Narrm neo punk/funk warriors Mammal target misinformation in scintillating fashion, with their explosive new single Keanu Reeves, out now. Marking the band’s first new material since 2022, the single is fittingly accompanied by a music video inspired by one of the actual Keanu Reeves‘ most iconic cinematic moments.
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Named for the Internet’s Boyfriend while also laden with the trademark Mammal spitfire stylings, Keanu Reeves finds the Melbourne quartet embracing spacious frustration and brutal neo-scream in musically muscular fashion. Drawing sonic inspiration from the equally powerful likes of Rage Against the Machine, Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Public Enemy, Metallica and Clutch, Keanu Reeves also brought Mammal together with the multi-platinum awarded Jimi “The Island” Maroudas (The Avalanches, Tim Rogers, The Living End) on producing duties, as well as engineering by Tyson Fish and mixing by long-time Mammal collaborator Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Helmet, Sunk Loto).
Full of riotous beats, elasticated basslines and the voracious vocal delivery of frontman Ezekiel Ox, Keanu Reeves is a lyrically pop culture-laden powerhouse beating with a timely thematic core, as Ox elaborates, “We started writing for our new album, and Pete [Williamson] and Zane [Rosanoski] came up with the original Keanu Reeves song. I flew down for a couple of days of drinking, smoking and freestyle, and the song came out. It’s about misinformation, and the need for humans to be able to agree on an objective reality to survive. It’s grim out there at the moment, Orwellian. But in the end, some things are real. We name check Tracey Chapman in the song too, which is exciting.”
Continuing their music video hallmark of live performances, the accompanying clip for Keanu Reeves draws irreverent yet powerful inspiration from a bona fide 90s action movie classic, Mammal-style. With long-time friend and creative collaborator Dean J Miller shooting and editing, the end result for the ‘Keanu Reeves’ music video proves that humour and hard-hitting thematics can truly go hand in hand, with the end result also featuring a local Narrm coastal setting to backdrop the memorable clip. “Mammal always performs live in our clips,” shares Ox. “The dancing is important to our culture and mission, so we set up at a local Narrm beach for the live stuff. The clip is a tongue-in-cheek recreation of the original Point Break, which of course starred Keanu Reeves alongside the late Patrick Swayze. Expect chase scenes, tuxedos and ex-Presidents of the USA galore. The concept? Have fun and make something entertaining, it’s not rocket surgery.”
Since forming and releasing their debut self-titled EP in 2006, Mammal have toured relentlessly while also crafting a formidable reputation for their animated live performances, timeless sonic creations and authentic, working-class political activism that has garnered the quartet an ever-growing cult-like status across the globe. Revered as a “must see” rock’n’roll juggernaut, Mammal‘s back catalogue includes their striking singles Smash The Pinata, The Majority, Hell Yea and Think, with their touring history also spanning headline shows in London, Perth, Auckland, Brisbane and everywhere in between, as well as supports with some of the heavy scene’s towering giants, including Kiss, Avenged Sevenfold, Sebastian Bach, Cog, Grinspoon, Spiderbait and Shihad to name a mere few. A band who also walk the walk alongside their musical calls-to-action, Mammal have also previously volunteered their live services, raising much-needed funds for various charities, supporting Interchange, the Refugee Action Collective and Fitzroy Legal Service over the years.
Now primed to release their sophomore studio album The Penny Drop in 2024, the long-awaited follow up to the band’s debut full length The Majority in 2008, Mammal are ready once again to fly their commanding flag for meaningful rock’n’roll with a newfound and dynamic vigour. And, as Ox concludes, Mammal are entirely locked and loaded to light the fire loudly and proudly once more, with Keanu Reeves gifting the perfect lead into an unforgettable 2024 from the band.
“We feel ready and raring to go,” says Ox. “We say what we want, how we want and play loud and proud. We believe that at its best, rock and roll is a form of rebellion. Punters know when they come to the show that we give shit, about the music, about them. About their schools and unis, their hospitals and parks, their housing situation. Their favourite bands. We always punch up, and we aren’t pulling the ladder up behind us.”
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