RODERIK’s Powerful New Video Ponders The Price of The ‘American Dream’
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“Though the visual shows what’s been promised to people, the twist ending reveals what those pursuing the “American Dream” usually wind up with: dismal servitude, and no hope of ever having a home with a white picket fence.”- Hollywood Life |
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Long Island, NY’s RODERIK have unveiled a powerful new video for their single “American Dream.” As Hollywood Life writes, “With their new song – and a music video that’s more than meets the eye – multi-genre rockers RODERIK take on the ‘American Dream’ with a track that ‘throws what people know about them on its head.’ Vocalist/songwriter Jake Anthony Salazar (who co-directed the video) says, “‘American Dream’ is one of those songs as a writer, you always hope you’ll write. It came together so fast and so effortlessly, I knew it had to be one of the first songs we released. What makes ‘American Dream’ so special to me, is it really goes against everything we’ve put out to date. Which is probably one of my favorite things about releasing this song as our third single.” In the video clip, where nothing is quite as it seems, Salazar says, “We really tried to embody the real meaning behind the song. When you rip apart the lyrics of American Dream, it’s all about my experience of working for someone else, and feeling like I’m stranded in this job that’s never going to go anywhere for me. I would often daydream about where I could be or who I could be with instead, doing anything else, and in typical RODERIK fashion, we took that very concept and pushed it to the extreme. That’s where the video comes into play. We really worked hard to create something that embodies that feeling, and hope that people connect to this video the way we do.” |
Co-directed by Allison Sharkey and Jake Anthony Salazar
Video created, conceptualized and produced by Fall of the House Productions
Concept team: Christina Segura, Annalise Thode, and Melissa Bunshaft
Additional filming by: James Morano
Huge shoutout to James Salamon for helping direct
“American Dream”
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/5QiQxpi5PSVvniBBX1PNmm?si=13182001a8874823
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/american-dream-single/1585113375
BIO:
RODERIK, a band whose name is derived from Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Fall of the House of Usher, was fittingly formed during the early stages of a global pandemic. Comprised of remnants and fragments of bands that once reverberated through the vibrant Long Island music scene, including Alternative Press recognized band Approaching Troy, singer/songwriter Jake Anthony Salazar & guitarist Jay T. Sutherland set out with bassist David P. K., and drummer Danny Nugent, to rebuild and reformulate.
After years of writing and playing shows together, these four members have finally come together to not only make music, but build visual experiences that would mirror that of its dark origins. As RODERIK, the band aims to combine musical elements with visual representation, showcasing the dark and honest truth of Salazar’s dark lyrics, which stem from his life experiences and ongoing battle with depression.
RODERIK’S musical influences stem from Post Hardcore, but you’ll often find Pop/Hip-hop and R&B influences bleeding into many of their songs. On the visual side, the band is heavily inspired by dark elements incorporated into modern day cinematography and literature, hence the Poe reference mentioned earlier.
