, bassist Paul Hiller and keyboardist Albert Margolis — captured the live audio and video for “Indigo Smiles” at the historically rich and mysterious Giant Rock near Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert outside of Los Angeles. The video was a cosmic culmination of an adventure the quartet embarked upon, as members of the band explained.
“It’s kind of funny,” Morris recalled. “We were brainstorming locations and then we went on a scouting trip to Joshua Tree. We’re picking out a few spots and we liked one spot in particular. So we came home.”
On the way home from their first scouting trip, the band stopped at the Integratron “a dome-shaped structure built in 1959 by George Van Tassel, who claimed the building and its machinations were capable of rejuvenation, anti-gravity and time travel,” as per press materials for the video.
Guitarist Nathan Reinert picks up the story:
We found this spot we loved [in Joshua Tree] and the Integratron, where they do sound baths and healing stuff, was pretty close. I was like, “guys, let’s check this out.” And Giant Rock is like two clicks away from there. But I didn’t even think of it cause I thought we found the spot. Well, that fell through.
So we had to go back up. And of course when we pulled up [to the Integratron] the band was like, ‘hey guy, isn’t that the same healing center from before?’ And I was like, “yeah…” So we were very close on our first trip. But the second we found Giant Rock it was almost immediately like, “yep, that’s it.
With their crew in tow including lighting designer Bill “Billy Sunday” McCoy, video chief Ian Millett, set manager Joe Nutter and drone pilot Fred Radtke, uP headed out to Giant Rock in March 2022 to shoot the video and capture the audio for the 11-minute “Indigo Smiles,” which boasts an extended synth solo from keyboardist Albert Margolis.
“It was composed on the spot,” Margolis said of his contribution. “It’s how I approach my solos. I really want to make sure it fits the vibe and groove of the moment. It changes all the time in our jams. It’s always an adventure for sure!”
“It was pretty special, honestly,” bassist Paul Hiller added about the experience. “There’s something about that location, just the general feel of that place made way for creating something really cool.”
Stream Universe Peoples’ “Indigo Smiles” live video below:
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Universe Peoples Share ‘Cosmic’ 1st Set From April 2021 Concert In San Diego
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Universe Peoples Share ‘Cosmic’ 2nd Set From April 2021 Concert In San Diego
