Music Video Premiere: Outblinker – 'Blue'

Inventive Glasgow post-rock quintet Outblinker present this tripped out and politically emblematic video clip for 'Blue', taken from their recent debut double a-side [reviewed here].

Comprising various talents from cult Glasgow bands Dead or American/Hey Enemy, Young Philadelphia and Kabobo, the band had this to say on this self-produced visual accompaniment to the track: "The video to BLUE is formed from some of the visuals we use when playing live, as well as the lighting set-up we control from next to the synths when we play live. 

"The footage is public domain from a US propaganda video used to try and reassure soldiers why they were fighting for the United States. We mixed that with a decidedly creepy film called War Babies featuring Shirley Temple. We thought it was pretty staggering how people would never get away with making a comedy film about child soldiers these days. 

"The theme behind the video was largely inspired by the recent campaign from Veterans For Peace (VFP) to have the recruitment age for the British army raised from 16 to 18 as we are still the only NATO state doing that. We came to that decision after lengthy conversations with servicemen and ex-servicemen who had joined the army at 16 and felt they had been manipulated and were not mentally ready. They were musing on the fact that you can kill or be killed for your country at 16 but can't buy some of the Medal Of Honour games until you hit 18. So I suppose you could say the film was politically charged."

Outblinker play new Glasgow venue The Hug and Pint on 8 Aug and The Skinny's stage at Electric Fields, which takes place at Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries on 29 August.