Longtime DIY scene player Evan Bernard — who, per his Bandcamp bio, “likes guitars, coffee, and anime” — surprise-released an album this week under his solo moniker, Provide.
Bernard has been in bands in the Lame-O Records / Big Mama’s Warehouse orbit for almost a decade an a half, going back to the delightful indie rock troupe Dangerous Ponies, and continuing in The Superweaks — a band he co-fronted with fellow songwriter-producer and Dangerous Pony Chris Baglivo — The Lame-O’s and more. This band is his first truly solo project, something reflected in the album title too; For Me surprise-released on Wednesday, March 1st.
Get a taste of the record with the delightfully disruptive video for “Fire Away,” a minute-and-a-half long ripper punctuated by crunchy guitars and bright synths, a Bernard signature for sure. In the video directed by Travis Arterburn, we see him driving around in a bleak rural area, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase, wandering through a forest before finding a clearing to host a bonfire perfect for burning the briefcase and its contents — bundles upon bundles of $100 bills. Is it a comment on capitalism? A nod to The KLF? Both? Watch below, and check out the record in full at Bandcamp.
For more on Bernard, read this 2021 interview with him and journalist / musician Jane Lai.