American Trappist | still from video
American Trappist walks the line, drunkenly, in the “Holy Moses” video
Joe Michelini of American Trappist is a generally positive person, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t dealt with his share of darkness. His last album, Tentanda Via, was born out of a struggle with existential dread, rejection of the religion he’d been raised in, but also a fear of a world sans faith. His latest song, the distressed rocker “Holy Moses,” came from a different kind of low where Michelini needed to work out the idea of forgiveness.
As he tells us over email:
…it would be easier in some ways to submit to a religious doctrine, something like ‘I am flawed because I was born flawed.’ When you leave original sin out of the picture it’s a little more like ‘I am flawed because I haven’t yet chosen to do better.’ That’s more real to me I guess. I was on my way out of the hole by the time we made this video but I thought it might be interesting to use some of my worst traits to help tell the story. So under the supervision of my wife and family I got really drunk on the Canadian boarder and we shot this.
Watch the “Holy Moses” video below. The song will be featured on American Trappist’s latest project, the Amuse-oreille, Vol. 2 EP, which will be released on Michelini’s own Smartt* Records (Sustainable Models for American Recordings Tomorrow & Today) this summer. The set will contain new songs, as well as re-recorded and remixed versions of music from Tentanda Via. Check out the track list below, and make plans to see American Trappist co-headline Johnny Brenda’s with The Vernes on June 29th. Tickets and more information on the show can be found here.
Aumse-oreille, Vol. 2 track list
1. Amuse-oreille, Vol. 2
2. Holy Moses (feat. Lesley Barth)
3. (Other) Other Reasons (feat. HD)
4. Q.C.
5. You Only Enter The Graveyard (Last Dance At The Apocalypse Prom)
6. Unfresh Dirtwolf (Mike Costaney Remix)