Artist: Trapper Schoepp
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Song: “May Day”
Album: May Day
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Label: Grand Phony
In Their Words: “After this long, hard winter, the music of May Day marks the arrival of spring. The album title is a nod to the ancient holiday that’s historically celebrated by dancing around a maypole in the spirit of rebirth. The title track addresses the struggles of starting over with the tale of a transcontinental relationship that has come to a standstill. The pandemic allowed me to hit reset on certain parts of myself that had gotten lost in the last decade of touring. For all the brightness surrounding the holiday, there’s a dark side that inhabits the characters on the record — ghosts haunt the ‘Hotel Astor’ and lovers become disillusioned in ‘Paris Syndrome.’ The isolation of lockdown found its way into tracks like ‘Solo Quarantine’ and ‘Yellow Moon.’
“The watchtower is located at a secluded nature preserve in Mequon, Wisconsin. You can see for miles in each direction and I found it to be a tranquil environment right outside the city. One of the themes running throughout the album is the natural world and I wanted to highlight that with this video. Despite a cold wind blowing up there, it was also a joy to reunite with some videographer friends I hadn’t seen since COVID took hold.” — Trapper Schoepp
Photo credit: Abby Artish
