Toronto/ Los Angeles’ Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival have released their new single, “Punk Rock Heart”, along with a lyric video for the release.
The latest to land ahead of the garage-pop pioneers’ forthcoming album, Meet the Monster, this May,
“the song was born a couple of years ago while working on a song’s chorus about my mean-eyed cat,”lead singer Douglas Von Irvin divulges. “Later, while on vacation in Las Vegas, my mother surprised me by throwing me into a songwriting class hosted by Gene Simmons.
“So, I came home and fooled around with the song — still writing about my cat’s feral, bouncy heart.”
Fast forward to late-2019, Von Irvin continues, and the sharing of the song with the mysterious frontman’s songwriting partner — and the band’s ‘spiritual advisor’ — Dr. Prycenstein (Dave Pryce), and the project’s producer, Matt Starr.
“The two of them decided the song needed to grow up a little, and I could stop singing about my cat.
“From there, the three of us collaborated on lyrics about a feral, cat-like girl, and picked up the arrangement’s tempo. With the stripped-down arrangement of ratty guitars, drums, bass, and most of all, Dr. Prycenstein’s lyric lines of ‘Joan Jett grace’ and ‘we’ll show ‘em all and start a band,’ we all agreed the song needed to be called ‘Punk Rock Heart.’”
As for the video, it is filled with a neon palette of colors with a Jackson Pollock-like splash. “A very exciting visual for the eyes.”
It’s that artful invitation into escapism that’s landed Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival on a spotlit podium all its own. Where the band describes their oft-spooky and theatrical power-pop sound as if “Roy Orbison and The Cramps had a baby,” their ultimate mission is to whisk audiences on an adventurous and immersive mixed media experience.
“We want to give people a chance to take a break from the harsh realities of the world, all while staying in tune with our feelings and minds,” Von Irvin explains. “We offer a place where all walks of life are celebrated and welcome to hang around in our Carnival.”
Check out the lyric video for “Punk Rock Heart” below, and find out more about Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival via our mini-interview.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Douglas Von Irvin, lead singer and ringleader for Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival, or DVIC.
The band’s two permanent members are Dr. Prycenstein and myself. Both of us write, sing, and perform most of our own musical stunts. We make “Monster Garage Pop” music for people and films. Most recently, we have been working closely with the drummer for Ace Frehley and Mr. Big; Matt Starr. He’s been producing, drumming, and co-writing songs with us. The three of us have completed an EP titled “Meet the Monsters” and will be released independently on 5/25/21. The song “Punk Rock Heart” is one of the singles.
Tell us about the recording process behind “Punk Rock Heart”?
The song “Punk Rock Heart” was born a couple of years ago while I was working on an idea for a song chorus about my mean-eyed cat but under a different title.
Later, while on a vacation in Las Vegas, my mother surprised me by throwing me into a songwriting class hosted by Gene Simmons from the band Kiss. I shared the chorus with Gene and he liked it. So, I came home and fooled around with the song, still writing about my cat’s feral bouncy heart.
Fast forward to late 2019; I shared the song with my songwriting partner Dr. Prycenstein and our producer Matt Starr. The two of them decided the song needed to grow up a little and I could stop singing about my cat. So, the three of us collaborated on lyrics about a feral, cat-like girl, and picked up the arrangement’s tempo. With the stripped-down arrangement of, ratty, guitars, drums, bass, and most of all, Dr. Prycenstein’s lyric lines, “Joan Jett grace” and “We’ll show em’ all and start a band”, we all agreed the song should be called “Punk Rock Heart”.
What was the highlight of 2020?
Creating my home studio and recording new songs remotely with Dr. Prycenstein and Matt Starr.
What do you hope to accomplish in your career in 2021?
Currently, the three of us are finishing recordings for our second EP and planning to release a single from it on my favorite holiday, Halloween. Also, along with the rest of the world’s musicians, we hope to get back to performing live.
Is there anyone out there you’d like to collaborate or open/close a concert with in the future?
Last year we were contracted to do an instrumental theme song for an interview show and had a blast. The person I would most like to collaborate with on a theme song for a movie would be Quentin Tarantino. I think the choices he makes for his film scores are brilliant, in the way they compliment the feelings of the characters in a scene. He has had a big influence on the way I create arrangements for Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival songs.
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